Compare Documents

LONDON, April 3 -- Every available inch of the Old Bailey was occupied this morning, when the libel suit brought against the marquis of Queensbury by Oscar Wilde, was opened before Justice Collins. Oscar Wilde charges the marquis with libel, by leaving on February 28, last, an uncovered card at the Albermarle club on which card was written certain foul epithets.

The marquis, who wore a shabby overcoat, was placed in the dock and answered to the indictment by pleading first, not guilty, and secondly, that the alleged libellous statement was true and that the matter was published for the public good. Letters addressed by Oscar Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglass, second son of the marquis of Queensbury, and all on questionable subjects were offered in evidence.

Oscar Wilde went on the stand and told of a visit of the marquis to him and of his saying that if Wilde was not guilty as charged on the card he looked like it.

An endearing letter written by Wilde to Lord Douglass was read by the judge.

The counsel, amid much laughter, explained that the letter might seem extravagant to those who were in the habit of writing commercial letters, "but," he added, "it was mere poetry."

The counsel for the Marquis of Queensberry quoted from one of Oscar Wilde's novels of modern life, "Dorian Gray," to show that the author upheld unnatural admiration. Oscar said the description of "Dorian Gray" given on page 6 was taken from Shakespeare's sonnetts.

Mr. Carson, attorney for the Marquis, cross-examined Wilde and brought out the story of certain association with a newsboy, 18 years of age. Cross-examination regarding the various other boys and men were so pointed as to be unprintable. To all of them, however, Wilde emphatically denied that he had done anything improper. Cross-examination was not completed when court adjeurned.

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 by Oscar Wilde against the marquis was opened before Justice Collins. Oscar Wilde, or, to give his full name, Oscar Fingail O’Flaherty Wilde, the author and dramatist, charges the Marquis of Queensberry with libel by leaving, on February 28 last, an uncovered card at the Albemarle club, on which were written certain 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 released on £1,500 bail. The aisles of the old court room were crowded with lawyers. Admission was obtained by ticket only, and the sheriff in charge showed to the newspaper representatives a pile of applications a foot high, many of them being from well known people.

Rumors were current in London yesterday that Oscar Wilde had suddenly left the city in order to avoid being present in court and reports were also current that a startling development would arise to-day. But both these rumors were set aside by the arrival in court of the principals to the suit. The Marquis of Queensberry, who wore a shabby overcoat, was placed in the dock and an-swered to the indictment by pleading, first, not guilty and, second, 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, former 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. Continuing, counsel said that the gravest issues had been raised to letters addressed by the plaintiff to Lord Alfred Douglas, second son of the Marquis of Queensberry, were brought to the 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 Mr. Beerbohm Tree, the actor, who gave it to the plaintiff.

Counsel then recounted the facts already known in the case, stating that Mr. Wilde, who had recently returned from Algiers, drove up to the Abemarle club at about 5 P. M., on February 25, and on entering the club he was handed an envelope by the hall porter, Sidney Wright, who said that the Marquis of Queensberry had desired him to hand it to Mr. Wilde. The exact word were: "Lord Queensberry desired me, sir, to hand this to you when you came into the club."

Inside the envelope plaintiff found a card on the back of which was the date 4:30, 18.2,’95, and on this card was written the epithets which formed the basis of the suit.

Oscar Wilde was then called and he languidly arose from the solicitors’ table at which he had been seated and entered the witness box. The plaintiff was faultlessly dressed in a long, black frock coat and car-ried 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 upon 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 men 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 anyone to talk that way in my house. I supposed you had come to apologize. It is possible that you accuse your son and me of such crimes?' He replied:

" ‘I don’t say it, but you look it and appear like it.'"

Counsel for the plaintiff then asked him, 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 ad-vised him to immediately accept it. But, finally I gave him the money in order to re-lieve his distress and he gave me the letter."

The document in question was here produced in court and was handed to Justice Collins. The letter referred to the "rosered lips" of Lord Alfred Douglas and the writer addressed him as "My own dear boy" and asked "Why are you alone in London?" The letter was signed, "With undying love, Oscar.

Counsel in explaining this letter said that it might seem extravagant to those who were in the habit of writing commercial letter, "but," he added, "it is mere poetry." (Laughter.)

Interest in the case was heightened when Sir Edward Clarke, upon finishing the direct examination of his client, turned the latter ober to Mr. E. H. Carson, C. C., M. P., counsel for the Marquis of Queensberry, for cross-examination. Mr. Carson began the presentation of the case of the marquis by reading passages from "Dorian Gray," one of Oscar Wilde’s novels of modern life, to show that the author upheld certain crimes. The plain-tiff followed 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 Wilde, "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."

Later Wilde testified to the fact that the man to whom he gave £20, on receipt of the letter, in which he had referred to the "rosered lips" of Lord Alfred Douglas, was named Wood. 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. The witness denied having misconducted himself with Wood. The latter, he added, ws introduced to him, the witness, by Lord Alfred Douglas, who asked him to befriend the man. Wilde and Wood, it was also shown by the cross examination, addressed each other by their Christian names.

In answers to questions during cross-examination Mr. Wilde said that in writing he did not concern himself to produce morality or immorality. He had no purpose in the matter and was concerned mrely 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 Clark 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 there-upon descended from the witness box and whispered a few words to his counsel, after which Sir Edward Clarke withdrew his objection.

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 1870); how the two had visited various towns together, stopped at the Savoy hotel together, and how Lord Alfred visited Wilde’s cham-bers in St. James place, which the plaintiff maintains in addition to his house at 16 Tite street, S. W. Mr. Carson then drew out Wilde’s opinions regarding literature in genneral, 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."

Mr. Carson severely repressed the levity of the witness and began the more serious phase of the cross examination by questioning Wilde about his acquaintance with a newsboy, 18 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 silver cigarette case, a handsome silver mounted cane and a book which Wilde admitted he had presented to the newsboy referred to.

Wilde emphatically denied that he had done anything improper but he was troubled and confused under the terrible cross examination he was subjected to and frequently drank water. In face, he semed ready to faint and a chair was placed inside the wit-ness stand for his use. Throughout the questioning of the plaintiff, the Marquis of Queensberry stood facing him and did not take his eyes off of him.

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