San Francisco Chronicle - Tuesday, May 28, 1895

NEW YORK, May 27. - The World's London cable says: Oscar Wilde, after he was sentenced on Saturday, was taken to Holoway jail in the northern part of London. There all his money and valuables were taken away from him by the warden. He was stripped to the shirt, and an officer wrote down in the prison register a minute account of his appearance, the color of his eyes, hair and complexion, and any peculiarities, such as a broken finger, tattoo marks, moles, etc.

Then Wilde was put in a hot bath, and his shirt, the last vestige of his days of freedom, was removed. Emerging from the water, he found a full suit of prison clothes ready for him, from under-linen to loose shoes and a hideous Scotch cap. His clothes are of a dirty drab canvas, plentifully adorned with drab arrows.

Shortly afterward Wilde ate his first real prison meal, an allowance of thin porridge and a small, brown loaf. He was then taken to-day to Pentonville, hard by the Holborn Viaduct prison for convicted criminals. He was examined physically with great care, since upon the medical officer's report will depend what labor he is to do.

If passed sound and fit for first-class hard labor he will take his first month's exercise on the tread wheel six hours daily, making an ascent of 6000 feet, twenty minutes continuously and then five minutes. The necessity for a complete medical examination is obvious before a man is subjected to this labor.

Wilde will be subjected to auscultation and percussion, and thoroughly overhauled before the decision is made. A Government Inspector will visit him once a month and hear any representation or complaint, and a visiting committee of London magistrates will call frequently at the prison for the same laudable purpose.

On his release, Wilde, if he has worked well and behaved well, will have earned the magnificent sum of 10 shillings.

While Oscar Wilde's case has absorbed public attention the records of the London Police courts show that persons accused of the offense for which he is committed come frequently before the magistrates. On the very day he was convicted John Goodchild, 28 years old and said to have a good education, was sentenced to two years at hard labor for the identical crime. The Judge remarked that no country could remain great while such persons were allowed to live free in it. He believed, indeed, that they should not be allowed to live at all.

The Chicago Chronicle - Thursday, May 30, 1895

LONDON, May 29. - Oscar Wilde, after he was sentenced, was taken to Holloway jail in the northern part of London. There all his money and valuables were taken away from him by the warden. He was stripped to the shirt, and an officer wrote down in the prison register a minute account of his appearance, the color of his eyes, hair, and complexion, and any peculiarities, such as a broken finger, tattoo marks, moles, etc.

Then Wilde was put into a hot bath and his shirt - the last vestige of his days of freedom - was removed. Emerging from the water he found a full suit of prison clothes ready for him, from under linen to loose shoes and a hideous Scotch cap. His clothes are of dirty drab canvas plentifully adorned with broad arrows.

Shortly afterward Wilde ate his first real prison meal - an allowance of thin porridge and a small brown loaf.

He was taken finally to Pentonville, hard by the Holborn viaduct, a prison for convicted criminals.

On his release Wilde, if he has worked well and behaved well, shall have earned the magnificent sum of $2.50, which he can have all at once or it will be doled out to him by an agent of the Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society if he (Wilde) elects to apply to that excellent institution when once more free.

The Marquis of Queensberry declares that if the treasury does not reimburse him for the $10,000 he expended in defence of the libel suit which led to the prosecution of Wilde he will ask some member to bring the question before parliament.

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