Times Union - Thursday, April 11, 1895

LONDON, April 11. - Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor were arraigned for examination in the Bowe street police court this morning. Wilde was defended by Commoner Clarke, who announced that he would not cross-examine any of the witnesses until they testified at the trial of the charges against Wilde. Counsel for Alfred Taylor again examined the young man Parker, who admitted that he received £20 from persons whose pursuit it was to extort money from gentlemen.

The hearing was adjourned for a week and Wilde and Taylor were again remanded without bail.

It is reported that Wilde has been ill since his confinement in jail.

The chief librarian of the British museum authorizes the United Press to deny the statement circulated yesterday that the books and publications written by Oscar Wilde had been withdrawn from public use in the library of that institution. An act of parliament compels the museum to keep in its possession and accessible to the public, copies of all publications copyrighted in the United Kingdom, except such as may be personally libelous. The question of withdrawing Wilde’s works has not been considered at all. The rumor of their withdrawal was probably due to the difficulty experienced by inquirers for the books in getting them, owing to the great rush of curious persons who desired to look through them.

New-York Tribune - Friday, April 12, 1895

London, April 11. - Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor were arraigned for examination in the Bow Street Police Court this morning. Wilde was defended by Sir Edward Clarke, who announced that he would not cross-examine any of the witnesses until they testified at the trial of the charges against Wilde. Counsel for Alfred Taylor examined the young man, Parker, who admitted that he was twenty-one years of age and had been guilty of heinous offences in many cases in addition to that of Wilde. Parker also admitted that he received £20 from persons whose pursuit it was to extort money from men.

A young man named Atkins was called to the witness-stand. In 1892, he said, Wilde had asked him to go to Paris with him as his secretary. He went to Paris with Wilde and remained there a few days. They dined together in splendid style. By Wilde's order he wore his hair curled. Wilde had given him a silver cigarette case, costing £3, and asked him not to mention the visit to Paris. In reply to a question by the magistrate, Atkin said he had acted as Wilde’s secretary for about half an hour, when he was engaged in writing some letters about Wilde’s play, "A Woman of No Importance."

A witness named Shelley detailed the circumstances of his dining with Wilde in 1892. Afterward they had some wine together in a private room, when Wilde flattered him, calling him a clever fellow. Subsequently he had written to Wilde, asking him to terminate their friendship.

The owner of the private hotel in St. James's Place, mentioned in the previous proceedings, testified that Wilde had rooms in his house from October, 1893, until April, 1894, and was visited there by a number of persons, including Parker, Taylor and Atkins. Mr. Matthews, a partner in a publishing house, testified that he had seen a letter from Wilde to Shelley, and a communication on the subject made to him (Matthews) by Mr. Lane had led to Shelley’s leaving their employ.

The hearing was adjourned for a week, and Wilde and Taylor were remanded without bail.

The publishing house of Ward & Lock has withdrawn Wilde’s book, "Dorian Grey" from circulation. The chief librarian of the British Museum authorizes the denial of the statement circulated yesterday that the books and publications written by Oscar Wilde had been withdrawn from public use in the library of that institution. An act of Parliament compels the museum to keep in its possession copies of all publications copyrighted in the United Kingdom, except such as may be personally libellous. The question of withdrawing Wilde’s works has not been considered at all. The rumor of their withdrawal was probably due to the difficulty experienced by inquirers for the books in getting them, owing to the great rush of curious persons who desire to look through them.

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