Bristol Mercury - Monday, May 27, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
OSCAR WILDE.
VERDICT AND SENTENCE.
The second trial of Oscar Wilde for alleged offences under the Criminal Law Amendment Act was resumed at the Old Bailey, London, on Saturday before Mr Justice Wills.
Sir Frank Lockwood proceeded with his reply on behalf of the prosecution. Several times he was interrupted by Sir Edward Clarke, who complained that the Solicitor-General was giving rhetorical descriptions of what had never been proved in evidence. On each occasion his Lordship ruled that Sir Frank had not transgressed.
The Judge commenced his summing up at twenty minutes past twelve. He went very minutely through the evidence, and in concluding a most impartial review of this exceedingly painful investigation appealed to the jury to discard from their minds any deductions of his which might appear to them to tell for or against the accused, and to be guided entirely by the evidence.
The jury retired at half past three to consider their verdict, and were in consultation for more than two hours. Upon their return they gave a verdict of guilty upon each of the eight counts of the indictment.
Sir Edward Clarke then applied that sentence should be postponed until the next session, so that a point be raised at the last trial, which had been referred to the Court of Crown Cases Reserved, might be settled.
His Lordship saw no reason for postponing the sentence.
Alfred Taylor, against whom a verdict of guilty was returned on Wednesday last, was then brought up and placed by the side of Wilde to receive sentence.
Addressing the prisoners, his Lordship said the case was both the most painful and the worst of its kind which had ever come before him, and he had not a shadow of a doubt that the verdict the jury had arrived at was the right one. It would be of no use for him to address them upon the wickedness of their behaviour, because people who could commit the offences which had been brought home to them must be dead of any sense of shame, and one could not hope to make any impression upon them. They had been convicted of most hideous crimes, and he should not be doing his duty unless he passed upon them the severest sentence which the law permitted, which was one of two years' hard labour. That was the sentence he passed upon each, and he felt it was totally inadequate.
The pronouncement of the sentence was followed by hisses in the gallery, which the ushers failed to suppress.
Wilde muttered a request to be allowed to address the judge, but his appeal did not reach the ears of his Lordship, and before he could repeat his request he was taken into custody by two warders and hurried away to the cells.
On Saturday evening, immediately following the passing of the sentence, Wilde and Taylor were removed to cells in Newgate Prison, adjoining the Central Criminal Court pending the preparation of the legal warrants authorizing their detention for two years. Both were suffering from nervousness and betrayed great mental anxiety. From the first they were separated, but traveled in the same prison van to Pentonville Prison, where they will serve the preliminary portion of the sentence. When handed over to the Governor of Pentonville the prisoners were taken separately to the reception ward, and each had to give details of his identity and religion and submit to a medical examination, after which they passed through the hands of the prison bathroom attendants and barber and exchanged their own clothes for prison garb, being afterward handed over to the care of the chaplain. Yesterday they attended the prison chapel with the other occupants of the gaol, and with the exception of exercise time they were confined to their cells, where they will in future be kept unless their health becomes such as to entitle them to infirmary treatment.
The Press Association says—On last Saturday evening, immediately following the passing of the sentence on Wilde and Taylor, the prisoners were removed to the cells in Newgate Prison, adjoining the Central Criminal Court, pending the preparation of the legal warrants authorising their detention for two years. Both were suffering from nervousness, and betrayed their mental anxiety. From the first they were separated, but travelled in the same prison van to Pentonville Prison, where they will serve the preliminary portion of the sentence, a period to be eventually decided by the officials of the jail. When handed over to the governor of Pentonville the prisoners were taken separately to the reception ward, and each had to give details of his identity, religion, and submit to medical examination, after which they passed through the hands of the prison bathroom attendants and barber, and exchanged their own clothes for the prison garb, being afterwards handed over to the care of the chaplain. Yesterday they attended the prison chapel with the other occupants of the jail, and, with the exception of exercise time, they were confined to their cells, where they will in future be kept, unless their health becomes such as to entitle them to infirmary treatment, in which event the prison doctor will decide the nature of the work they must perform. By the terms of their sentence they will be isolated from their friends, except upon four occasions each year, and even this privilege may be forfeited by indifferent conduct.
The Press Association says on the Saturday evening immediately following the passing of the sentence on Wilde and Taylor the prisoners were removed to the cells in Newgate Prison, adjoining the Central Criminal Court, pending preparations of legal warrants authorising their detention for two years. Both were suffering from nervousness, and betrayed their mental anxiety. From the first they were separated, but travelled in the same prison van to Pentonville Prison, where they will serve the preliminary portion of the sentence, a period to be eventually decided by the officials of the gaol. When handed over to the Governor of Pentonville Prison the prisoners were taken separately to the reception ward, and each had to give details of his identity and religion, and submit to medical examination, after which they passed through the hands of the prison bath-room attendants and exchanged their own clothes for the prison, being afterwards handed over to the care of the chaplain. On Sunday they attended the prison chapel with other occupants of the gaol, and with the exception of exercise time they were confined to their cells, where they will in future be kept unless their health becomes such as to entitle them to infirmary treatment, in which event the prison doctor will decide the nature of the work they must perform. By the terms of their sentence they will be isolated from their friends except on four occasions each year, and even this privilege may be forfeited by indifferent conduct.
London, Sunday. Immediately after the passing of sentence on Wilde and Taylor the prisoners were removed to the cells in Newgate Prison, adjoining the Central Criminal Court, pending the preparation of the legal warrants authorizing their detention for two years. Both were suffering from nervousness, and betrayed their mental anxiety. From the first they were separated, but travelled in the same prison van to Pentonville Prison, where they will serve the preliminary portion of the sentence, a period to be eventually decided by the officials of the jail. When handed over to the Governor of Pentonville the prisoners were taken separately to the reception ward and each had to give details of his identity and religion and submit to a medical examination, after which they passed through the hands of the prison bathroom attendants and barber, and exchanged their own clothes for prison garb, being afterwards handed over to the care of the chaplain.