The Chicago Tribune - Tuesday, May 28, 1895

London, May 27. - [New York World Special Cable.] - Oscar Wilde after sentence Saturday was taken to Holloway Jail, in the northern part of London, where all his money and valuables were removed by the Warden. He was stripped to his shirt, and an officer wrote down in the prison ledgers a minute account of his appearance, distinctive marks, color of his eyes and hair, his complexion, and any peculiarities, such as a broken finger, tattoo marks, moles, etc. Then he 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. The clothes are of a dirty drab canvas, plentifully adorned with broad arrows. Shortly afterwards he ate his first real prison meal, an allowance of thin porridge and a small brown loaf. Then he was taken to Pentonville, hard by Holborn Viaduct, the prison for convicted criminals.

He was examined physically with great care, since upon the medical officer's report will depend what labor he is set to. 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 6,000 feet in twenty minutes, continuously, and then five minutes' rest. During the first month while on the wheel Wilde will sleep on a plank bed, a bare board raised a few inches above the floor and supplied with sheets. Clean sheets are given to each prisoner, two rugs, and a coverlet, but no mattress. He will be allowed no communication with the outside, except by special permission, until he has completed three months of his sentence, and then he may write and receive one letter and be visited for twenty minutes by three friends. While Oscar Wilde's case has absorbed public attention for weeks the records of the London police courts show the offense of which he was convicted comes frequently before magistrates.

The Marquis of Queensberry declares if the Treasury does not reimburse him the £5,000 expended by him in defense of the libel suit which led to the present prosecution he will ask some member to bring the question before Parliament.

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.

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