The Evening News - Thursday, April 11, 1895

WILDE
Again Charged at Bow-street With Taylor.
THE PARIS TRIP.
Atkins and the Intellectual Shelley Called.

It was a quarter to 11 when the hooting of the crowd outside Bow-street Station announced to those waiting in the crowded court that "B 24" had drive up in the van to be again put on his trial for criminal practices. The crowd outside had greeted him with derisive cheers. The Court was even more packed than at the previous hearing, and those with business there had to face a crush and struggle which, with a little arrangement, might easily have been avoided. The list of counsel was stronger than before, Sir Edward Clarke coming down to lead the defence for Wilde, and Mr. Arthur Newton appearing on behalf of Taylor. Mr. C. F. Gill and Mr. Angus Lewis again prosecuted.

One thing was noticeable about the crowd in court ; the faces which were to be seen day after day when Oscar Wilde was at bay at the Old Bailey, and which were missing when "the prisoner Wilde" was charged at Bow-street, now reappeared, and there was a sprinkling of half fearful, half friendly faces among the rank of the curious.

It was 11 o’clock when the two prisoners were brought in, Wilde leading the way, walking with a step which had LOST NONE OF ITS JAUNTINESS in the dull round of the prison yard. Self-possessedly, he bowed to Sir John Bridge, and then seated himself in the dock. A strange change had taken place in his face, it was paler calmer, in every way improved and refined. The straightening out of the curled locks, though it gave a rough and tousled appearance to the hair, had taken away the wig-like appearance of the head, and Wilde’s manner was something between the impudent assurance of the Old Bailey and the abject despair of the morning after the arrest, a look of half-protest, half-resignation. It is stated that he has been very ill in Holloway Gaol, and yesterday was seen by the prison doctor several times. Taylor still wore his air of perky self-satisfaction.

Sir Edward Clarke intimated that he did not propose to cross-examine any of the witnesses already called, as he could not hope to influence Sir John’s decision at that Court.

Mr. Newton, however, wished to cross-examine CHARLES PARKER, WHO WAS RECALLED.

He began by correcting his age, he was 21, not 19. When he gave his statement to Mr. Russell, the solicitor in the Queensberry case, he knew that he might be prosecuted for the course of life he had been pursuing. He left his service as valet because the gentleman could not afford to keep him, the gentleman also said he stole some clothes. He never stole a sovereign from Taylor, though he knew Taylor thought he did, he never paid it back in instalments, but couldn’t say whether his brother ever did. Shortly before his arrest in Fitzroy-square he got £30 which had been extorted from a gentleman. IT WAS HUSH MONEY.

Parker was very fidgety under cross-examination, and kept nervously kicking the front of the witness-box. He seemed glad when the final question was reached. This was an inquiry as to his meeting with Taylor. Taylor asked him if he would like to know Wilde, and he said, "Yes, he would."

Frederick Atkins was the next witness. He is a country-faced youth of 20, broad, sturdy, and determined-looking, dressed in rough tweed, with a spotted corduroy waistcoat. He knew Taylor when he lived in Little College-street. In November, 1892, he was asked to dine at the Florence Hotel, and saw there the defendant Wilde. Taylor, too, was present, and two other persons. Wilde asked him if he would like to go to Paris as his private secretary.

The idea of this raw country youth, with his uncouth accent, and bucolic manners, as Wilde’s private secretary, brought forth the first titter which had enlivened the sombre surroundings of the case.

He met Wilde at Victoria, and went to Paris, to 29, Boulevard des Capucines. Wilde had a bed-sitting room, and witness had a bed-room leading out of it. They went to lunch together at the Café Julien. After lunch they went to the hairdresser’s and had their hair cut. Wilde then "SPOKE TO THE MAN IN FRENCH, and he commenced curling my hair." They went out to dinner that night. "It was the best dinner I ever had in my life," said the youth, and another laugh followed. After dinner Wilde gave him a louis, and he went to the Moulin Rouge. When he got back to the Boulevard des Capucines Wilde was in bed. It was half-past two in the morning; he gave Wilde a brandy and sods, and had one himself and then he went to bed. There was someone else in Wilde’s room. "That was Schwabe," said the witness, in a low hesitating tone.

"Leave that for a moment," said Mr. Gill, hurriedly.

In the morning about nine Wilde came and sat on his bed, and talked to him about women, saying how "they ruined young fellows." Then the waiter came up, bringing the morning coffee, and witness got up and dressed. They came back to London that day.

While they were in Paris Wilde presented him with a cigarette case, and when they got back to Victoria he gave him £3. A day or two afterwards he got a letter from Wilde, and went and saw him at Tite-street, and afterwards Wilde came to tea with him. Harking back to the dinner at the Florence, witness "thought it was funny" Wilde puts his arms round his neck and ALSO KISSED THE WAITER.

Atkins seemed an indiscreet witness, and things slipped from him. No sooner had he recounted the waiter episode than he went on, "He had his arm round Douglas’s neck, too."

"Ah, leave that," Mr. Gill had occasion to say again.

The witness produced his cigarette case: it was quite an ordinary one, slim, gilt, with curved sides.

Cross-examined, Atkins said he was "a comedian and bookmaker’s clerk." For some years he had been living with a man named Burton, but he had not been engaged for years in criminal practices. He had never extorted money from anyone by threatening to accuse them of crime.

Sir John Bridge : Did you ever act as a secretary in Paris?—Yes. I wrote something about "A Woman of No Importance." It took me about half an hour.

Next came Edward Shelley, THE INTELLECTUAL YOUTH, who was in the employ of Elkin, Mathews, and Lane. He knew Wilde through business transactions over his poems. Wilde gave him copies of his book "The Home of Pomegranates," and asked him to dinner at the Albemarle.

Wilde, who was looking intently across at Shelley, dropped his hat, and picking it up, sat carefully smoothing the silk. Warned by the accident he ceased nursing it and laid it on the floor between himself and Taylor.

They dined, continued Shelley, in a public room, and witness took so much wine that became excited. After dinner he and Wilde went to a private sitting-room. They talked and smoked for a long time, and he eventually stayed the night there.

The stifling air of the court was beginning to tell on Wilde. He commenced to look dull and heavy, the hollows under the eyes were more marked, and he lolled about the dock, first in one position then in another, as if he could not sit comfortably. As Shelley gave his evidence, almost breaking down once or twice, Wilde shifted MORE UNEASILY THAN EVER, and closed his eyes as he listened,

(Proceeding.)

OSCAR WILDE’S WORKS.

The Chief Librarian of the British Museum has issued an order prohibiting Oscar Wilde’s novels being issued in the reading-room even for purposes of reference. The Executive Council of the Paddington Free Library have decided to withdraw from circulation the whole of Oscar Wilde’s works.

PUBLIC PROTESTS.

TO THE EDITOR,

SIR—I read in your last night’s issue that the authorities at the British Museum Reading-room, and at the Paddington Free Library have decided to withdraw from circulation all Oscar Wilde’s novels and works. It would be interesting to learn upon what grounds this action is taken. If Oscar Wilde’s books are immoral, why were they ever placed on the shelves of the libraries in question? And how is it that their immorality has just been discovered, seeing that some of the books have been in circulation for many years?—I am, &c., H.

TO THE EDITOR,

SIR—If there is the slightest foundation for the statement in your issue of yesterday afternoon that the Librarian of the British Museum has stopped the circulation of Oscar Wilde’s books, if a prominent public servant has joined the theatrical managers in spreading an universal prejudice against a still unconvicted man, what shred or shadow of justice, what flimsiest pretence of fair play is left the prisoner?—I am, &c., X. Y. Z.

A REPUDIATION.

Mr. John Lane, publisher, who is now in New York, denies the statement that he introduced Shelley to Wilde. They became acquainted, he says, when Shelley was in the employment of Mr. Matthews. Mr. Lane never introduced anyone to Mr. Wilde, and their relations were entirely of a business nature.