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San Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, May 2, 1895
LONDON, May 1. - In the Old Bailey Court to-day Justice Charles summed up the case against Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor. The Justice, in so doing, said the counsel for the prosecution acted wisely in withdrawing the charge of conspiracy brought against Wilde, as he would have ordered the jury to bring in a verdict of not guilty on that specification.
He admitted that there was corroboration of the witnesses, but the jury, he added, would have to weigh the characters of men like Parker, Wood and Atkins, whom Sir Edward Clarke, in the Justice’s opinion had properly described as blackmailers.
The Justice also urged the jury not to be influenced by Wilde's writings, saying that many great men had written indecently. The jury must exercise its own judgment as to whether Wilde’s letters to Lord Alfred Douglass breathed unnatural passion, and he also said the relations between Shelly and Wilde would be interesting matter for the jury.
The jury retired at 1:30 P.M., and after being out a short time reported a disagreement.
When the news of the disagreement reached the outside of the court there was great excitement and extra editions of the evening papers were bought up quickly. When Sir Edward Clarke, counsel for Wilde, asked for bail Justice Charles said the application must be made in chambers.
Wilde will be tried again at the next session of the Central Criminal Court. Throughout the proceedings to-day he was very pale.
As Sir Edward Clarke, counsel for the prisoner, left the court he was heard to remark, "Truth is mighty and will prevail."
There was a big crowd outside the Old Bailey during the last stages of the famous trial to-day, but there was no demonstration for or against the prisoner upon the part of the populace.
In spite of this, Wilde was kept in the prisoner’s room of the court for an hour after adjournment, or until the crowds had disappeared, before he was taken to Holloway Jail.
The Philadelphia Times - Thursday, May 2, 1895
LONDON, May 1. - The jury in the case against Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor failed to agree after about two hours’ deliberation and were discharged. Bail being refused both Wilde and Taylor were remanded to jail to await a second trial.
Justice Chester, in summing up the case, said that counsel for the prosecution acted wisely in withdrawing the charge of conspiracy against Wilde, as he would have ordered the jury to bring in a verdict of "not guilty" on that specification. He admitted that there was corroboration of the witnesses, but the jury, he added, would have to weigh the characters of men like Parker, Wood and Atkins, whom Sir Edward Clarke, in the Justice’s opinion, properly described as blackmailers.
The Justice also urged the jury not to be influenced by Wilde's writings, saying that many great men had written indecently. The jury must exercise their own judgment as to whether Wilde’s letters to Lord Alfred Douglas breathed an unnatural passion, and, he also said, the relations between Shelly and Wilde would be interesting matter for the jury's judgment.