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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 F. Lockwood, solicitor-general, had just commenced his address to the jury on behalf of the prosecution, and it was expected he would denounce Wilde in strong language when be resumed his argument today. Wilde took his seat in the prisoners' dock, facing the jury, and looking extremely anxious. As 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 Douglass. Referring to the much commented upon letters which Wilde wrote to Lord Alfred Douglas, counsel said the jury had been told they were too low to appreciate such poetry, and he (Sir Lockwood) thanked God it was so, as be hoped they were above the level of beasts. (Applause.) Sir Edward Clarke, leading counsel for Wilde, here interposed objections to such appeals as has just been made by Sir Frank, which 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 its head unblushingly in the country."

Mr 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., and after a brief absence found him guilty on all the counts of the indictment, including the charge with reference to persons unknown who were also pronounced to be guilty.

Alter a short interval the judge called Wilde and Taylor to the bar and they were each sentenced to two years' imprisonment at hard labor.

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.

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. Everybody expected the jury to disagree, as upon the previous trial, and as the jurymen fled back into their box, every person present rose in suppressed excitement and the court room became still as a death chamber. 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.

Immediately after the verdict was rendered, Mr. C J Gill, the counsel for the prosecution, said to the Associated Press reporter: I am somewhat surprised at the verdict myself. I thought that 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 for ever, thank Heaven."

Mr. Travers Humphreys, of counsel for Wilde, also told the reporter of the Associated Press, that the verdict was a surprise to him. He added: "The sentence is for two years on all the counts of the indictment, and on each count separately. Now that they have hit their man, I am certain his health will break down and possibly the authorities will favorably entertain the idea of a pardon.

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

Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor were, after the conclusion of the trial, taken without delay to the Newgate jail, where they waited until warrants were signed for their detention. Both men were then conveyed in the prison van to Pentonville where they will serve out their sentences unless a petition should be granted or they should be transferred to another prison before the expiration of the term of their imprisonment.

The punishment which Oscar Wilde is sentenced to undergo is the severest known to the law. It practically means a continuous period of solitary confinement for the two years term of his sentence. Regular "jail birds" always prefer five years of penal servitude to two years imprisonment, owing to the easier conditions of the former. Wilde will not be permitted to see any visitor for three months, but by exceptionally good conduct he can secure a slight reduction of his sentence. Lord Alfred Douglass said that if Wilde were convicted he would take a house near the prison until his release, but it is now clear that if Lord Alfred returns to England be will be arrested on the same charge Wilde is.

London, May 25. - [Copyrighted, 1895, by the Press Publishing Company, New York World.] - The verdict of guilty returned against Oscar Wilde seems to have caused surprise, public feeling having somewhat reacted in his favor during his trial. Sir Frank Lockwood, the Solicitor-General, who prosecuted, said when asked his opinion at the House of Commons Friday night:

"He will be acquitted, I am sorry to say."

A more abject, pitiable spectacle than Wilde presented in court could not be imagined. His face was haggard, his eyes sunken and bloodshot, his hair unkempt and tossed. He appeared absolutely dazed. Occasionally his body swayed to and fro, as if he were suffering intense mental agony. He sat in a corner of the dock, with his face turned steadfastly towards the witness-stand and the jury, avoiding with nervous terror looking in the direction of the public galleries, where many men who had known him were sitting. Col. Stanley Clark, equerry to the Prince of Wales, was present almost throughout the trial. Lord Queensberry and his son, Lord Douglas of Hawick, were also present.

Wilde’s appearance yesterday had still further changed for the worst. As the crucial moment of the proceedings approached his suffering obviously increased to a painful extent. He had a bottle of smelling salts with which he occasionally refreshed himself. He sometimes sought relief in absently drawing lines on a sheet of foolscap with a quill pen. His trembling hand got splotched all over with ink, and great blots got on his cuffs. He looked like one in a dream, unconscious of what he was doing. The spectacle of human abasement was shocking.

Severest Punishment Known to Law.

Those who saw this wreck of manhood must have thought he had already atoned, as far as suffering could atone, for his crimes. The punishment he is sentenced to undergo is the severest known to the law. It practically means a continuous period of solitary confinement for the two years term of his sentence. Regular "jail-birds" always prefer five years of penal servitude to two years’ imprisonment, owing to the easier conditions of the former. Wilde will not be permitted to see any visitor for three months, but by exceptionally good conduct he can secure a slight reduction of his sentence.

Lord Alfred Douglas said if Wilde was convicted he would take a house near the prison until Wilde’s release, but it is now clear if Lord Alfred returns to England he will be arrested on the same charge as Wilde. Lord Douglas of Hawick is an undersized young fellow, with extremely simple manners, and really seems much affected by the trouble between himself and his father. His right eye is still black and blue from his father's blow in Piccadilly.

Severe Words by the Prosecutor.

At the opening of court today Sir Frank Lockwood, the Solicitor-General, resumed his address to the jury. Referring to the letters which Wilde wrote to Lord Alfred Douglas, counsel said the jury had been told 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 interposed objections to such appeals as the one just made by Sir Frank Lockwood. Sir Frank Lockwood warned the jury to render a verdict which would prevent "such a detestable and abominable vice to rear its head unblushingly in this country."

The general tenor of Justice Wills’ address to the jury was favorable to Wilde.

During the address of Justice Wills the foreman asked whether, in view of the intimacy between Lord Alfred Douglas and Alford Wood, a warrant for Lord Alfred’s arrest had ever been issued. The Judge replied 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 he could not say and the court adjourned for lunch. When the court reassembled for business the Judge said the suspicion that Lord Alfred Douglas would be spared if guilty, simply because he was Lord Alfred Douglas, was a wild idea and a matter which they would not discuss. The present inquiry was as to whether the man in the dock was guilty.

Renders a Verdict of Guilty.

The jury retired at 3:30 p. m. It returned at 5:30 p. m. and rendered a verdict of guilty. The announcement of the verdict caused a great sensation in the court. After a short interval the Judge called Wilde and Taylor, who was convicted last week, to the bar and they were each sentenced.

While the jury was out Wilde’s counsel procured the following signed statement from Wilde, who was waiting in the prisoners’ row 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 artists 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 well-born on account of their luxury, culture, the grace of their lives, the external accidents of comely life. But anyone, plowboy, 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 don’t 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.

The document is written throughout in Wilde's own writing, which is extremely graceful and firm, on a sheet of foolscap paper, and is signed with a flourish.

When the foreman of the jury delivered the verdict Wilde, who had entered the prisoners’ dock a moment before, rose and stood with his arms on the rail of the dock. 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 the verdict is adjust one, and I shall give you the full penalty allowed by law, and I regret it is not more severe. You are both sentence to hard labor for the term of two years.

Crowd’s Indignation Breaks Out.

Wilde did not look at the Judge while the sentence was being pronounced. His eyes roved around the court-room but his face never changed color. Taylor smiled when sentence was pronounced.

As Wilde turned in the dock and prepared to go back to the prisoner’s room the crowd cried "Shame! Shame!" This shouting caused Justice Wills to rise and exclaim in a loud voice, "Silence! Silence!"

During the time the jury was debating upon the verdict Lord Douglas of Hawick strolled out of the court-room and into the courtyard, where he walked about, nervously smoking a cigaret. His face still shows traces of his recent encounter with his father, his left eye being much discolored. During the final stages of Wilde’s trial today 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.