Dublin Daily Express - Monday, April 29, 1895

London, Saturday.The trial of Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor was resumed at the Central Criminal Court to-day before Mr Justice Charles.

Sir Edward Clarke cross-examined Alfred Wood, who was in the witness box at the adjournment yesterday. Wood said he induced Wilde to give him money with which to go to America on the pretext that he wished to sever himself from certain acquaintances. Notwithstanding this he returned to England. The letters mentioned in the Queensberry case were found in clothes given him by Lord Alfred Douglas at Oxford. Frederick Atkins, who accompanied Wilde to Paris, was the next called for the prosecution. He said that on their return to London Wilde asked him to say nothing about the visit. Atkins was subjected to a long and searching cross-examination. He gave an emphatic denial to the suggestion that with others he had blackmailed several gentlemen.

Sidney Mavor, who described himself as holding a partnership in the city, detailed the circumstances of his acquaintanceship with Wilde. He was followed in the witness box by the bookseller’s assistant, Edward Shelley, who appeared much distressed.

Shelly was questioned by Sir Edward Clarke in cross-examination as to letters which he had addressed in 1894 to Wilde appealing to him for assistance. His father had turned him out of his home, and he had resigned his position in the publishing office owing to his friendship with prisoner. Shelly explained some expressions in these letters by saying his brain was disordered at the time he wrote.

At the request of Sir Edward Clarke; Frederick Atkins was recalled, and questioned on a document handed to the judge by the learned counsel.

The case was adjourned until to-day.

Dublin Evening Telegraph - Saturday, April 27, 1895

London, Saturday.The trial of Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor was resumed at the Central Criminal Court to-day, before Mr Justice Charles. Sir Edward Clarke cross-examined Alfred Wood, who was in the witness box at the time of the adjournment on Friday. Wood said he induced Wilde to give him money with which to go to America, on the pretext that he wished to sever himself from certain acquaintances. Notwithstanding this he returned to England. He received in all £175 from Allen. The letters mentioned in the Queensberry case were found in clothes given him by Lord Alfred Douglas at Oxford.

Frederick Atkins, who accompanied Wilde to Paris, was the next witness called for the prosecution. He described certain alleged acts of Wilde at their hotel, and said that on their return to London Wilde asked him to say nothing about the visit. No act such as alleged had ever taken place between himself and Wilde.

Atkins was subjected to a long and searching cross-examination. He denied that he and a fellow bookmaker’s clerk named Burton had blackmailed a Birmingham gentleman in June, 1891, at their rooms in Tachbrook street. He gave an equally emphatic denial to the suggestion that, dressed a woman, he took a gentleman to Pimlico, and blackmailed him to the extent of £200, or that he had blackmailed to the extent of a large sum of money two American gentlemen at the Hotel Victoria, Northumberland avenue. He further denied that, with Burton, he engaged in blackmailing at Gaze’s Hotel, Nice.

Replying to Mr Grain, Atkins said it was not true that either he or Burton obtained about this time last year £500 from a foreign Count, whose yacht was lying off Scarborough. Witness was known in the betting ring as "Fred," and his friend Burton was called "Watson." While staying at Gaze’s Hotel, Nice, he and Burton did not quarrel and part, but there might have been a little row.

Sydney Mayor, who described himself as holding a partnership in the city, detailed the circumstances of his acquaintanceship with Wilde, but denied all allegations.

He was followed in the witness-box by the booksellers’ assistant, Edward Shelly, who appeared much distressed by a compulsory recital of Wilde’s treatment of him at the Albemarle Hotel on two separate occasions.

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