The Daily Colonist - Monday, May 27, 1895

[…]

The jury yesterday found Oscar Wilde guilty on all the counts of the indictment, including the charge with reference to persons unknown who were also pronounced to be guilty. After a short interval the judge called Wilde and Taylor to the bar and each was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at hard labor. While the jury was out, at the request of a representative of the Associated Press, Wilde's counsel procured the following signed statement from Wilde, who was waiting with the prisoners in the room below the dock: "The charges alleged against me are entirely untrue. Youths of every form always attracted me, because youth has naturally that temperament to which an artist has to try to attain. All works of art are works produced in the moment of youth and I have seen all serial grades. I love the society of the rich and well born, on account of their luxury, culture and the grace of their lives, but anyone, ploughboy 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 above statement was written throughout in Wilde's own writing.

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 he will be arrested on the same charge Wilde is.

Daily Times - 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 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 he resumed his argument to-day. 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 Douglas. 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 Frank, thanked God it was so, as he hoped they were above the level of beasts. (Applause.) Sir Edward Clarke, leading counsel for Wilde, here interposed objections to such appeals as that just made by sir Frank Lockwood, which counsel claimed should not be allowed. Sir Frank 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 this country. Justice Wills began his 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 found Wilde guilty on all the counts of the indictment, including the charge with reference to persons unknown, who were also pronounced to be guilty. After a short interval the judge called Wilde and Taylor to the bar and each was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labor.

While the jury were out, at the request of a representative of the Associated Press, Wilde’s counsel procured the following signed statement from Wilde, who was waiting with the prisoners in the room below the dock: "The charge alleged against me are entirely untrue. Youths of every form are always attractive, because youth has naturally the 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 seen all the several grades. I love the society of the rich and well-born, on account of the luxury, culture and grace of their lives, but any one, ploughboy or street arab, has interest for me. Mere humanity is so wonderful, I do not ask of the young men 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 was written throughout in Wilde's own writing.

Highlighted DifferencesNot significantly similar