Springfield Democrat - Saturday, April 6, 1895

LONDON, April 5. -- Not only did Oscar Wilde, the apostle of aestheticism, lose his case of libel charged against the Marquis of Queensberry, but he found himself in turn a prisoner. The marquis pleaded justification and won. Wilde, by the testimony-and in fact his own admission-is shown to be given to most vile habits.

The jury in the case of Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry, found that the plea of justification submitted by the marquis was proved and the marquis was discharged from custody. The verdict was received with loud applause from the court room, which the court did not check.

A warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde was promptly applied for. Copies of all the witnesses' statements and shorthand notes of the trial have been furnished to the public prosecutor.

Wilde was arrested at the Cadogan hotel this afternoon.

Wilde in Prison.

Officials of the treasury department under which branch of the government public prosecutions are directed, visited Bow street police court several times this afternoon previous to the granting of the warrant for Wilde's arrest Upon the occasion of the last visit they were accompanied by a detective and two boys. After a short consultation between the treasury officials and Sir John Bright, during which several questions were addresses to the detectives and the boys, the magistrate issued the warrant.

The picture of Wilde has been withdrawn from the play bills and advertisement for two theaters, the St. James and the Haymarket, where two of his plays are running.

At 8:10 p m. Wilde was arraigned at Bow street police court. The police inspector then read the charge and asked Wilde if he had anything to say, adding the usual warning that anything he said might be used against him. The prisoner remained indifferent and made no reply. He was then searched, after which he was locked in a cell. Shortly after her had been locked up one of his friends arrived at the station with a Gladstone bag containing a change of clothing and other things, but the police refused to permit him to leave it.

Later Lord Alfred Douglass went to the police station and inquired whether Wilde could be admitted to bail. The police inspector explained that Wilde had been arrested for a criminal offense which did not allow bail being accepted until he had been arraigned in court.

Lord Alfred was greatly distressed by this information. He was told by the inspector that Wilde had a blanket and other requisites in his cell to be as comfortable as police regulations allowed.

The prisoner will be arraigned in court to-morrow on a charge involving a penal offense.

Auckland Star - Friday, April 26, 1895

April 5.—The sensational libel suit of Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry came to an abrupt end to-day, and Wilde is not under arrest charged with the crimes of which he was accused by the Marquis.

Before 10 o'clock every available foot of space in the Old Bailey courtroom was filled with spectators armed with news papers and packages of sandwiches and otherwise ready to spend the day in court in the most comfortable manner possible.

The Marquis entered the court at 10.20 o'clock, looking calm and confident of the result. Promptly at 10.30 o'clock Justice Collins entered and court was opened. Oscar Wilde, however, was absent.

Edward M Carson, leading counsel for the defence, resumed his speech, which was not concluded yesterday when the court adjourned. Carson said he hoped he had demonstrated that the Marquis was justified in bringing to a climax in the way he did the connection between his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, and Wilde.

Continuing, the counsel said he now approached the more painful duty. It would be his task to call several young men who would tell their own tales, and who would show that the man Taylor, frequently referred to during the proceedings, was Wilde's procurer.

It was no wonder the Marquis of Queensberry protested against the intimacy between his son and Wilde. The wonder was, the counsel said, that this man had been so long tolerated in London Society.

Wilde's conduct regarding the boy at Worthing, continued Carson, was an instance of his disgusting audacity. He picked up the boy on the pier and introduced him to his family, and dressed him up as a gentleman.

Carson was continuing his terrible denunciation of Oscar Wilde when Sir Edward Clarke and other of the witnesses for the plaintiff left the courtroom for consultation. They soon returned and Sir Edward asked for permission to interrupt the proceedings.

Then, amid the most oppressive silence, the leading counsel for the plaintiff announced the withdrawal of the case on behalf of his client.

The chief concern of Sir Edward Clarke seemed to be his desire to justify himself in undertaking the case for Wilde. He said that after consulting with his client—who, by the way, was in the room to which his counsel had adjourned, but left the building hurriedly when Sir Edward Clarke began his statement—he asked to withdraw the suit, and on Wilde's behalf counsel said he did this more especially in view of the extracts which had been read in court from Wilde's novel on modern social life, "Dorian Gray," and from a magazine, "The Chameleon."

Carson here interposed, saying if there was to be a verdict of not guilty it also involved a verdict of justification, as the case of his client must succeed upon that plea.

Justice Collins said that as to the jury putting any limit on their verdict, the words on the Marquis' card were either justified or not justified. If the jury consented to the course suggested and were to return a verdict of not guilty, they were also to find that the justification set up by the defence was true in substance and in fact, that the words complained of were published for the public benefit.

The jurymen consulted together for a moment, and then without leaving their seats returned a verdict as directed by Judge Collins, namely, that the Marquis of Queensberry was not guilty of libel and that the words he had written on a card, which formed the basis of the suit, were published in the interests of the public.

The verdict was received with loud applause in court, and Justice Collins made no attempt to check it. The Marquis of Queensberry was then discharged from custody and left the court triumphant and smiling, and surrounded by his friends.

The defence, it appears, had a long array of witnesses on hand, including waiters employed in the hotels of Paris, London and other cities which Wilde had visited.

Later in the day application was made at the Bow-street Police Court, for a warrant for the arrest of Wilde, and the magistrate granted the application. He was subsequently arrested at the Cadogan Hotel.

The officials of the Treasury Department, under which branch of the Government public prosecutions are directed, visited the Bow-street Police Court several times this afternoon previous to granting the warrant for Oscar Wilde's arrest. Upon the last visit they were accompanied by a detective and two boys.

After a short consultation between the Treasury officials and Sir John Brige, during which several questions were addressed to the detective and the boys, the magistrate issued the warrant.

Wilde spent several hours in company with Lord Alfred Douglas at the Hotel Holborn. His brougham was waiting in front of the hotel. Early in the afternoon Lord Alfred drove to the bank, cashed a cheque and returned to the hotel. Soon after both Wilde and Alfred drove away.

Wilde, after his arrest at the Cadogan Hotel, was taken in a cab by two detectives to Scotland Yard.

Wilde wore an ulster and a silk hat. He was very pale, but cool, when he arrived at Scotland Yard.

Later, Lord Alfred Douglas went to the police station and inquired whether Wilde could be admitted to bail. The police inspector explained that Wilde had been arrested for a criminal offence which did not allow of bail being accepted until he had been arraigned in court. Lord Alfred was greatly distressed by this information.

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