Most similar paragraph from
The Standard Union - Friday, April 5, 1895
Difference
London, Friday. Sir Edward Clarke, who appeared for Wilde, to-day accepted the verdict of not guilty against the Marquis of Queensberry, and the jury found the plea of justification proved. The Marquis was at once discharged.
The Press Association, on enquiring of Lord Queensberry’s solicitors (Messrs Russell and Day), is informed that it is not his lordship’s intention to take the initiative in any criminal prosecution of Oscar Wilde, but after the finding of the jury this morning in the libel action the whole of the documents with proofs of the evidence upon which the defence had intended to rely were forwarded to the public prosecutor, the Hon Hamilton Cuffe. As it was surmised Wilde was in the precencts of the Old Bailey when the speech for the defence of Lord Queensbury was resumed. It was for the purpose of holding a conference with Wilde that his leading counsel left Court at the close of the consultation in one of the waiting rooms. Wilde hailed a hansom and drove away leaving Sir E Clarke to formally withdraw from the prosecution.
The letter written by Mr Russell and accompanying the documents is as follows:—"In order that there may be no miscarriage of justice I think it my duty at once to send you a copy of all our witnesses statements, together with copy of shorthand notes of trial."
The London Evening News states that it has received four letters from Mr Oscar Wilde written on notepaper of a Holborn hotel:—"To the Editor—It would be impossible for me to prove my case without putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness box against his father. Lord Alfred Douglas was extremely anxious to go into the witness box, but I would not let him do so. Rather than put him in so painful a position I determined to retire from the case and to bear on my own shoulders whatever ignomy and shame might result from my prosecuting Lord Queensberry."
"It would have been impossible for me to have proved my case without putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness-box against his father. He was extremely anxious to go into the witness-box, but I would not let him. Rather than put him in so painful a position, I determined to withdraw from the case, and bear upon my own shoulders whatever ignominy and shame might result from my prosecution of the Marquis of Queensberry. "(Signed), OSCAR WILDE."
Mr. Angus Lewis of the Treasury, who was accompanied by Detective-Inspector Brockwell, attended at Bow-street this afternoon and said he would like some private conversation with Sir John Bridge. The magistrate granted the request, and it is understood that Mr Lewis intimated that an application might be made during the day with reference to an important case which is at present engaging such public attention.