The Australian Star - Thursday, May 23, 1895

Star's Special Cables
QUEENSBERRY AND HIS SON.
A Fight in the Street.
They Meet in Piccadilly.
A Resort to Fisticuffs—-Father and
Son Indulge In a Few Rounds-—
An Appreciative Crowd of
Spectators--Both Principals
Locked Up—-Lord Alfred
Sustains a Black Eye—-
The Marquis Has
His Hat Smashed.

London, May 22.

A sensational occurrence arising out of the Wilde scandal occurred in the streets of London last night. The ill-feeling engendered between the Marquis of Queensberry and his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, on account of the latter's persistence in his friendship with Oscar Wilde, and his disregard for his father's command to discontinue the intimacy, found vent in a scene of violence, in which father and son each received personal injury at the hands of each other.

The Marquis and Lord Alfred met in Piccadilly by accident, and immediately entered upon an angry controversy, which culminated in a resort to the fists. Immediately a crowd collected, and the two combatants were surrounded by a ring formed by excited spectators. The fight, while it lasted, was of a most violent and determined character, and was only terminated by the arrival of the police upon the scene.

Both the Marquis and Lord Alfred were locked up, and as neither would consent to prefer a charge of assault against the other they were charged with disorderly conduct and committing a breach of the peace.

At the police station it was found that Lord Alfred had received a violent blow in the eye which was considerably blackened by the force of the blow. The Marquis showed no signs of the encounter beyond the fact that his hat was much smashed.

While the fight was progressing it was evident that the sympathies of the crowd were with the Marquis, and he was cheered by the people. Both the accused were bailed out during the evening by their friends. They will appear before the bench tomorrow to answer the charges of disorderly conduct.

(The above appeared in our last edition yesterday.)