The Brooklyn Daily Eagle - Thursday, April 4, 1895

London, April 4– The prosecution in the libel suit brought by Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry was concluded to-day, after Wilde has been under cross examination yesterday and to-day altogether for six hours. He was briefly put under the redirect by his counsel before resting his case. In opening for the defense, Mr. Carson, counsel for the marquis, bitterly arraigned Wilde and stated the nature of the defense which will be an attempt to prove the charges which Queensberry made in the libel alleged. Most of the London papers are printing the testimony of the suit almost verbatim. The St. James Gazette is an exception and had taken a stand editorially against such publication.

During the course of his remarks in opening the defense, Mr. Carson alluded in complimentary terms in the course of Mr. Beerbohm Tree in forwarding to the plaintiff a copy of the anonymous letter handed to the English actor, whereupon Justice Collins said: "There is no occasion to mention the name of Mr. Beerbohn Tree."

Mr. Carson, in reply, remarked, "Nor should I do so, my lord, had it not been that I received a cable message from Mr. Tree to-day, asking that his connection with the case be fully explained."

"Every one understands that Mr. Tree’s connection with the case is in every way honorable and praiseworthy." said the justice, in conclusion.

Wilde returned to the court room for a few minutes before adjournment. Among the letter produced in court and addressed by the Marquis of Queensberry to his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, was one saying that Wilde was "a cur and a coward." Such was the interest taken in the proceedings that the services of an extra force of police were required outside the Old Bailey in order to disperse the large crowds which assembled in the neighborhoood in order to see the principals in this notorious case.

Deseret Evening News - Thursday, April 4, 1895

LONDON, April 4. -- There was unabated interest today at the old Bailey in the taking of testimony in the suit for libel brought by Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry. The audience was largely composed of lawyers and reporters, there were few notable persons present.

Plaintiff arrived at an early hour and took a rest at the table reserved for the solicitors. The Marquis of Queensberry entered a few minutes later, looking jaunty and confident. Several of his friends shook the defendant by the hand as he entered the dock. Oscar Wilde, upon resuming his place on the witness stand, admitted that he had attended tea parties in the room of a man named Taylor, which were artistically furnished and in which perfumes were burning. He denied, however, that he had seen Taylor in a woman's costume. Further questions upon the part of Mr. Carson, counsel for the Marquis of Queensberry, brought forth the admission that Taylor introduced to Wilde five youths whom Wilde gave money and took to a restaurant. Plaintiff admitted that he was not aware that one of them was a valet and another a coachman, or that Taylor had been arrested in a raid on a house on Fitzroy Square. Wilde, in answers to the questions, exhibited confusion and contradicted himself frequently. He also lost his temper. Carson's questions were in the main pitiless and unprintable. Carson's cross-examination of plaintiff was concluded at noon, having lasted over six hours.

Sir Edward Clark, the leading counsel for Wilde, then began the examination of his client by putting in certain letters of the Marquis of Queensberry in which he called upon his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, to cease the "infamous intimacy" with plaintiff, saying that his "blood turned cold at the sight of their infamous faces." He added: "I hear Wilde's wife will petition for a divorce on the grounds of unnatural crimes. If you do not cease to let him disgrace us, I shall feel justified in shooting him on sight."

To this letter Lord Alfred replied: "What a funny little man you are."

Most of the newspapers are printing the testimony in the suit almost verbatim, but the character of the testimony is such today that the St. James Gazette says: "The nature of the evidence and the whole circumstances of the case prove to be of such a character that we cannot repeat it." The St. James Gazette adds: "The English public is at the present moment involved in one of those orgies of indecency permitted by the operations of the open law courts and an enterprising press."

After the noon recess the crowd in the court room was larger than ever, and the hall and stairs leading to it filled ten deep with well dressed men waiting to enter. Wilde kept the court waiting ten minutes, for which he apologized to the justice, saying that he had been consulting his doctor. After the production of other letters the case for the plaintiff was closed and Carson began his speech for the defense. It was terribly denunciatory of Wilde, who left the court room as soon as counsel for the defendent began to speak.

Lord Alfred Douglas was present in the court a short time during the morning but did not return in the afternoon.

The speech of Mr. Carson for the defense lasted until court adjourned at 5 p. m. and was not finished. He reviewed the evidence point by point, denounced Wilde and said the witnesses he would produce would prove beyond any doubt the guilt of plaintiff. Carson alluded in complimentary terms to the course of Beerbohem Tree in forwarding to plaintiff a copy of the anonymous letter handed the English actor, whereupon Justice Collins said: "There is no occasion to mention the name of Beerbohem Tree."

Carson in reply remarked: "Nor should I do so, my lord, had it not been that I received a cable message from him today asking that his connection with the case be fully explained."

"Everyone understands that Mr. Tree's connection with the case is in every way honorable and praiseworthy," said the justice in conclusion.

Wilde returned to the court room a few minutes before adjournment. Among the letters produced and addressed by the Marquis of Queensberry to his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, was one saying that Wilde was a "cur and a coward of the Rosebery type."

Highlighted DifferencesNot significantly similar