Wairarapa Daily Times - Thursday, April 4, 1895

London, April 3.

Immense crowds attend the trial of the Marquis of Queensberry on a charge of libelling Oscar Wilde. The evidence adduced to-day, showed that Wilde was paid a heavy blackmail for his gushing letters to Lord Alfred Douglas (the Marquis' son) which were found in his old clothes when given away. The defence is based on the revelations in these letters.

West Coast Times - Friday, April 5, 1895

Immense crowds attend the trial of the Marquis of Queensbery on a charge of libelling Oscar Wilde. Evidence adduced to-day showed that Wilde paid heavy blackmail for his gushing letters to Lord Alfred Douglas (the Marquis' son) which were found in the pockets of old clothes when given away. The defence is based on revelations in these letters.

Wilde was subjected to a stringent cross-examination with the view of showing "Dorian Grey" and some articles in the magazine "Chameleon" with which he is connected, are of an immoral tendency. Wilde insisted that they are merely the expression of an artistic faculty. His letters to Douglas were prose poems, extraordinary perhaps, but not justifying an immoral interpretation. He admitted he gave one of his alleged blackmailers £21 and lunched with him in a private room afterwards. The case was adjourned, defendant being admitted to bail.

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