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The decent world has never had a dirtier dose than in the trial of Oscar Wilde, nominally as plaintiff, the Marquis of Queensberry, defendant. A great deal of the testimony is unprintable, and much more is known in London than has been told elsewhere. There appears to be an agreement that Wilde is infamous. His plays are dropped, and his imprisonment seems to be the least of the terrible incidents of his downfall. And yet Lord Douglas of Hawick, son of the Marquis of Queensberry, says:

"Myself and every member of the family, except father, disbelieve absolutely and entirely all the charges. We think them simply part of the persecution father has carried on against us as long as I can remember, and that Mr. Wilde and his counsel are to blame for not showing, as they could have done, that that was the fact."

If Mr. Wilde had any sort of case he ruined it. His letter to the "News," assigning a reason for not calling Lord Alfred Douglas, was silly.

The "London Chronicle" says:

"It suffices to know, as some return for damming the putrid stream, that our life is forever rid of a pestiferous poseur. Decadence has received its death blow, and the way is cleared for increased wholesomeness in life."

The "Telegraph" says:

"If the general concern was only with the man himself, his spurious brilliancy, inflated egotism, diseased vanity, cultivated affectation and shameless disavowal of all morality, it would be best to dismiss him to the penalty of universal condemnation, but there is something beyond the individual to be considered. Yesterday's just verdict includes with him the tendency of his peculiar career."

The whole hideous story still seems incredible; but the victim is the witness against himself.

The collapse of Oscar Wilde's case, and subsequent arrest, says the London correspondent of the New York papers, on April 5th, caused a sensation without parallel in London, since the exposure and flight of the forger Pigott during the sittings of the Parnell Commission. Still, since Wilde's first day's testimony, the result had been foreseen. The expectation was that the jury would stop the trial and return a verdict for Lord Queensberry.

This was done, and then the fact was brought home to Wilde that although nominally prosecutor, it was he and not the Marquis of Queensberry who was really on trial. Even the prompt verdict of the jury declaring explicitly that the infamous charge against him was justified did not make the strange creature realise his position.

He wrote a note to the evening newspaper, declaring that he was unable to prove his innocence, expect by putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness box, and that he preferred to suffer shame rather than allow the son to testify against the father.

This was simply imbecile, because nothing had been adduced in the trial about the relations between Wilde and Lord Douglas. There is reason to believe the disgraced man was prepared to flee from the country, but the English law for once acted with commendable promptness. Red tape was cut. The Public Prosecutor applied for a warrant within two hours after the dramatic collapse of the case in Court, and to-night the man who a few days ago was a pampered exquisite lies on a plank bed in an eight-by-four cell in the Bow-street police station.

The charge against him, for some reason not explained, is not felony, but misdemeanour, and the maximum penalty is two years at hard labour, but the Grand Jury may change the indictment to a more serious offence.

He must remain in gaol until the trial takes place in May, for the magistrate is certain to refuse to accept bail.

The London newspapers have printed far more about the matter than has been telegraphed to the American press. The great morning dailies like The Times and Telegraph have given their readers 6000 to 12,000 words daily of the Court proceedings.

Many seats which had been purchased at the Haymarket and St. James Theatres, where Wilde's plays, "The Ideal Husband," and "The Importance of Being Earnest," are running, were empty on the night of the trial. The audiences were small, and there was a smaller proportion of ladies than usual, but no demonstration of any kind.

The Leader published an interview with Lord Douglas, in which the latter says: "Myself and every member of the family except father disbelieve all the charges. We think them simply part of the persecution father has carried on against us ever since I can remember, and that Mr Wilde and his counsel are to blame for not showing, as they should have done, that that was the fact."

The Chronicle says: It suffices us to know as some return for undamming the public tidal wave that our life is rid for ever of a pestiferous poser of decadence which has received its death blow, and the way is cleared for increased wholesomeness in life. We seem for some unhappy purpose to have been shuddering witnesses of a revival of society under the late Roman empire, or against the dark background of the Italian Renaissance.

If Wilde had escaped to the Continent he would have been safe from arrest, as he could not have been extradited under the charge. It was reported that he had fled, but he was seen in Chelsea at 4 p.m. on April 5th, and was arrested by 7 p.m. His wife is with her children at the family residence on Tite-street. She is distracted with grief. Mrs Wilde has about £500 a year of her own. For the last three years she has received no financial help from her husband.

Wilde's mother, Lady Wilde, also lives in Chelsea, where she has literary "at homes" once a week. She is seventy-five years old. In her young days she was one of the most brilliant contributors to the famous Irish National newspaper, the Nation, for which she wrote over the name of "Speranza."

Oscar Wilde, as far as he had any political opinions, was a Radical. Some years ago he was anxious to enter Parliament.

It should be recorded in his favour that he always was very good to his mother, and supplemented her small income after the success of his plays enabled him to do so. Two of Wilde's plays, "The Ideal Husband" and the "Importance of Being Earnest"—are now running at London theatres. The former was to have been removed to the Criterion from Beerbohm Tree's Theatre on Monday, but now it will be allowed to drop. The other, which is being played by Mr Alexander, will cease immediately. Mr Alexander has a piece ready to replace it. Ever since the Police Court proceedings the bookings for both places have steadily declined. The London public will never tolerate the performance of any more of Wilde's plays. Thus his principal means of livelihood is gone. As he lived very extravagantly, he has saved nothing from the large income he has had for some years.