Compare Paragraphs
This page compares two reports at the paragraph level. The column on the left shows the first report in its entirety, and the column in the middle identifies paragraphs from the second report with significant matching content. The column on the right highlights any differences between the two matching paragraphs: pink shows differences in the first report and purple in the second report. The Match percentage underneath each comparison row in this column shows the percentage of similarity between the two paragraphs.
Original paragraph in
Times Union - Wednesday, May 1, 1895
Times Union - Wednesday, May 1, 1895
Most similar paragraph from
The Sun - Thursday, May 2, 1895
The Sun - Thursday, May 2, 1895
Difference
LONDON, May 1. - The jury in the Wilde case disagreed. After deliberating three and a half hours, the jury returned to the court-room
and announced that they had failed to agree upon a verdict.
They were thereupon discharged, and the prisoners were recommitted for a new trial. Application was made for the admission of Wilde and
Taylor to bail, but the judge refused to accept bail for either.
LONDON, May 1. - The Old Bailey courtroom was crowded at the continuation of the Wilde trial this morning. There was a good deal of
speculation as to what course the judge would pursue in his charge of the jury, and the consensus of opinion seems to be that the result of the trial
depended more upon the charge of the court than upon the views taken by the jurors. Wilde looked careworn and anxious, but Taylor maintained the air of
unconcern which has characterized him throughout.
LONDON, May 1. - The Old Bailey court room was crowded at the opening of the Wilde trial this morning. There was a good deal of
speculation as to what course the Judge would pursue in his charge to the jury. Wilde looked careworn and anxious, but Taylor maintained the air of
unconcerned which has characterized him throughout.
Justice Charles in the beginning of his charge said that the evidence had not sustained the charge of conspiracy, and he, therefore,
directed the jury to acquit the prisoners of those charges. The judge then proceeded to analyze the evidence, solely referring to Wilde, and begged the
jury to dismiss from their minds all press comments and other outside expressions of opinion upon the case. It was a wholesome rule, he said, to refuse to
accept the uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice. He was of the opinion, however, that there was corroboration in the testimony of all the witnesses
in the sense that the law required. It did not, it was true, amount to seeing the actual act, but it showed the relations and general conduct of the
parties.
Justice Charles, in his charge, said the evidence had not sustained the charge of conspiracy, and he therefore directed the jury to
acquit the prisoners of that charge. The Judge then proceeded to analyze the evidence, solely referring to Wilde, and begged the jury to dismiss from
their minds all press comments and other outside expressions of opinion upon the case. It was a wholesome rule, he said, to refuse to accept the
uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice. He was of the opinion, however, that there was corroboration in the testimony of all the witnesses in the sense
that the law required. It did not, it was true, amount to seeing the actual act, but it showed the relations and general conduct of the parties. The young
men who had been called to the witness stand were not only accomplices, but Parker, Wood, and Atkins were properly described as Blackmailers. Furthermore,
Atkins had told deliberate falsehoods within the hearing of the jury. And weighing the details of the evidence of these witnesses the jury could not
overlook the fact that they were persons of the character which they themselves had asserted.
The young men who had been called to the witness stand were not only accomplices, but Parker Wood and Atkins were properly described as
blackmailers. Furthermore, Atkins had told deliberate falsehoods within the hearing of the jury. In weighing the details of the evidence of these
witnesses the jury could not overlook the fact that they were persons of the character they themselves asserted.
The judge then proceeded to trace the history of the Queensberry trial. In regard to Wilde’s literature, he did not think that in a
criminal case the jury ought to base an unfavorable inference upon Wilde’s authorship of "Dorian Gray." As regard to the story of the priest and acolyte
in the Chameleon magazine, he thought it would be absurd to impute blame to Wilde. The sonnets of Lord Douglas, which Wilde had approved, were much more
material, as were also Wilde’s letters which Mr. Carson in the Queensberry trial had described as horribly indecent. But wild denied that there was
anything in them to be ashamed of. The jury, he said, must exercise their own judgment in regard to the letters.
The Judge then proceeded to trace the history of the Queensberry trial. In regard to Wilde’s literature, he did not think that in a
criminal case the jury ought to base an unfavorable inference upon Wilde’s authorship of "Dorian Grey." In regard to the story of "The Priest and Acolyte"
in the Chameleon (magazine), he thought it would be absurd to impute blame to Wilde. The sonnets of Lord Alfred Douglas, which Wilde had approved, were
much more material, as were also Wilde’s letters, which Mr. Carson, in the Queensberry trial, had described as horribly indecent. These letters were
couched in the language of passionate love, but Wilde denied that there was anything in them to be ashamed of. The jury, he said, must exercise their own
judgment in regard to the letters.
He then proceeded to deal at length with the case of Shelley, who, he said, was not tainted with blackmail. In regard to the evidence of
the hotel servants and other persons in similar positions, the judge said that what they saw was only seen when they answered bell-calls from Wilde.
The judge, in concluding his charge, said the case was one of great importance to the community. If the jury believed that the charges
against the prisoners were true, they should say so fearlessly.
The Judge, in concluding his charge, said the case was one of great importance to the community. If the jury believed that the charges
against the prisoners were true they should say so fearlessly.
The jury retired at 1:30 o'clock P.M.