The San Francisco Call - Sunday, May 26, 1895

LONDON, ENG., Mag 25. -- Oscar Wilde's trial having reached the final stage, the Old Bailey courtroom was filled with interested spectators to-day. Sir Frank Lockwood, Solicitor-General, concluded his address to the jury. After the arguments were finished Justice Wills began summing up at 1:30 p. m. The general tenor of his address was favorable to Wilde.

During the address of Justice Wills to the jury the foreman asked whether, in view of the intimacy between Lord Alfred Douglass and Alfred Wood, one of the men whose name has been brought prominently into the case, a warrant for Lord Alfred's arrest had ever been issued. The Judge replied that he thought not.

The foreman then asked if it had ever been thought of. To this the Judge replied he could not say. He added that the suspicion that Lord Alfred Douglass would be spared if guilty simply because he was Lord Alfred Douglass was a wild idea and a matter which they could not discuss. The present inquiry was as to whether the man in the dock was guilty.

The jury found Wilde guilty on all the counts of the indictment, including the charge with reference to persons unknown, who were also pronounced guilty. The announcement of the verdict caused a great sensation in the court, as it was the general impression that Wilde would be acquitted. When the foreman of the jury delivered the verdict, Wilde, who had entered the prisoner's dock a moment before, rose from the chair on which he had been seated throughout the trial and stood with his arms on the rail of the dock. The silence which prevailed throughout the courtroom was really painful as Justice Wills ordered that Alfred Taylor should be also summoned before him.

Then in a voice trembling with emotion the Justice said:

"I never before had such a case as this to deal with. Two men such as you are by the nature of your crime lost to all sense of remorse for what you have done. To think that you, Taylor, and that you, Wilde, a man of culture, should be guilty of the offenses charged.

"There is no doubt but that the verdict is a just one, and I shall give you the full penalty allowed by law, and I only regret that it is not more severe. You are both sentenced to hard labor for the term of two years."

Wilde did not look at the Judge while the sentence was being pronounced. His eyes roved around the room and his face never changed color, and he looked like a man who had made up his mind to make the best of a bad situation. Taylor smiled when sentence was pronounced.

As Wilde turned in the dock and started to go back to the prisoners' room the crowd yelled "Shame!" "Shame!" This shouting caused Justice Wills to rise and exclaim in a loud and determined voice, "Silence, silence!" During the time the jury was debating on the verdict Lord Douglass strolled out of the courtroom and into the courtyard, where he walked about nervously, smoking a cigarette.

His face still showed traces of his recent encounter with his father, his left eye being much discolored. During the final stages of Wilde's trial to-day there was an immense crowd in front of the Old Bailey, and the windows of all the neighboring houses were filled with highly interested spectators.

Oscar Wilde and Taylor were, after the conclusion of the trial, conveyed without delay to the Newgate Jail, where they waited until warrants were signed for their sentence.

Both men were then conveyed in the prison van to Pentonville, where they will serve out their sentences unless a pardon should be granted or they should be transferred to another prison before the expiration of their sentences.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle - Saturday, May 25, 1895

London, May 25– The WIlde case was continued to-day. During the address of Justice Wills to the jury, the foreman asked whether, in view of the intimacy between Lord Alfred Douglas and Alfred Wood, one of the men whose name has been brought prominently into the case, a warrant for Lord Alfred’s arrest had ever been issued. The judge replied that he thought not.

The foreman then asked if it had ever been contemplated to issue a warrant for the arrest of Lord Alfred Douglas. To this the judge replied that he could not say, and the court adjourned for lunch.

When the court reassembled for business the judge said the suspicion that Lord Alfred Douglas would be spared, if guilty, simply because he was Lord Alfred Douglas, was a wild idea and a matter which they could not discuss. Th present inquiry was as to whether the man in the dock was guilty or not.

Justice Wills began summing up at 1:30 P. M. THe general tenor of his address to the jury was favorable to Wilde.

The jury retired at 3:30 P. M. and returned to the court room at 5:30. A verdict of guilty was announced.

Sentence was then imposed on Wilde, two years’ imprisonment at hard labor being the penalty inflicted upon him.

Alfred Taylor, Wilde’s associate, was also sentenced to-day to two years’ imprisonment.

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