The National Police Gazette - Saturday, June 8, 1895

For the second time in the past three months the Marquis of Queensberry has appeared in a police court. This last time he was with his eldest son, Lord Douglas, of Hawick, whom he had punched vigorously on the street the evening before, and who had a reminder of the family quarrel in the shape of a beautiful black eye. If ever young Lord Douglas got it into his head that he could successfully cope with his sportive parent, he has had now a good opportunity to change his mind.

The Marquis was crossing over Piccadilly, in the direction of Albemarle street, where his hotel be situated, on the evening of the fracas, when he was met by his son, who appeared to be in an excited condition, and apparently without any preliminary beyond asking his father how he dared send insulting letters to Lady Douglas, pushed, rather than struck, the elder man. The latter was staggered somewhat, and his hat fell off, but recovering himself, he struck out at his son.

At this juncture a policeman appeared on the scene, and putting his arm between the two, request them both to refrain from making a scene.

Lord Douglas, however, in returning his father’s blow, struck the policeman violently in the mouth, though, of course, only accidentally.

After a short discussion the gentleman in blue somewhat wisely retired from the scene, but the combatants a few yards further along Piccadilly, resumed their verbal altercation, and eventually came again to actual blows.

In short, in the sharp encounter which followed, the author of the Queensberry rules put his pugilistic theories into practice, and, when the police, who had by this time reappeared, separated them, Lord Douglas of Hawick was the possessor of a scientifically discolored eye. Both representatives of the noble house of Douglas were then incumbently marched off to the Vine street police station, where a charge of disorderly conduct was preferred against them. As they were perfectly well known they were allowed to depart when they had entered into their own recognizances to the sum of £2 to appear in court in the morning.

When they were arraigned in the Marlborough Police Court both men were placed in the dock together to respond to a charge of disorderly conduct and fighting on the street.

The Marquis said that his son was the aggressor having first assaulted him, and that he only struck back in self-defense.

Lord Douglas of Hawick, said he merely desired his father’s assurance that he would cease writing obscene letters to his (Hawick’s) wife reviling her husband. His aim in meeting his father was to stop these foul and obscene communications.

Lord Queensberry objected to the letters in question being called obscene. Hearing that Oscar Wilde was residing with Lord Douglas he went to the latter’s house and obtained the assurance of his daughter-in-law that his younger son, Lord Alfred Douglas, was not there also. He thereupon ceased writing letters to Lord Douglas’ wife.

Lord Douglas’ lawyer wished to read the letters in question, but the magistrate would not allow it. The lawyer said that at the conclusion of Taylor’s trial the Marquis of Queesnberry had sent a telegram to Lord Douglas and his wife which was as follows:

"I must congratulate you on the result of the trial. I cannot on Percy’s appearance. He looks like a dug up corpse. I fear he has had too much madness of kissing. Taylor guilty. Wilde’s turn tomorrow.

"QUEENSBERRY".

Both the Marquis and his son were bound in sureties of £500 each to keep the peace for six months. The marquis, who wore a fresh boutonniere and prosecuted a very jaunty appearance, admitted that he had offered to fight his son, Lord Douglas of Hawick, anywhere or at any time for £1,000. Lord Douglas showed a very black eye as the result of his encounter with his father, but the latter did not show a mark. The crowd cheered the Marquis as he drove away in a cab, and as earnestly hissed and hooted Lord Douglas as he took his departure.

The Marquis went directly from the Marlborough Street Police Station to the Old Bailey Court, where he was an attentive listener at the trial of Oscar Wilde.

The San Francisco Examiner - Wednesday, May 22, 1895

[Copyright, 1895, by James Gordon Bennett.]

LONDON, May 21. - The Marquis of Queensberry will to-morrow morning, for the second time in the last three months, appear in the Police Court. This time, however, he will be attended by his eldest son, Lord Douglas of Hawick. Both father and son are charged with disorderly conduct.

As to the events which led to this unpleasant conclusion, rumors of the most erratic character have been flowing around the London clubs to-night, no two stories agreeing in detail. I am able, however, from the testimony of disinterested eye-witnesses, to give the exact facts as they will be revealed before the magistrate to-morrow.

After 5:15 o'clock this evening Lord Queensberry crossed over Piccadilly in the direction of Albemarle street, where his hotel is situated. As he reached the corner of the latter street and Piccadilly he was met by his son, who appeared to be in an excited condition, and, apparently without any preliminary beyond asking his father how he dared send insulting letters to Lady Douglas pushed rather than struck the elder man. The latter was staggered somewhat and his hat fell off, but recovering himself he struck out at his son.

At this juncture a policeman appeared on the scene, and putting his arm between the two requested them both to refrain from making a scene. Lord Douglas, however, in returning his father’s blow, struck the policeman violently in the mouth, though, of course, only accidentally.

CAME TO BLOWS AGAIN.

After a short discussion the gentleman in blue somewhat wisely retired from the scene, but the combatants, a few yards further along Piccadilly, resumed their verbal altercation and eventually came again to actual blows.

In the short, sharp encounter which followed, the author of the Queensberry rules put his pugilistic theories into practice, and when the police, who had by this time reappeared, separated them Lord Douglas of Hawick was the possessor of a scientifically discolored eye. Both representatives of the noble house of Douglas were then incontinently marched off to the Vine-street Police Station, where a charge of disorderly conduct was preferred against them. As they were perfectly well known they were allowed to depart when they had entered into their own recognizances to the sum of £2 to appear in court to-morrow morning.

These are the facts of the actual encounter. As to the preliminary matters which led thereto I cannot do better than quote Lord Queensberry himself, whom I saw this evening, and whose account of the occurrence, by the way, tallies perfectly with the above.

"I should like first of all," said he, "to impress upon you that, as I shall have an opportunity of putting upon record to-morrow morning, I was not the aggressor. I had just returned from the Old Bailey, where I had heard a jury find Taylor guilty, and had sent away my cab opposite St. James’ Palace. I then walked up St. James and was crossing over to Albemarle street, when, by a coincidence which seems almost fateful, I saw my son some hundred yards away.

THE SON THE AGGRESSOR.

"He caught sight of me at the same time and at once charged down upon me, and after a few angry words attempted to assault me. Even after we were first separated by the police my son was for the second time the aggressor.

"However, this is the matter which I suppose I shall have to explain to the satisfaction of the Magistrate to-morrow morning. As to the reason of this attack by my son, I can only imagine that he was annoyed by the events of the day and felt foolishly exasperated against me. As to the letter which he accused me of sending to his wife, that was, on my part, in the nature of a joke. I was struck with a certain resemblance lurking in this," and the Marquis held up to my view a drawing from one of the weekly illustrated papers depicting a huge iguanodon as it is supposed to have appeared in prehistoric contemporaries. There was a touch of the humorous about the pliocene beast's attitude, and the Marquis could not refrain from chuckling as he drew my attention to it. "I sent a copy of the picture," he continued, "to my son’s wife, indorsing it as well as I remember, as a possible ancestor of Oscar Wilde, and intending it more as a good-natured joke than anything else. Of course I regard this evening’s affair as very painful from one point of view, but from another I am rather glad of it. There has been bad blood between my son and myself for some time, and I think this encounter may have probably been the outcome of it. At all events, I feel more kindly disposed toward him than I have been for some years past, and I think very possibly he may think all the better of me."

TAYLOR FOUND GUILTY. Sentence Deferred Until After the Trial of Wilde.

LONDON, May 21. - The trial of Alfred Taylor was resumed in the Old Bailey this morning. Taylor was called to the stand and repeated the statements made in the witness box at his previous trial. In reply to a questions in regard to visitors at his rooms, Taylor asked to be allowed to write their names.

The Judge said, "If the names are written I will read them aloud. I do not approve of mystery."

Taylor did not write the names, but mentioned a few who have been connected with the case. There were no notable names among them. After the libel trial of Wilde against Lord Queensberry, the latter’s solicitor, he said, had asked him to make a statement against Wilde, but he had refused to do so. The evidence was concluded with Taylor's testimony and counsel began their addresses to the jury.

The Judge, in summing up the evidence, directed the jury to acquit Taylor as regarded his complicity with Wood, leaving them to decide upon the three remaining charges.

When the jury had returned to the courtroom and had been polled the foreman stated that they could not agree as to the prisoner's guilt so far as Charles Parker and Wilde were concerned. They, however, found Taylor guilty on two counts. Taylor’s sentence was delayed until a verdict should be reached in the trial of Wilde, which will begin to-morrow.

Highlighted DifferencesNot significantly similar