Compare Documents

London, April 3. -- Every available inch of the Old Bailey was occupied this morning when the marquis of Quuensberry surrendered to bail and the libel suit brought against him by Oscar Wilde was opened before Justice Collins. Oscar Wilde charges the marpuis with libel by leaving on Feb. 28, last, an uncovered card at the Albemarle club on which card was written cartain foul epithets. The marquis who wore a shabby overcoat, was placed in the dock and answered to the indictment by pleading, first, not guilty, and secondly, that the libel was true and that it was published for the public good.

Letters addressed by Oscar to Lord Alfred Douglas, second son of the marpuis of Queensbury, alleged to contain information that the plaintiff had solicited persons named to commit indecent offenses, were presented.

Oscar Wilde took the stand and testified to a visit of the marquis of Queensbury with another gentleman of his (Wilde's) home. When they arrived, the marquis ordered Oscar to sit down, whereupon the latter replied: "Lord Queensbury, I will not allow anyone to talk that way in my house. I suppose you have come to apologize. Is is possible you accuse me and your son of "sodomy?"

Queensbury replied: "I did not say it, but you look lot it and appear like it."

A letter written by Oscar which was alleged to rfleect seriously upon Oscar's relations to Lord Douglas, referring to the latter as having "rose red lips" and addressing him as "My own boy," and signed "With undying love Oscar," was read by the judge.

Counsel, amid laughter, explained that the letter might seem extravagant to those who were in the habit of writing commercial letters, but, he added, it was "mere poetry." Counsel for marquis quoted from one of Oscar Wilde's novels of modern life, "Dorian Gray," to show that the author upheld isodomy. Oscar said the description of Dorpian Gray given on page six, was taken from Shakespeare's sonnets.

Carson, attorney for Queensbury, cross-examined Wilde and brought out a story of a certain intimacy with a newsboy 18-years of age. Cross examination regarding various other boys and men, were so pointed as to be unprintable. To all of them, however, Wilde emphatically denied that he had done anything improper. The cross-examination was not completed when the court adjourned.

LONDON, April 3.

Every available inch of the Old Bailey was occupied this morning when the Marquis of Queensberry surrendered to bail and the libel suit brought against him by Oscar Wilde was opened before Justice Collins. Oscar Wilde charges the Marquis of Queensberry with libel by leaving, on February 28 last, an uncovered card at the Albemarle Club, on which card were written certain foul epithets. As a result Mr. Wilde on March 2 caused the arrest of the Marquis of Queensberry, and the latter, at the Marlborough Street Police Court, was placed under £1,500 bail.

Justice Collins took his seat on the bench promptly at 10.30 and the case was called. The prosecution was conducted by Sir Edward Clarke, Q. C., M. P., and the Marquis of Queensberry was defended by Mr. Edward H. Carson, Q. C., M. P. Lawyer Besley watched the proceedings on behalf of Lord Alfred Douglas, of Hawick. Oscar Wilde, wearing a light blue overcoat, entered in company with his solicitor, Mr. Humphreys. He resolutely maintained an air of unconcern, despite the fact that everyone was staring at him, and took a seat in front of Sir Edward Clarke. The Marquis of Queensberry entered the dock and, in answer to the usual questions, pleaded not guilty, added that the so-called libel was true and had been made known in the interest of public morality.

CLARKE OPENS THE CASE.

Sir Edward Clarke, formerly Solicitor General, in opening the case, said that the card left at the Albemarle Club for Mr. Wilde was one of the visiting cards of the Marquis of Queensberry, and it was upon this that the libel was written. Continuing, counsel said that the gravest issues had been raised, as the defendant, in his pleadings, alleged that the plaintiff had for some time solicited persons named to commit indecent offenses.

Sir Edward, continuing, said that Mr. Wilde had been a close friend of the Queensberry family until 1890, when he learned that offensive statements were being made against him by a man named Wood, who had either stolen or found some letters written by Mr. Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglas. Wood offered to return these letters for money, and afterwards, at Wood's earnest entreaty, Mr. Wilde paid his fare to America. Later, Mr. Wilde learned that two men named Knebly and Allen pretended to have in their possession compromising letters, but Mr. Wilde refused to purchase them. Mr. Wilde, he said, admitted having written in 1893 a most extravagant letter to Lord Alfred Douglas in answer to a poem the latter had written. Despite the sentiments expressed in this letter the jury must take into consideration the artistic circle in which Mr. Wilde moved. Mr. Wilde himself described this letter as a "prose sonnet." In 1893, Sir Edward said, the Marquis of Queensberry openly libelled Mr. Wilde in the latter's own house and was shown the door in the presence of the servants and refused further admittance. The annoyance was aggravated by the behavior of the Marquis of Queensberry on the first night of the production of any of Mr. Wilde's plays.

OSCAR'S LETTER.

The letter which Mr. Wilde had written to Lord Alfred Douglas was read, as follows:

"MY OWN BOY: Your sonnet is quite lovely. Your rose-leaf lips seem made no less for the music of song than for the madness of kisses. Your slim, gilt soul walks between poetry and passion. I know that Hyacinthus, who was loved by Apollo, was you in the Greek days. Why are you alone in London, and when do you go to Salisbury? Do you sleep in the gray twilight of Gothic things? Come here whenever you like, but go to Salisbury first."

The Marquis, Sir Edward Clarke said, now attacked Mr. Wilde respecting his "Dorian Grey" and his articles in the Chameleon, which, it is alleged, he published in the interests and for the furtherance of immoral practices.

Oscar Wilde was then called and he languidly arose from the solicitor's table, at which he had been sitting, and entered the witness box. He was very pale, but was seemingly composed. Wilde spoke with his customary drawl, leaning his arms upon the rail of the witness box and replying distinctly to the questions addressed to him. The jury, which was composed of very intelligent men of elderly appearance, mainly prosperous tradesmen, eyed him with curiosity. The witness said that upon arriving at his house a few months ago he found two gentlemen waiting in the library. One of them was the Marquis of Queensberry and the other one was unknown to the plaintiff. The former said: "Sit down." I replied: "Lord Queensberry, I will not allow any one to talk that way in my house. I suppose you have come to apologize? Is it possible that you accuse your son and me of indecent offenses?" He replied: "I do not say it, but you look like it and appear like it."

BIG OFFER FOR A LETTER.

Counsel for the plaintiff then asked the witness about the man to whom he had given £20 with which to pay his passage to America. Witness said: "The man told me he had been offered £60 for the letter, and I advised him to immediately accept it. But finally I gave him the money in order to relieve his distress, and he gave me the letter."

Mr. Wilde stated the man named Allen brought to him a copy of one of these letters, which had been sent to Mr. Beerbohm Tree. Allen demanded £60 for the letter. Mr. Wilde laughed at him and refused to pay the money, saying he had never received as much as £60 for his own short prose writings. He told Allen he had better sell the letter to somebody else. Subsequently he gave Allen a half sovereign for himself. Mr. Tree had handed him (Wilde) what purported to be a copy of a letter written by Mr. Wilde. Reverting to the visit of Lord Queensberry to his house, the plaintiff said he replied to the Marquis: "'I don't know the Queensberry rules, but the Oscar Wilde rules are short and at sight. The letters you have written about me are infamous. You are trying to ruin your son through me.' Then, when we were in the hall I said to a servant: 'This is the Marquis of Queensberry, the most infamous brute in London. Do not let him enter the house again.'"

UNDER CROSS-EXAMINATION.

Interest in the case was heightened when Sir Edward Clarke, upon finishing the direct examination of his client, turned the latter over to E. H. Carson, Q. C., M. P., counsel for the Marquis of Queensberry, for cross-examination. Mr. Carson began the presentation of the case for the Marquis by reading passages from "Dorian Gray," one of Oscar Wilde's novels of modern life, to show that the author had peculiar ideas, the plaintiff following counsel with a copy of the book and laughing at Mr. Carson's insinuation. Mr Carson, addressing the plaintiff, asked, "Do you think the description of Dorian Grey, given on page 6, is a moral one?"

"Yes," replied Wilde, "just what an artist would notice in a beautiful personality." "Did you ever adore madly, as described in 'Dorian Gray,' any person of the male sex younger than yourself?" was Mr. Carson's next question. In reply Wilde said: "I took the idea from Shakespeare's sonnets."

He next testified to the fact that the man to whom he gave 20 pounds on receipt of the letter of Lord Alfred Douglas, which amount was used to pay his passage to America, was named Wood.

Replying to other questions put to him by Mr. Carson, Wilde said that the letter to Lord Alfred was "merely poetical," and, he added, that he had "undying love" for Lord Alfred, who, he claimed, was his best friend. The witness denied having misconducted himself with Wood. The latter, he added, was introduced to him by Lord Alfred Douglass, who asked him to befriend the man. Wilde and Wood, it was also shown by the cross-examination, addressed each other by their Christian names.

OSCAR MAKES SOME DENIALS.

Mr. Wilde said it was absolutely untrue that he had taken rooms for Lord Alfred Douglas, or that he had stopped with him at the Savoy Hotel. He had no connection with the Chameleon and strongly disapproved of the article entitled "Priest and Acolyte," which had been published therein. As regarded "Dorian Grey" Mr. Wilde said it had first appeared as a serial in Lippincott's Magazine, but had been altered when published in book form. Mr. Wilde admitted that he had stayed with Lord Alfred Douglas, Mr. Cromer and Mr. Worthing at various hotels in London. He was aware that Lord Alfred had written various articles in the Chameleon. One of them, entitled "Two Loves," he did not regard as improper, though the "Loves" were boys. He regarded portions of "Priest and Acolyte" as disgusting, but did not think it blasphemous. He knew that the Chameleon had a circulation among the students of Oxford. Referring to his publication "Philosophy for the Young," Mr. Carson asked Mr. Wilde if he believed what he had written. Mr. Wilde answered: "I rarely write what I believe is true." Continuing, Mr. Wilde said he believed that the realization of self was the primal end of life. He said that the man Allen, when endeavouring to obtain money for the copy of the letter in his possession, had remarked that it might bear a curious meaning. To this Mr. Wilde testified that he replied: "Art is rarely intelligible to the criminal classes." Pressed to say whether the articles in the Chameleon were not immoral, Mr. Wilde replied: "They were worse; they were badly written."

CARES NOTHING FOR THE PHILISTINES.

Cross-examination was very severe, and brought out the great difference in the ages of Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas (the former was born in 1856 and the latter in 1870), how the two had visited various together, stopped at the Savoy hotel together, and how Lord Alfred visited Wilde's chambers in St. James' Place, which the plaintiff maintains in addition to his house at No. 16 Tite street, S. W. Mr. Carson then drew out Wilde's opinions regarding literature in general, to which line of cross-examination the plaintiff made many smart responses in the same line as in his plays.

"The interpretation of my works does not concern me," said Wilde. "I do not care tuppence for what the Philistines think about me." But Mr. Carson severely repressed the levity of the witness, and began the more serious phase of the cross-examination.

Wilde denied that he had done anything improper, but he was troubled and confused under the terrible cross-examination to which he was subjected, and frequently drank water. In fact, he seemed ready to faint, and a chair was placed inside the witness stand for his use. Throughout the questioning of the plaintiff the Marquis of Queensberry stood facing him, and did not take his eyes off the man in the witness box. The cross-examination of Wilde was not finished when the court adjourned for the day at 5 p.m. A large crowd of people assembled about the Old Bailey, in order to see Wilde leave the court.