The Telegraph - Tuesday, May 21, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
Oscar Wilde Scandal
Trial of Wilde and Taylor
At the Criminal Court.
Evidence of Woods and Parker.
LONDON, May 20.
The second trial of Oscar Wilde, charged with offences under the 11th section of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and with conspiring with Alfred Taylor, was commenced at the Central Criminal Court to-day, before Mr. Justice Wills. When the accused was charged, it was announced that the grand jury had suggested that Wilde and Taylor should be tried separately.
The judge decided to take the case against Alfred Taylor first.
Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., counsel for Oscar Wilde, opposed the decision, but afterwards asked that the case as against Oscar Wilde should be postponed until the next sessions. The judge decided to wait the result of the case against Taylor, before deciding the question of a postponement.
Sir E. Clarke then asked for a separate trial for Wilde, but counsel for the Crown favoured a joint trial.
The case for the prosecution was then opened, and Charles Parker and Alfred Woods were examined.
A searching cross-examination by Sir E. Clarke failed to shake the evidence which they gave regarding the conduct of Oscar Wilde at Taylor's rooms, in Little College street, Westminster.