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Original paragraph in
The Brisbane Courier - Friday, April 5, 1895
The Brisbane Courier - Friday, April 5, 1895
Most similar paragraph from
The Sydney Morning Herald - Friday, April 5, 1895
The Sydney Morning Herald - Friday, April 5, 1895
Difference
The trial of the Marquis of Queensberry on a charge of criminally libelling Mr. Oscar Wilde was commenced to-day, and created a great
sensation, the court being thronged by an immense crowd of people.
Mr. Oscar Wilde declared that he had paid heavy blackmail to recover some "gushing" letters he had written to Lord Alfred Douglas, the
son of the Marquis, and which letters had been found in Lord Alfred's old clothes when they were given away. The defence that the Marquis was justified in
leaving the alleged libellous card with the hall porter at Mr. Wilde's club with a view to bringing matters to a head, and, as he stated, saving his son,
was based on the revelations said to be contained in these letters.
Mr. Wilde, after giving his evidence, was subjected to a stringent cross-examination with a view to showing that his book, "The Picture
of Dorian Gray," and certain articles published in the magazine "Chameleon," with which he was connected, were inspired by criminal practices. Mr. Wilde,
however, insisted that they were merely an expression of the artistic faculty; and, further, that his letters to Lord Alfred Douglas were prose poems - of
an extraordinary character, perhaps, but not justifying any immoral interpretation. He admitted that he gave one of the alleged blackmailers £21, and
entertained him at lunch afterwards in a private room. He also admitted that he had been on terms of intimacy with two lads who were not his social
equals, and he gave them considerable sums of money and expensive presents because he liked them.
The prosecutor was stringently crossexamined with the view of showing that his novel, "Dorian Grey," a story of an artist and his model,
which appeared in Lippincott's Magesine, his articles in other magazines, and the Chameleon, with which he is connected, inspired to criminal practices.
Oscar Wilde insisted that the articles were merely the expression of an artistic faculty. The letters to Lord Alfred Douglas were "prose poems,"
"extraordinary perhaps, but not justifying an immoral interpretation." He admitted that he gave one of the alleged blackmailers £21. and afterwards
entertained him at luncheon in a private room. Wilde also admitted having been on terms of intimacy with two lads not his social equals, and that he gave
them considerable sums of money and expensive presents. He did this because he "liked them."
Mr. Wilde's epigrams, paradoxes, and general extravagance of demeanour during the progress of the case caused much amusement in court.
The case was eventually adjourned, the Marquis of Queensberry being admitted to bail.