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The picture of Wilde has been withdrawn from the play bills and advertisement for two theaters, the St. James and the Haymarket, where two of his plays are running.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

The Galveston Daily News - Saturday, April 6, 1895

London, April 5. -- The suit of Oscar Wilde against the marquis of Queensberry came to a sudden and unexpected termination shortly after the third day's proceedings were begun in the Old Bailey before Justice Collins.

Sir Edward Clarke, the leading counsel for the plaintiff, asked permission on behalf of his client to withdraw the suit and submit to a verdict of not guilty in regard to the words "posing as a --," written by the marquis of Queensberry on the card left by the marquis at the Albemarle club for Wilde on February 18, and which card formed the outward basis of the suit. The jury, under instructions from Justice Collins, returned a verdict of not guilty, coupled with the statement that the justification set up as a defense by the marquis of Queensberry was true in substance and in fact and that the statement complained of was published for the public good.

The verdict was received with applause which was not checked by the presiding judge, and the marquis of Queensberry was discharged from custody and left the court triumphantly smiling and surrounded by his friends. Shortly afterward it was announced that a warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde was to be applied for, all the papers in the case having been submitted to the prosecutor.

Before 10 o'clock this morning every available foot of space in the court room was filled with spectators who were armed with newspapers and packages of sandwiches and were otherwise ready to spend the day in court in the happiest and most comfortable manner possible.

The marquis of Queensberry at 10:25 entered the court looking calm and confident. Promptly at 10:30 a.m. Justice Collins entered and the court was opened. Oscar Wilde, however, was absent.

Mr. Edward M. Carson, Q. C., leading counsel for the defense, resumed his speech, which was not yet completed when the court adjourned. He said the marquis was justified in bringing to a climax in the way he did the case between his son and Wilde. Continuing, counsel said he 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 that the marquis of Queensberry protested against the intimacy between his son and Wilde. The wonder is, the counsel said, that this man had been so long tolerated in London society. His conduct in regard to the boy at Worthing, continued Mr. Carson, was an evidence of his disgusting audacity. He picked up this boy on a pier and introduced him to his family, dressed him up as a gentleman and put public school colors upon his hat.

Mr. Carson was continuing his terrible denunciation of Oscar Wilde when Sir Edward Clarke and others of Wilde's counsel left the court. They soon returned and Sir Edward asked for permission to interrupt the proceedings. Then, amidst a most impressive silence, the leading counsel for the plaintiff announced the withdrawal of the case on behalf of the 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, and who left the building hurriedly when Sir Edward Clarke began his statement, he asked to withdraw the suit and on Wilde's behalf to submit to a verdict for the marquis of not guilty in regard to the words "Posing as a --" in view of the extracts which had been read in court from Wilde's novel of "Modern Social Life," "Dorian Gray" and from the magazine, the Chameleon.

Justice Collins said 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 that the justification set up by the defendant was true in substance and in fact, and that the words complained of were published for the public benefit.

The jurymen consulted together for a moment, and then without leaving their seats they returned a verdict as directed by Justice 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 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 surrounded by his friends.

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

Oscar Wilde has just written a letter to the newspapers, in which he says: "It was impossible to prove my case without putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness box against his father. Lord Alfred was 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 and let fall upon my shoulders whatever shame and ignominy that might result from not prosecuting the marquis of Queensberry.

An application was made for the arrest of Wilde and the application was granted.

Officials of the treasury department, under which brand of the government public prosecutors 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 their last visit they were accompanied by a detective and by two boys. After a short consultation between the treasury officials and Sir John Bridge, during which several questions were addressed to the detective and to the boys, magistrate issued the warrant.

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

Wilde was arrested at the Cadogan hotel, Sloan street, and taken in a cab by two detectives to Scotland Yard.

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