Difference
London, May 25.- There was the usual crowd of interested spectators in the court room of the Old Bailey this morning all anxious to witness the trial of Oscar Wilde. When the court adjourned yesterday Sir Frank Lockwood, Solicitor General, had just commenced his address to the jury on behalf of the prosecution, and it was expected that he would denounce Wilde in strong language when he resumed his argument to-day. Wilde took his seat in the prisoner's dock, facing the jury, and looking extremely anxious. As was expected, when Sir Frank Lockwood resumed his speech he dealt very severely with Wilde in his reference to the prisoner's intimacy with Lord Alfred Douglas. Referring to the much- commented upon letters which Wilde wrote to Lord Alfred Douglas, counsel said the jury had been told that they were too low to appreciate such poetry, and he, Sir Frank Lockwood, thanked God it was so, and he hoped that they were above the level of beasts. (Applause.) Sir Edward Clarke leading counsel for Wilde, here interposed objections to such appeals as were just made by Sir Frank Lockwood, which the counsel claimed should not be allowed. Sir Frank Lockwood continued his speech. He warned the jury to render a verdict which would prevent such a "detestable and abominable practice to rear up its head unblushingly in this country." 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.
The jury returned in a short time having found Wilde guilty on all the counts of the indictment, including the charge with reference to persons unknown. After a short interval the judge called Wilde and Taylor to the bar and they were sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
While the jury was out, at the request of the representative of the Associated Press, Wilde's counsel procured the following statement from Wilde who was waiting in the prisoners' room below the dock: "The charges alleged against me are entirely untrue. Youth in every form has fascinated me, because youth has naturally that temperament to which the artist has to try to attain. All works of art are works produced in a moment of youth, and I have a sense of all the serial grades. I love society, the rich and well-born, on account of their luxury, culture and the graces of their lives, and the external accidents of comely life. But anyone, plough boy, fisherman, or street arab, has an interest for me. Mere humanity is so wonderful. I do not ask of the young what they do, I do not care who they are, their ignorance has its mode of wisdom, their lack of culture leaves them open to fresh and vivid impressions. (Signed) Oscar Wilde." The document of the above statement is written in Wilde's own writing.
The charges against me are entirely untrue. Youth in every form always fascinated me because youth has naturally that temperament to which the artists try to attain. All works of art are produced in the moment of youth. I have no sense at all of social grades. I love society and the rich and well born on account of their luxury, culture, the grace of their lives and the external accidents of comely life. But anyone, a plowboy, fisherman or street arab, has an interest for me. Mere humanity is so wonderful. I do not ask of the young what they do. I don't care who they are. Their ignorance has its mode of wisdom. Their lack of culture leaves them open to fresh and vivid impressions. OSCAR WILDE.