Sydney Evening News - Saturday, December 28, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
JACK ASHORE.
The Affairs of Oscar Wilde.
Before Mr. Registrar Linklater, on November 12, there was a sitting for public examination in the case of Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, described as a writer and dramatist. The receiving order was made upon the petition of the Marquis of Queensberry, who claims £677 in respect of costs in connection with legal proceedings instituted by the debtor. The statement of affairs shows liabilities £3591, of which £2514 is for money lent and £233 for tobacco, wine, jewellery, flowers, &. while the value of the assets, which consist of royalties on published literary works and plays and a life policy, is not given. It appears that the debtor's income has averaged about £2000 per year, which, he states, has been derived chiefly, if not entirely, from royalties on plays and literary works written by him. These include the plays,"Lady Windermere's Fan," "An Ideal Husband," "A Woman of No Importance," "The Importance of Being Earnest," a novel entitled "Dorian Gray," and a book of poems called "The Sphinx."
This was a sitting for public examination in the case of Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, described as a writer and dramatist, formerly of an address in Tite-street, Chelsea, and now of her Majesty’s prison, Wandsworth. The receiving order was made on July 25 last, upon the petition of the Marquis of Queensberry, who claims £677 in respect of costs in connexion with legal proceedings instituted by the debtor. The statement of affairs shows liabilities £3,591, of which £2,514 is money for lent and £233 for tobacco, wine, jewelry, flowers, &., while the value of the assets, which consist of royalties on published literary works and plays and a life policy, is not given. It appears that the debtor’s income has averaged about £2,000 per year, which, he states, has been derived chiefly, if not entirely, from royalties on plays and literary works written by him. These include the plays, Lady Windermere’s Fan, An Ideal Husband, A Woman of No Importance, The Importance of Being Earnest, a novel entitled "Dorian Gray,' and a book of poems called "The Sphinx." The debtor ascried his insolvency to the failure of legal proceedings taken by him against the Marquis of Queensberry, and to his arrest and conviction int he recent prosecution of "Regina v. Wilde."
The debtor was brought up from Wandsworth Prison in the custody of two warders. He stated, in reply to the Official Receiver, that he was 40 years of age. He kept no books of account. He estimated that his expenditure during the two or three years preceding the date of the receiving order had been about £2900 per year. In July, 1893, his liabilities exceeded his assets by about £1450. It was about the time of his conviction that he first became aware that he did not possess sufficient property to enable him to pay all his debts in full. On his marriage in May, 1884, a settlement was executed, comprising property belonging to his wife, and the income derived therefrom had amounted to about £800 per year. He had a life interest in the property comprised in the deed subject to his surviving his wife, who was 35 years of age. The trustees of the settlement had made him an advance of £1000 at 5 per cent interest. He had also an interest in a small property under his father's will. It was situate in Ireland, and produced between £100 and £150 a year.
In the absence of opposition by any creditor, the examination was concluded.