Compare Documents

The calendar at the Central Criminal Court Sessions, which opened at the Old Bailey this morning, before Mr. Justice Wills, contained charges against Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, 40, author, and Alfred Taylor, 33, of no occupation. Wilde was charged with improprieties with Edward Shelley, Alfred Wood, and Charles Parker, and with some person unknown. Taylor was charged with having attempted to commit a felony with William Parker and Charles Parker.

The Court was densely crowded in every part when at eleven o'clock Mr. Justice Wills, accompanied by the Load Mayor and several of the city aldermen, took his seat on the bench. Wilde had some time previously j driven to the Old Bailey, accompanied by his sureties—Lord Douglas ot Hawick and the Rev. Stewart Headlam—and surrendered to his bail. When placed in the dock by the side of Taylor he looked somewhat haggard and worn, but his health had visibly improved since his release from Ho loway. Taylor's features were very pale, but he stepped into the dock with a jaunty air, and seemed in- different to his position.

The Solicitor-General (Sir Frank Lockwood, Q.C..M. P.), Mr. H. Sutton, Mr. C. F. Gill, and Mr. Horace Avory appeared on behalf of the Crown, while the defence of Wilde was conducted by Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., M.P., and Mr. Travers Humphreys. Taylor was represented by Mr. P. Grain.

The jury having been sworn and the indictment read, Sir Eiiwaid Clarke applied thai the two defendants should be tried separately.

Mr. Grain made a similar application on behalf of Taylor.

The Solicitor-General opposed the application in each case on the ground that there were certain matters in the charges which necessitated the joint indictment of both defendants.

Mr. Justice Wills said he had anticipated that this application would be made, and having in view what the evidence was he thought it would be much fairer that the defendants should be tried separately.

The Solicitor-General intimated that he would first take the case of Taylor.

Sir Edward Clarke submitted that the charge against his client Wilde ought first to be taken. There were, he said, obvious reasons why it would be unfair to take | Taylor's case first, and he respectfully asked that, inasmuch as Wilde's name stood first on the indictment, and as the first count in that indictment was one directed against him. he should be taken first.

Mr. Justice Wills said he did not see how he could very well interfere with the rights of the prosecution. It was well within the rights of the prosecution to elect which defendant should first be placed on his trial.

Sir Edward Clarke : Then I shall ask, in the event of Taylor being tried first, that Wilde's case shall stand over til! the next sessions.

Mr. Justice Wills: Don't you think you had better wait until the end of the trial before making such an application? If there should be an acquittal against Taylor it would be so much the bett6r for Wilde.

Sir Edward Clarke: If your lordship pleases, will your lordship allow Wilde to be nut On the same bail as before?

Mr. Justice Wills: Are the sureties here?

The Solicitor-General: It is a matter entirely within your lordship's discretion.

Mr. Justice Wills: Certainly, I will grant the application.

Sir Edward Clarke: They have been here, but they are gone. They would have lieen hack in the afternoon but after your lordship's instruction they shall be sent for.

The defendant Wilde then left the dock and the charges against Taylor were at once proceeded with.

SEPARATE TRIAL.

Monday was appointed for the second trial of Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor for offences under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and the proceedings commenced at the Old Bailev before Mr. Justice Wills.

The Solicitor-General (Sir F. Lockwood), Mr. Sutton, Mr. C. F. Gill, and Mr. H. Avory appeared to prosecute; and Sir E. Clarke, Q.C., Mr. C. Mathews, and Mr. T. Humphreys again defended Wilde, the counsel for Taylor being Mr. J. P. Grain and Mr. Sydney Knox.

The defendant Wilde, who was present with his sureties, Lord Douglas of Hawick and the Rev. Stewart Headlam, at once went into the dock on the arrival of the judge, Taylor, who had not been admitted to bail, being already there. Wilde, who was much bronzed, looked considerably better in health than at the end of the last trial, but Taylor's pale face showed the effects of incarceration.

Before the swearing of the jury, Sir E. Clarke made an application that the two defendants should be tried separately.

His lordship asked whether the Solicitor-General had any objection to this course.

Sir F. Lockwood : I have.

Sir E. Clarke pointed out that on the occasion of the trial last sessions, the indictment upon which the defendants were charged contained 25 counts. Upon many of these counts a verdict of not guilty was entered, and there remained now a certain number charging them with certain offences. There were only eight of these counts which affected Oscar Wilde, but in none of these was any charge made against Taylor. The other counts were against Taylor, and in none of them was any charge made against Wilde. Therefore, there was no single count now standing upon the indictment upon which Wilde and Taylor could be both convicted. He, therefore, submitted that they should be tried separately.

Mr. Grain, on behalf of Taylor, agreed with everything which Sir E. Clarke had said.

Sir F. Lockwood objected to the cases being tried separately.

Sir E. Clarke said that he and his learned friend who represented Taylor were distinctly of opinion that the trying of these two cases together would result in injustice being done to both defendants.

His Lordship : I need hardly say that this is a matter which had been present to my mind before I came here. I anticipated that this application would be made, and I have considered it carefully with regard to the evidence put before me. Having in view what that evidence is, I think it would be much fairer that they should be tried separately.

The Solicitor-General said he proposed, then, to take the case of Taylor.

Sir E. Clarke urged that the trial of Wilde should proceed first. His name stood first on the indictment, and he believed it would prejudice his case if he were tried after Taylor.

The judge said it ought not to make the least difference. He and the jury would do their best to see that their interests were not prejudiced.

Sir E. Clarke thought there never was a time nor a case in which that duty was more difficult to discharge.

The Judge: I think it would be convenient to take the course suggested.Sir E. Clarke: Then I apply that Mr. Wilde's case should stand over until next sessions.The Judge: Don't you think that application had better be made when we see what the result of this trial is? If it should be an acquittal, then all the better for the defendant Wilde.Sir E. Clarke : There is no prospect of him taking his trial to-day; and, of course, there will be no objection to allow him to be on the same bail as formerly.The Solicitor-General: I should leave that in your lordship's discretion.The Judge: There is no reason for refusing it if the bail are here, but if not they must be sent for.Sir E. Clarke: They shall be sent for at once. They had been told thev were free until the afternoon.

The Solicitor-General then proceeded to open the case against Taylor, and recapitulated the facts already known. Charles Parker repeated the evidence that he gave at the former trial. The witness was subjected to a close cross-examination by Mr.Grain, who sought to show that his testimony was not worthy of belief. The witness admitted that he had received money obtained by men named Wood and Allan from a gentleman, but he denied that it was "hush" money. Wm. Parker, brother of the last witness, gave evidence in corroboration. Alfred Wood deposed to his relationship with Taylor and Oscar Wilde, from whom he received money to go, as he said, to America. Mr. Grain took objection to certain portions of the evidence on the ground that it did not affect his client, but the Court, on certain points, ruled that the evidence was admissible. Evidence was given as to the conditions under which Taylor lived in Little College-street, W., and as to the arrest of the prisoner. Mr. Grain argued that the corroboration adduced was not sufficient in law to justify the case going to the jury. The Solicitor-General submitted that there was ample corroboration of the evidence. The judge was of opinion that there did exist certain corroboration, and he allowed the case to go to the jury. Mr. Grain next addressed the jury on behalf of Taylor, submitting that the evidence of the accomplices was utterly unreliable, and that, as the Crown had failed completely to prove their case, his client ought not to be convicted. The case was adjourned.

TAYLOR FOUND GUILTY.

The trial was resumed at the Old Bailey on Tuesday of Alfred Taylor, 33, of no occupation, on an indictment charging him with certain misdemeanours. The Solicitor-General (Sir F. Lockwood) Q.C., Mr. C. F. Gill, and Mr. H. Avory prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury; Mr. J. P. Grain defended. The defendant, called by Mr. Grain, gave an emphatic denial to the whole of the allegations with regard to persons whose names had been mentioned. In reply to questions put in cross-examination, the witness admitted that he had attired himself in a female Eastern costume. Witness pressed as to persons that he had been with said that he did not remember their names. He was introduced to Mr. Wilde by a friend named Schwabe. He went to a restaurant with a man named Harrington, but the latter did not pass the night in Little College-street The cross-examination of the defendant was a lengthy one, it being sought by the learned Solicitor-General to get admissions of an incriminating character from the witness, relative to his association with the Parkers and others. The names of a number of persons were put to the witness as those with whom he had misbehaved himself; but he denied the allegations made. In reply to Mr. Grain, in re-examination, the witness said that many of these persons whose names had been mentioned were old acquaintances. He had never misconducted himself with any of these persons. Mr. Grain, continuing his speech for the defence, asked the jury to place no reliance upon the testimony of blackmailers and accomplices, and having regard to the positive denial of his client, and the unsatisfactory character of the evidence called by the prosecution, to acquit the prisoner. He maintained that the prisoner was an innocent man, and that the Crown had failed absolutely to bring guilt home to him. The Solicitor-General replied on behalf of the Crown, and he dwelt at some length with the salient features of the case presented by the evidence, which, he submitted, left no doubt as to the guilt of the accused. Mr. Justice Wills, in summing up, said that it had been a rule of long-established practice that a prisoner ought not to be convicted on the uncorroborated testimony of accomplices, and it would be a source of great danger to an accused person if such a rule was not adhered to. It was a question for the jury to say what weight ought to be placed on the evidence put forward in corroboration of the statement of the accomplices. They ought to be satisfied before an adverse verdict was given that the evidence was sufficiently corroborated and warranted a conviction. His lordship dealt with the specific charges against the prisoner, and pointed out features in the evidence for the guidance of the jury, which features, he observed, abundantly justified him in not withdrawing the case from the jury. In conclusion, his lordship told the jury that if the evidence left a reasonable doubt in their minds as to the innocence or the guilt of the prisoner he was entitled to an acquittal. The jury retired to consider their verdict at 25 minutes past three. After an absence of 40 minutes, a communication was sent to the judge from the jury, who put certain questions on paper bearing on certain counts of the indictment. His lordship having dealt with the questions, the foreman of the jury said that they found the Prisoner guilty of acts of impropriety with William and Charles Parker in the autumn of 1893. As to the count for "procuring," they were not prepared to give a verdict. The Solicitor General, at the suggestion of the Judge, said that he would be content with the verdict of guilty on the two counts. Sentence on Taylor was deferred until after Wilde's trial.

Taylor, who appeared to feel his position acutely, was then removed. The Marquis of Queensberry was in attendance during the day, and remained in court until the finish of the case.