Compare Documents

LONDON, April 3. -- Every available inch of the Old Bailey was occupied this morning when the Marquis of Queensberry surrendered to bail, and the libel suit brought against him by Oscar Wilde was opened before Justice Collins. Oscar Wilde charges the Marquis of Queensberry with libel by leaving, in February last, an uncovered card at the Albemarle Club, on which card were written certain foul epithets. As a result Mr. Wilde on March 2 caused the arrest of the Marquis of Queensberry, and the latter, at the Marlborough Street Police Court, was placed under £1,500 bail.

Rumors were current in London yesterday that Oscar Wilde had suddenly left the city in order to avoid being present in court today, and reports were also current that a startling development would arise today. But both these rumors were set at rest by the arrival in court of the principals to the suit. The Marquis was placed in the dock, and answered to the indictment by pleading first, not guilty, and secondly, that the libel was true, and that it was published for the public good. The Marquis seemed unconcerned and, replying to the questions put to him, spoke quietly and clearly.

Sir Edward Clarke, formerly Solicitor General, in opening the case, said that the card left at the Albemarle Club for Mr. Wilde was one of the visiting cards of the Marquis of Queensberry, and it was upon this that the libel was written. Certain letters addressed by the plaintiff to Lord Alfred Douglas, second son of the Marquis of Queensberry, were brought to plaintiff by a man who said he was in distress, and Mr. Wilde gave him £20 with which to pay his passage to America. Another letter was handed to Beerbohm Tree, the actor, who gave it to the plaintiff. Counsel then recounted the facts already known in the case, showing that Mr. Wilde, who had recently returned from Algiers, drove up to the Albemarle Club at about 5 p.m. Feb. 28, and on entering the club he was handed an envelope by the hall porter. Inside the envelope plaintiff found a card, on the back of which was the date "4:30, 18. 2. 95," and on this card were written certain foul epithets, which formed the basis of the suit. Oscar Wilde was then called and he languidly arose from the solicitor's table, where he was seated, and entered the witness box. Wilde spoke with his customary drawl, leaning his arms upon the rail of the witness box and replying distinctly to the questions addressed to him. Counsel for the plaintiff asked the witness about the man to whom he had given £20 with which to pay his passage to America. Witness said: "The man told me he had been offered £60 for the letter, and I advised him to immediately accept it. But finally I gave him the money in order to relieve his distress and he gave me the letter."

The document referred to was here produced in court and was handed to Justice Collins. The cross-questioning was very severe and, though the witness emphatically denied having done anything improper, he became troubled and confused, so that at one time it seemed as though he was about to faint. His cross-examination was not finished when court adjourned for the day.

London, April 3 — Every available inch of the Old Bailey was occupied this morning, when the Marquis of Queensberry surrendered to bail and the libel suit brought against him by Oscar Wilde was opened before Justice Collins. Oscar Wilde charges the Marquis of Queensberry with libel by leaving on February 28 last na uncovered card at the Albemarle Club, on which card were written certain foul epithets. As a result Mr. Wilde on March 2 caused the arrest of the Marquis of Queensberry, and the latter at the Marlborough Street Police Court was placed under £1500 bail. The aisles of the old court-room were crowded with lawyers. Admission was obtained by ticket only. There was a pile of applications a foot high from many well-known persons.

The Marquis of Queensberry, who wore a shabby overcoat, was placed in the dock and answered to the indictment by pleading first, not guilty, and secondly, that the libel was true, and that it was published for the public good. The Marquis seemed quite unconcerned, and replying to the questions put to him, he spoke quietly and clearly.

Sir Edward Clarke, formerly Solicitor General, in opening the case said that the gravest issues had been raised, as the defendant, in his pleadings, alleged that the plaintiff had for some time solicited persons named to commit indecent offences. Certain letters addressed by the plaintiff to Lord Alfred Douglas, second son of the Marquis of Queensberry, were brought to plaintiff by a man who said he was in distress, and Mr. Wilde gave him £20 with which to pay his passage to America. Another letter was handed to Beerbohm Tree, the actor, who gave it to the plaintiff.

Oscar Wilde was then called, and he languidly arose from the Solicitor’s table, at which he had been seated, and entered the witness box. The plaintiff was faultlessly, dressed in a long black frock coat, and carried his gloves in his hands, showing his fingers to be covered with rings. He was very pale, but was seemingly composed, Wilde spoke with his customary drawl, leaning his arms on the rail of the ‘witness box, and replying distinctly to the questions addressed to him. The jury, which was composed of very intelligent men of elderly appearance, mainly prosperous tradesmen, eyed him with curiosity.

The witness said that upon arriving at his house a few months ago he found two gentlemen waiting in the library, one of them was the Marquis of Queensberry, and the other one was unknown to the plaintiff. "The former said: ‘Sit down.' I replied: ‘Lord Queensberry, I will not allow any one to talk that way in my house. I suppose you have come to apologize. Is it possible that you accuse your son and me of an unnatural crime?' He replied: ‘I do not say it; but you look like it and appear like it.' "

Counsel for the plaintiff then asked the witness about the man to whom he had given £20 with which to pay his passage to America. Witness said: "The man told me he had been offered £60 for the letter, and I advised him to immediately accept it. But finally I gave him the money in order to relieve his distress, and he gave me the letter." The document referred to was here produced, and was handed to Justice Collins. The letter ferreted to the "rose-red lips" of Lord Alfred Douglas, and the writer addressed him as "My own boy," and asked: "Why are you alone in London?" The letter was signed [...] said that it might seem extravagant to those who were in the habit of writing commercial letters; but he added, it was mere poetry. (Laughter).

Interest in the case has heightened when Sir Edward Clarke, upon finishing the direct examination of his client, turned the latter over to Mr. E. H. Carson, Q. C., M. P., counsel for the Marquis of Queensberry, for cross-examination. Mr. Carson began the presentation of the case for the Marquis by reading passages from "Dorian Gray," one of Oscar Wilde’s novels of modern life, to show that the author upheld an unnameable crime, the plaintiff following counsel with a copy of the book, and laughing at Mr. Carson’s insinuation. Mr. Carson, addressing the plaintiff, asked: "Do you think that the description of ‘Dorian Gray,' given on page 6 is a moral one?"'

"Yes," replied: "just what an artist would notice in a beautiful personality."

"Did you ever adore madly, as described in ‘Dorian Gray,' any person of the male sex younger than yourself?" Was Mr. Carson’s next question.

In reply Wilde said: "I took the idea from Shakespeare’s sonnets"

During this portion of the proceedings the Marquis of Queensberry followed his counsel with a copy of "Dorian Gray" in his hands, with seeming enjoyment.

Replying to other questions put to him by Mr. Carson, Wilde said that the letter to Lord Alfred was "merely poetical," and he added that he had "undying love" for Lord Alfred, who, he claimed, was his best friend.

It was also developed during the cross-examination of Wilde that in writing he did not concern himself to produce morality or immorality. He had no purpose in the matter, and was concerned merely with literature, beauty, wit and emotion. He rarely thought if anything he wrote was true: indeed, he might say never, in regard to "Dorian Gray." Sir Edward Clarke objected to Mr. Carson cross-examining his client on that novel as it appeared in Lippincott’s Magazine, and not as it was published in England. Wilde thereupon descended from the witness box and whispered a few words to his counsel after which the objections were withdrawn.

The cross-examination was very severe and brought out the great differences in the ages of Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas — the former was born in 1856, and the latter in 1879 — how the two had visited various towns together, stopped at the Savoy Hotel together, and how Lord Alfred visited Wilde’s chambers in St. James place, which the plaintiff maintains, in addition to his house at 16 Tite Street, S. W. Mr. Carson drew out Wilde’s opinions regarding literature in general, to which line of cross-examination the plaintiff made many smart responses in the same line as in his plays.

"The interpretation of my works does not concern me," said Wilde. "I do not care 'tuppence', for what the Philistines think about me." But Mr. Carson severely repressed the levity of the witness, and began the more serious phase of the cross-examination by questioning Wilde about his intimacy with a newsboy, eighteen years of age, belonging to Worthing, and brought out the fact that Wilde took the boy to a hotel at Brighton.

"Why did you seek the boy’s society?" Asked Mr. Carson. "Was it for an intellectual treat?"

"Oh, he was a bright, careless, amusing creature," replied the witness. Mr. Carson here produced a sliver cigarette case a handsome silver-mounted cane and a book, which Wilde admitted he had presented to the newsboy referred to.

The cross-examination then touched upon Wilde’s relations with various boys and men, and the questions put to the witness were so pointed as to be unprintable. Wilde, however, empathically denied that he had done anything improper; but he was troubled and confused under the terrible cross-examination to which he was subjected, and frequently drank water. In fact, he seemed ready to faint, and a chair was placed inside the witness stand for his use. Throughout the questioning of the plaintiff, the Marquis of Queensberry stood facing him, and did not take his eyes off the man in the witness box.

The cross-examination of Wilde was not finished when the court adjourned for the day at 5 P. M. A large crowd of persons assembled about the Old Bailey in order to see Wilde leave the court.