The Irish News and Belfast Morning News - Wednesday, May 8, 1895

LONDON, TUESDAY.The expected application for Mr. Oscar Wilde to be released on bail was made at Bow Street this morning, before Mr. Vaughan. Mr. Travers Humphreys appeared on behalf of the prisoner, while the Treasury was represented by Mr. Argus Lewis. Mr. Humphreys briefly recapitulated the history of the case up to the application made yesterday to Baron Pollock, and said that he was now prepared with the necessary sureties. Both of them were persons of substance, and their names had been submitted to and approved by the Treasury. One was Rev. Stewart Headlam, and the other Lord Douglas, of Hawick, otherwise Viscount Drumlanrig. Both these gentlemen were called, and swore that they were worth £1,250, the amount of bail fixed for each surety by Baron Pollock. Mr. Vaughan said he was perfectly satisfied with the bail tendered, and he ordered Wilde’s immediate release.

Mr. Stewart Headlam, interviewed by a Press Association representative at the close of the proceedings as to his reason for becoming surety, said—"I have undertaken this responsibility on public grounds. I felt that the public mind had been prejudiced before the case began, and I was anxious to give Mr. Wilde any help I could to enable him to stand his trial in good health and spirits"

At the close of the hearing to-day Lord Douglas of Hawick and Rev. Stewart Headlam, accompanied by one of Messrs. Humphreys’ clerks, entered a cab, and drove to Holloway Jail.

Detective-Inspector Brockwell, Sergeant White, jailer at Bow Street, and a clerk of Messrs. Humphreys & Son, Wilde’s solicitors, arrived at Holloway Prison at twenty minutes past one this afternoon for the purpose of receiving Oscar Wilde, and taking him to Bow Street, so that he might enter into his own recognizance before being restored to liberty. The necessary formalities at the prison took some little time, but just before two the party emerged through the wicket door, and took seats in a waiting cab. Wilde wore a dark cloth overcoat, grey trousers, and a silk hat. There was a wearied expression about his pale features strongly indicative of sleepless nights, and it could plainly be seen he was in anything but robots health. His body also seemed slightly bent.

Neither at the prison gate nor at Bow Street was there the slightest demonstration, and during the journey Wilde is stated to have maintained almost absolute silence, being seemingly intensely absorbed in thought.

At Bow Street the two sureties—Rev. Stewart Headlam and Lord Douglas Hawick—were waiting, and the proceedings in connection with Wilde’s recognisances of £2,500 having been completed, the accused was released. He immediately drove to the Midland Hotel, St. Pancras, accompanied by his sureties, and it was subsequently stated he was suffering from extreme prostration, and quite unable to undergo the fatigue of an interview.

It is expected he will leave London to-morrow, and his solicitors, at his own request, have offered to keep the authorities fully informed of his movements and precise whereabouts between now and the 20th inst, when he will in due course give himself up to the police. In the course of the afternoon it was stated that Wilde had an interview at the Law Courts with Sir Edward Clarke.

The Evening News - Wednesday, May 8, 1895

Yesterday morning Mr. Travers Humphreys attended at Bow-street Police-court, before Mr. Vaughan, prepared with the necessary bail for the release of Oscar Wilde. He briefly stated the circumstances under which Wilde was committed, and produced the order of Baron Pollock to the effect that he should be released on entering into his own recognisances of £2,500 and two sureties of £1,250 each.

Mr. Vaughan: Who are the proposed sureties?

Mr. Humphreys: Lord Douglas of Hawick and the Rev. Stewart Headlam.

Mr. Vaughan: Is there any objection to this bail on the part of the Treasury?

Mr. Angus Lewis: No, sir, there is no objection.

The Rev. Stewart Headlam, of 31, Upper Bedford-place, W.C., was then sworn, and in answer to Mr. Humphreys said when all his just debts were paid he was worth £1,250, and he was willing to become bail for the appearance of Oscar Wilde at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court.

Percy Sholto Douglas, commonly called Lord Douglas of Hawick, went through a similar examination, and the two sureties were formally bound over.

Mr. Vaughan then ordered that the prisoner Oscar Wilde should be sent for from Holloway Prison, in order that his own recognisances might be taken.

MR. HEADLAM INTERVIEWED.

The Rev. Stewart Headlam, interviewed at the close of the proceedings as to the reasons which induced him to become surety for Wilde, made the following statement: "I have undertaken this responsibility on public grounds. I felt that the public mind had been prejudiced before the case began, and I was anxious to give Mr. Wilde any help I could to enable him to stand his trial in good health and spirits."

At the close of the case Lord Douglas of Hawick and the Rev. Stewart Headlam, accompanied by one of Messrs. Humphreys’s clerks, entered a cab and drove to Holloway Gaol.

Oscar Wilde was released from Holloway Gaol at 1.55 in the afternoon.

A FREE MAN.

Wilde arrived at Bow-street at 2.25 in the custody of Sergeant White, chief gaoler at Bow-street, and Sergeant Brockwell. Immediately on his arrival he was escorted from the cab into the court, and at once joined his friends in the clerk’s office, where the formal document was signed, after which the three left the court in company.

WILDE’S MOVEMENTS.

On leaving Bow-street a free man Oscar Wilde, with Lord Douglas of Hawick and the Rev. Stewart Headlam, entered a cab, which was driven at a rapid pace to the Midland Hotel at St. Paneras, which was reached about three o’clock. Here rooms were engaged by his lordship. Apparently a consultation was held between Wilde and his sureties, for it was not until four o’clock that the Rev. Stewart Headlam left the hotel by the main entrance. Later on in the afternoon Wilde was visited by an old personal friend, and he was also busily engaged for a considerable time with two of Messrs. Humphreys and Sons’ clerks over his private affairs, and the pending new trial. He was stated to be suffering from extreme prostration and weakness, and quite unable to undergo the fatigue of an interview. It is expected that he will leave London in the course of to-day though up to the time of writing he himself had not arrived at any decision as to his destination. Wilde’s solicitors, at their client’s own request, have intimated to the authorities that they are perfectly prepared to keep them fully informed as to his movements and precise whereabouts between now and the 20th inst., when Wilde will in due course give himself up to the police.

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