The Times - Saturday, April 6, 1895

The Central News says:-- "After conferring briefly with his counsel, Sir Edward Clarke, at the Central Criminal Court yesterday morning, Mr. Oscar Wilde proceeded in company with Lord A. Douglas and two other men to the Holborn-viaduct Hotel. The party remained in conference in a private room until 1 o'clock, when they partook of luncheon. At a quarter past 2 the four men drove off in Mr. Wilde's brougham, which had been waiting outside the hotel for a considerable time. Their destination was a bank in St. James's, where a large sum of money was drawn out on a cheque payable to 'self.' From that point Mr. Wilde was lost sight of."

Lord Queensberry's solicitors yesterday stated that it was not his lordship's intention to take the initiative in any criminal prosecution of Mr. Oscar Wilde, but after the finding of the jury in the libel action the whole of the documents, with proofs of the evidence upon which the defence had intended to rely, were forwarded to the Public Prosecutor.

On leaving the Court Mr. Charles Russell, Lord Queensberry's solicitor, addressed the following letter to the Public Prosecutor:-- "37, Norfolk-street, Strand. Re: Oscar Wilde. The Hon. Hamilton Cuffe, Director of Public Prosecutions, The Treasury, Whitehall.--In order that there may be no miscarriage of justice, I think it my duty at once to send you a copy of all our witnesses' statements, together with a copy of the shorthand notes of the trial. Yours faithfully, CHARLES RUSSELL."

At Bow-street, after the luncheon interval, Mr. Angus Lewis, of the Treasury, intimated to Sir John Bridge, who had taken the place of Mr. Vaughan, that he might have occasion during the afternoon to make an important application. The nature of the case did not transpire. Nothing more was said in public, but it was understood that Mr. C. F. Gill, Mr. Angus Lewis, and Mr. Charles Russell waited upon Sir John Bridge in his private room and obtained a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Oscar Wilde. Among those in attendance at the Court during the afternoon were Detective-Inspector Brockwell, of Scotland-yard, and two of the youths referred to during the hearing of the case against the Marquis of Queensberry.

Later in the day Mr. Oscar Wilde was arrested by Inspector Richards at an hotel in Sloane-street. The inspector, who had with him Sergeant Allen, made the arrest about half-past 6 o'clock. When the senior officer asked for Mr. Wilde he was told that he was not there, but on the inspector's insisting, he was conducted to his room. Mr. Wilde had with him two friends, and the inspector stated the object of his visit. Mr.Wilde made no reply, and the party at once drove to Scotland-yard in order to meet Inspector Brockwell, who had the warrant for the arrest. The warrant was read to the prisoner, who made no reply, and after some delay he was brought to Bow-street, arriving there at 8 10 in a four-wheeled cab. Mr. Wilde was the first to alight, and walked straight into the station, followed by the detectives. He did not appear to be at all affected by the circumstances of his position. He was at once placed in the dock, and stood there with his hands in his pockets while the charge was taken down by Inspector Digby. When the charge had been entered Mr. Wilde was taken to the cells. Later Lord Alfred Douglas visited Bow-street in order to see whether he could bail out Mr, Wilde, and appeared much distressed when he was informed that on no consideration could his application be entertained. He then offered to procure extra comforts for the prisoner, but this also was not allowed by the officer on duty. Mr. Wilde occupies an ordinary cell, but will be allowed to supply himself with any extra food he thinks fit. He will be brought up to-day at 10 o'clock at Bow-street.

The Central News says:--"Lord Queensberry states that as soon as the trial ended yesterday he sent this message to Mr Wilde:-- 'If the country allows you to leave all the better for the country; but if you take my son with you I will follow you wherever you go and shoot you.'"

Mr. Oscar Wilde's name was yesterday removed from the play-bills and programmes of the Haymarket and St. James's Theatres, where his plays An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest were performed respectively.

Messrs. Ward, Parks, and M'Kay (85, Gracechurch-street), solicitors, write to us as follows with regard to toe Chameleon:--"On behalf of Messrs. Gay and Bird, the publishers of the first and only number of this publication, we ask you to be good enough to allow us to say through your columns that our clients of their own act stopped the sale directly they were aware of the contents of the magazine. Such sale was not stopped at the request of a contributor or any one else. They were requested to renew the sale and refused. Had the trial proceeded, we should, at the proper time, have tendered our clients to give the above facts in evidence."

Daily World - Monday, April 8, 1895

London, April 8.- The Sun, speaking of the Oscar Wilde case says that another sensational arrest is possible before Thursday, the day when Wilde's hearing will be resumed in the Bow street police court.

The Marquis of Queensberry has authorized the Globe to deny that there is any truth in the story cabled to the United Press that he had written to Oscar Wilde after the trial, saying: "If the country allows you to leave all the better for the country; but if you take my son with you, I shall follow you wherever you go and shoot you."

Naturally, the Wilde disclosures continue to be the absorbing topic of conversation at the clubs, etc. The stand taken by the St. James Gazette in refusing to print the details of the case is attracting much attention, and the paper has been deluged with letters of approbation. The action of the St. James Gazette is likely to prove a good stroke of business for the proprietors of that publication. On Thursday last the second day of the trial, in place of the usual news placards, which all newsboys display, the placard of the St. James Gazette was: "The only paper in London with no details of the Wilde case."

Edward M. Carson, Q. C., M. P., who so ably and relentlessly conducted the case for the Marquis of Queensberry, was a classmate of Oscar Wilde at Trinity college, Dublin. The presiding judge, Justice Collins, is an Irishman.

Wilde has been making immense sums of money lately out of his plays and books. His plays are now running at two London theatres, and many companies are playing them in the provinces. Of course, in future, no one will accept his plays. George Alexander, proprietor and manager of the St. James theatre, stated that if it were not for the fact that the withdrawal of Wilde's play, The Importance of Being in Earnest, would throw 120 persons out of employment, he would at once stop it. Therefore, unless the theatre-going public manifests its displeasure of the author by refusing to witness his works, the play at the St. James will be continued as usual.

Highlighted DifferencesNot significantly similar