Daily World - Saturday, May 25, 1895

London, May 25.- There was the usual crowd of interested spectators in the court room of the Old Bailey this morning all anxious to witness the trial of Oscar Wilde. When the court adjourned yesterday Sir Frank Lockwood, Solicitor General, had just commenced his address to the jury on behalf of the prosecution, and it was expected that he would denounce Wilde in strong language when he resumed his argument to-day. Wilde took his seat in the prisoner's dock, facing the jury, and looking extremely anxious. As was expected, when Sir Frank Lockwood resumed his speech he dealt very severely with Wilde in his reference to the prisoner's intimacy with Lord Alfred Douglas. Referring to the much- commented upon letters which Wilde wrote to Lord Alfred Douglas, counsel said the jury had been told that they were too low to appreciate such poetry, and he, Sir Frank Lockwood, thanked God it was so, and he hoped that they were above the level of beasts. (Applause.) Sir Edward Clarke leading counsel for Wilde, here interposed objections to such appeals as were just made by Sir Frank Lockwood, which the counsel claimed should not be allowed. Sir Frank Lockwood continued his speech. He warned the jury to render a verdict which would prevent such a "detestable and abominable practice to rear up its head unblushingly in this country." Justice Wills began summing up at 1:30 p. m. The general tenor of his address to the jury was favorable to Wilde. The jury retired at 3:30 p. m.

The jury returned in a short time having found Wilde guilty on all the counts of the indictment, including the charge with reference to persons unknown. After a short interval the judge called Wilde and Taylor to the bar and they were sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

While the jury was out, at the request of the representative of the Associated Press, Wilde's counsel procured the following statement from Wilde who was waiting in the prisoners' room below the dock: "The charges alleged against me are entirely untrue. Youth in every form has fascinated me, because youth has naturally that temperament to which the artist has to try to attain. All works of art are works produced in a moment of youth, and I have a sense of all the serial grades. I love society, the rich and well-born, on account of their luxury, culture and the graces of their lives, and the external accidents of comely life. But anyone, plough boy, fisherman, or street arab, has an interest for me. Mere humanity is so wonderful. I do not ask of the young what they do, I do not care who they are, their ignorance has its mode of wisdom, their lack of culture leaves them open to fresh and vivid impressions. (Signed) Oscar Wilde." The document of the above statement is written in Wilde's own writing.

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The Philadelphia Inquirer - Sunday, May 26, 1895

LONDON, May 25. — The trial of Oscar Wilde ended to-day in a verdict of guilty on all the counts against him and in a sentence of two years' imprisonment with hard labor. The verdict and sentence came in the nature of a surprise, as even the prosecution believed the jury would disagree. Taylor, who was convicted last week, was placed in the dock with Wilde and received a similar sentence.

The Old Bailey Court room was filled with interested spectators almost as soon as the doors were opened to-day. Sir Frank Lockwood, the Solicitor-General, resumed his address to the jury, which he had just begun when court adjourned yesterday. The prisoner's intimacy with Lord Alfred Douglas and the exhibition of the younger man by the elder one at hotels and public places in and about London were severely commented upon by counsel.

A TRIBUTE TO THE JURY.

Referring to the much commented upon letters which Wilde wrote to Lord Alfred Douglas, counsel said the jury had been told that they were too low to appreciate such poetry, and he thanked God it was so, as it showed they were above the level of beasts. (Applause, which the judge promptly suppressed.)

Sir Edward Clarke, leading counsel for Wilde, here interposed objections to such appeals as the one just made by Sir Frank Lockwood, which, counsel claimed, should not be allowed.

When Sir Frank Lockwood continued his speech he warned the jury to render a verdict which would prevent "such a detestable and abominable vice to rear its head unblushingly in this country."

LORD DOUGLAS' IMMUNITY.

Justice Wills began summing up at 1.30 P. M. The General tenor of his address to the jury was favorable to Wilde. During the address of Justice Wills to the jury the foreman of the jury asked whether, in view of the intimacy between Lord Alfred Douglas and Alfred Wood, one of the men whose name has been brought prominently into the case, a warrant for Lord Alfred's arrest had ever been issued. The judge replied that he thought not. The foreman then asked if it had ever been contemplated to issue a warrant for the arrest of Lord Alfred Douglas. To this the judge replied that he could not say, and the court adjourned for lunch.

When the court reassmbled for business the judge said that the suspicion that Lord Alfred Douglas would be spared if guilty simply because he was Lord Alfred Douglas was a wilde idea and a matter which they could not discuss. The present inquiry was as to whether the man in the dock was guilty of immoral practices with certain persons.

A STATEMENT FROM WILDE.

The jury retired at 3.30 o'clock and spent two hours in deliberation. While the jury was out, at the request of the representative of the Associated Press, Wilde's counsel procured the following signed statement from Wilde, who was waiting in the prisoners' room below the dock:

"The charges alleged against me are entirely untrue. Youth in every form always fascinated me because youth has naturally that temperament to which the artist has to try to attain. All works of art are works produced in the moment of youth. I have no sense at all of social grades. I love society and the rich and wellborn on account of their luxury, culture, the grace of their lives, the external accidents of comely life. But any one, ploughboy, fisherman or street arab, has an interest for me. Mere humanity is so wonderful. I do not ask of the young what they do. I do not care who they are. Their ignorance has its mode of wisdom; their lack of culture leaves them open to fresh and vivid impressions. OSCAR WILDE."

WAITING FOR THE VERDICT.

During the time the jury was debating upon the verdict Lord Douglas of Hawick strolled out of the court room and into the court yard, where he walked about, nervously smoking a cigarette. His face still shows traces of his recent encounter with his father, his left eye being much discolored. During the final stages of the trial there was an immense crowd in front of the Old Bailey, and the windows of all the neighboring houses were filled with highly interested spectators.

While the jury was absent from the court room there was such a babel of voices that counsel engaged in the case went into the lobby in order to discuss events, the noise being too great for them to remain at their places. Everybody expected the jury to disagree, as upon the previous trial, and as the jurymen at 5.30 o'clock filed back into their box every

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WILDE CONVICTED

person present rose in suppressed excitement and the court room became as still as a death chamber.

GUILTY, SAYS THE JURY.

The jurymen answered to their names in firm and decided tones and seemed to be immensely relieved when the ordeal was over. A stifled ejaculation of surprise went round the court when the foreman announced that the jury found the prisoner guilty on all the counts of the indictment, including the charge with reference to persons unknown who were also pronounced to be guilty. This probably refers to the Savoy Hotel evidence, to which place Wilde was accused of taking Charles Parker, a gentlemen's servant, after treating the latter to a choice dinner at Kettner's restaurant.

The announcement of the verdict caused a great sensation in court, as it was the general impression that Wilde would escape conviction.

Sir Edward Clarke, leading counsel for Wilde, applied to Justice Wills to postpone passing sentence upon his client until next session of the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey), but the judge refused to do so.

SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS.

When the foreman of the jury delivered the verdict, Wilde, who had entered the prisoners' dock a moment before, rose from the chair upon which he had been seated throughout the trial and stood with his arms on the rail. The silence which prevailed throughout the court room was really painful as Justice Wills ordered that Alfred Taylor should also be summoned before him. Then in a voice trembling with emotion, the justice said:

"I never before had such a shocking case as this to deal with. Two men such as you are by the very nature of your crime lost to all sense of remorse for what you have done. To think that you, Taylor, should be the keeper of a male brothel and that you, Wilde, a man of reputed culture, should be such a perverter of young men. There is no doubt but that the verdict is a just one and I shall give you the full penalty allowed by law and I only regret that it is not more severe. You are both sentenced to hard labor for the term of two years."

THE CROWD CRIED "SHAME."

Wilde did not look at the judge while the sentence was being pronounced. His eyes roved around the court room, his face never changed color and he looked like a man who had made up his mind to make the best of a bad situation. Taylor smiled when sentence was pronounced.

As Wilde turned in the dock and prepared to go back to the prisoners' room the crowd present cried: "Shame. Shame." This shouting caused Justice Wills to rise and exclaim in a loud and determined voice: "Silence, silence."

After the court adjourned C. F. Gill, of counsel for the prosecution, said to a representative of the Associated Press: "I am somewhat surprised at the verdict. Not that I doubted Wilde's guilt, but I thought surely one member of the jury would stand out."

When Mr. Gill was asked if there was any chance of a new trial, he replied: "No, indeed; it is now disposed of forever, thank Heaven."

Travers Humphreys, of counsel for Wilde, also told the representative of the Associated Press that the verdict was a surprise to him. He said: "Now that they have hit their mark I am certain his health will break down, and possibly that authorities will favorably entertain the idea of a pardon."

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