The Evening News - Friday, April 26, 1895

WILDE.
[...] Struggle [...] Old Bailey.
IN COURT.
... Appeal [...]

[...] at 10.30 [...] in the Old Bailey...an enormous...

counsel for the [...] his place. Mr. [...].Taylor, Wilde's [...] next to arrive. [...] arrivals was kept [...] and Mr. A [...] the prosecution; [...] Mr. Charles Matthew [...] who defend wilde; Mr Grain on behalf [...] who is [...] Mavor.

... engaged in a [...] junior [...] staircase from the [...] black [...] next called and [...] prisoners, Wilde and [...] and his attend[...] were all [...]

[...] strangers' gallery over [...] the judge’s seat were crowded with gentlemen who were mostly wearing their [...] and silently watching the scene below, and listening to a clamour of conversation which suddenly [...] to a painful silence, when [...] called, "[...] in Court," and the judge [...] slowly to his seat, and the only sound was the [...] of robes as the occupants of the [...] receive the customary bow of his lordship.

Mr Justice Charles is one of the mildest-looking of [...] justices, but he is an eminently clear-minded man from whom, if from any judge in the land, may be expected fair hearing and no favour. Mr. Charles Mathews spent the last half hour before the judge’s arrival in consultation with Wilde in the cell below the court. There was a sense of gravity, a sign of pity on every face in the assembly.

HOW WILDE LOOKED.

Wilde looked worse this morning than ever previously, during this terrible period of his history. His hair was unkempt and his face pale. He carried in his hand a small blue volume, possibly a volume of his poems, which he placed on the ledge of the dock before him. He straightened himself up and sighed as he looked over at the Bench.

Taylor followed, and looked round the court with a cynical smile playing about his mouth. He seemed less affected by his position.

SIR EDWARD SPEAKS.

Sir Edward Clarke made a statement to the judge. There were many counts in the indictment, he said. Some were charges under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885, under which the prisoners were competent witnesses. Other counts were for conspiracy in respect of which they were not competent witnesses. He appealed for his client to be charged upon one indictment or the other, separately, either on the charges under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and the charge of conspiracy withdrawn or made a new trial.

Mr. Justice Charles made a search as to the best means of getting over the legal difficulty. He contended Sir Edward Clarke, a witness in [...] case gave evidence in his own behalf, he would be subject to cross-examination, and it would be doubtless accepted by the jury as evidence touching all charges, and not merely the charges upon which the prisoners were competent to give evidence.

The Judge admitted the position was an awkward one. Before deciding the point, he would hear Mr. C. F. Gill.

Mr. Gill contended that if the prisoners chose to give evidence in their own behalf on the indictments under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, this could not be regarded as prejudicial to the charge of combining and conspiracy, as the conspiracy was not really a charge of another nature, but a charge arising out of the [...] charges under the Criminal Law Amendment Act. The prisoners were, Mr. Gill [...] witnesses on the whole of the charges under the circumstances.

[...] Sir Edward Clarke explained further [...] did ask his lordship to [...] of counts. The [...] case of misdemeanour was [...] available for felony, [...] systems of dealing with [...] for one or the other [...]

[...] little assistance to be [...] authority on the point. [...] two sets of counts [...] in the indictment. [...] case which prompted [...] of Sir Edward [...] "The Queen v. [...] person was charged [...] assault. The [...] justice in that case [...] to take advantage [...] witness-box [...] and give [...] he must take the risk [...] having a bearing on the [...] Following [...] he felt the [...] state of things, he [...] saying the counts [...] not legally joined [...] therefore [...]

[...] PLEAD NOT GUILTY.

[...] were then called upon to [...] Not guilty, after which they [...] in the dock.

[...] rose to make a further [...] know if the prosecution [...] the charge of conspiracy [...] the charge of misdemeanour, [...] and another prolonged [...]

[...] was impossible to place [...] position of having to make [...] two classes of counts. [...] accede to Sir Edward Clarke ....

FOR THE PROSECUTION.

[...] opened the case for the prosecution [...] to the nature of the case, he [...] read and heard much. He [...] from their mind anything [...] and listen to the evidence [...] brought before them with impartiality. Mr. [...] history of the case from March 1, [...] took out a warrant for the arrest of the Marquis of Queensberry on a [...] to the collapse of the case [...] Marquis through "certain disclosures" [...] bearing of the case, and the subsequent [...] arrest and the committal.

The addresses of the men were given as Wilde, 16, Tite-street, 10, St. James’s-street, and Albemarle Hotel; Taylor’s address, 13, Little College-street. While Mr. Gill was describing to the jury the nature of the offences with which the men were separately and jointly charged, a cold breeze came in at the open windows and swept through the court, a dull yellow light fell upon every face in the court, and a thunder cloud burst with a clatter overhead. Several of the gas jets were necessarily lit.

Briefly, the charges were against Wilde in acts of indecency and against Taylor of procuring facility for Wilde to commit indecency, and also with himself committing indecency. Taylor, two years ago, took, at a rental of £3 a month, the upper rooms over a closed baker’s shop in Little College-street. The rooms he had furnished in a remarkable manner, draped and furnished in a curious way, perfumed and lighted always by artificial light. Taylor was then a man without profession. He had no servant in these remarkable rooms, and was visited here by Wilde and several young men.

The young men mentioned in the indictment were Charles and William Parker, Alf Wood, Sidney Mavor, Fred Atkins, and Edward Shelley.

WILDE'S DEPRESSION.

Wilde exhibited much depression and weariness and rocked slightly in his chair as though faint, while Mr. Gill went into details of the introduction of the young to him by Taylor, the dinners at the St. James’s Restaurant, etc., etc. Taylor maintained his air of perky impertinence and smiled as though much amused at certain details. One of the smaller, yet important details in Mr. Gill's story was the mention of a little slip of paper found in a hat-box left behind by Taylor at 3, Chapel-street, Park - walk. In this hat-box was found the piece of paper upon which the address of Little College-street had been written down on the occasion of Parker's introduction to Wilde at the St. James’ Restaurant. This slip of paper proved the index to valuable circumstantial evidence, enabling the authorities to confirm information which had come to their knowledge. The history of Wilde's visit to Paris with Atkins, the money supplied to Wood to enable him to go out to America, the case of the letters addressed "to a certain person" by Wilde and used, as it was alleged, for the purpose of obtaining money from; the history of the Savoy Hotel incidents, the suppers at the Florence, Rupert street ; the presents of cigarette-cases, and many other incidents of the case, more or less well known, were repeated by Mr. Gill.

EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES.

Charles Parker was the first witness called, a young fellow just 21 years old. He is small and boyish still, as on the occasion of the previous hearing before the magistrate. Charles Parker replied to the questions of counsel in an undertone, through his teeth. His eyes wandered furtively at the judge, and roused the Court in an anxious manner. It was difficult to hear him. Mr. Gill examined him. He described his meeting in St. James's Restaurant with Alfred Taylor, who spoke to him and his brother. Alfred Taylor was an absolute stranger to him previous to that occasion. Taylor talked to him of men and women and boys, and asked him to meet Wilde, who, Taylor told him, was very good to boys he liked. Charles Parker had been out of employment about a fortnight when he met Taylor. Parker was called upon to describe Taylor's rooms in Little College-street. The rooms were a drawing-room and bed-room, a kitchen and a bathroom. Taylor kept no female servant. The second night after meeting Taylor, the two Parkers were taken by him to an hotel in Rupert-street, where they had supper in a private room. The brothers sat one on either side of Wilde at a square table, and Taylor sat alone at the opposite side. The wine they had was champagne. After the meal they drank liqueur, brandy, and [...], and Wilde payed the bill. Charles went in a cab to the Savoy Hotel wilde Wilde, and the brother, William Parker, remained behind with Alf Taylor. This visit to Wilde’s rooms at the Savoy Hotel was the first of several. Wilde paid him a couple of pounds on one occasion, and three pounds on another. The remainder of Charles Parker’s evidence caused some sensation. There were were visits to Taylor's house at Little College-street also described by the witness. It was on the occasion of one of the visits to Taylor’s rooms that Taylor told him all about his being married to a man, and being dressed as the bride, and how they had a wedding breakfast, &c.