Compare Documents

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The picture of Wilde has been withdrawn from the play bills and advertisement for two theaters, the St. James and the Haymarket, where two of his plays are running.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

LONDON, April 5. -- The jury in the case of Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry found the plea of justification submitted by the Marquis of Queensberry was proper and the marquis was discharged from custody. The verdict was received with loud applause from the spectators which the judge did not check.

A warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde, it is expected, will be promptly applied for. Copies of all the witnesses's statements and the shorthand notes of the trial have been furnished the public prosecutor.

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

The marquis at 10:20 entered the court, looking calm and confident of the result. Promptly at 10:30 Justice Collins entered and court was opened. Oscar Wilde, however, was absent. Edward M. Carson, Q. C., leading counsel for the defense, resumed his speech which was not concluded yesterday when 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 Douglass and Wilde. Continuing, counsel said he now approached a 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 is, 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 this boy on the pier and introduced him to his family, dressed him up as a gentleman and put public school colors in his hat.

Carson was continuing his terrible denunciation of Oscar Wilde, when Sir Edward Clarke and others of Wilde's counsel left the court room for consultation. They soon returned, and Sir Edward asked for permission to interrupt the proceedings. Then amid the most impressive silence the leading counsel for 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 adjourned and who left the building hurriedly when Sir Edward Clarke began his statement, he asked to withdraw the suit and on Wilde's behalf submit to a verdict for the Marquis of Queensberry of not guilty in regard to the words"Posing as a -- --." Counsel said he did this in view of the extracts which had been read in court from Wilde's novel of moral social life Doran Gray, and from a magazine, the Chameleon.

Carson here interposed, saying that 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 as to the jury putting any limit on their verdict that the words "Posing as a -- --," 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 the justification set up by the defense was true in substance and in fact and 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 the card which formed the basis of the suit were published in the interest 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, smiling and surrounded by his friends. The defense, it appears, had a long array of witnesses on hand, including waiters in the hotels of Paris, London and other cities.

WILDE ARRESTED.

Oscar Wilde was arrested at Cardogan hotel. Oscar Wilde has written a note to newspapers in which he says:

"It was not possible to prove my case without putting Lord Alfred Douglass in the witness box against his father. Lord Alfred was extremely anxious to go into the box, but I would not allow it. Rather than put him in such a painful position, I determined to retire from the case and bear upon my own shoulders whatever shame and ignominy might result from my prosecution of the Marquis of Queensberry."

The authorities are reticent as to what course will be pursued, but today an application was made at Bow street police court for a warrant for the arrest of Wilde, and the magistrate granted the application.

Wilde spent several hours in company with Lord Alfred Douglass at hotel Born. His brougham was waiting in front of the hotel. Early in the afternoon, Lord Alfred drove to the bank, cashed a check and returned to the hotel. Soon after both Wilde and Alfred drove away, Wilde was arrested at Cadogan hotel. He was taken in a cab by two detectives to the scotland yards.