The Evening News - Saturday, April 6, 1895

IN THE CELLS.
Oscar Wilde Spends a Night at Bow Street.
HE CANNOT EAT,
[...] the Police Coffee With Relish

... morning’s proceedings Mr. [...] place in court. He was [...] the precincts, and his [...] which preceded Sir [...] took place in a room [...]

[...] the jury had delivered [...] guilty as against Lord Queensberry [...] Wilde came out of [...] the hired brougham [...] all the week, and [...] Viaduct Hotel. This [...] appointed rendezvous, for [...] was joined there by Lord Douglas [...] Lord Alfred Douglas, and [...] by a representative of [...] the following [...] published yesterday:

[...] been impossible for me to [...] without putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness-box against his [...]

Lord Alfred Douglas was extremely anxious to go into the box, [...] would not let him do so.

Rather than put him in so painful a position I determined to retire from the case, and to bear on my own shoulders whatever ignominy and shame might result from my prosecuting Lord Queensberry.

It is hardly in Mr. Wilde’s best epistolary style, but was written hurriedly, and under the stress of much excitement.

Mr. Wilde and his party lunched at the hotel in a private room, and two of the party took a cab to the London and Westminster Bank, St. James’s-square, where they changed a cheque drawn on Mr. Wilde’s account. Some time after their return the brougham, which had been in waiting, was signalled to the door, and Mr. Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas got in. They drove to Ely-place, where Lord Alfred got out, and going into the offices of Messrs. Lewis and Lewis, Mr. Wilde drove on through Fleet-street, the Embankment, Birdcage-wall, on to the Cadogan Hotel in Sloane-street. He was followed the whole time by the two private detectives who have watched [...] on behalf of Lord Queensberry for the last ...days, and also by a representative of THE EVENING NEWS.

Arrived at Sloane-street, Mr. Wilde dismissed the brougham, and went into the hotel where he was joined in about 20 minutes by Lord Alfred Douglas. The detectives by this time made little attempt to conceal their mission, and mr. Wilde must have known that the two men leaning against 76, Sloane-street, at the opposite corner of Pavilion-street, were watching his every movement.

Frequently friends, once Lord Alfred Douglas, left and returned to the hotel, but Mr. Wilde remained in Lord Alfred Douglas’s rooms. He was "upset," and could see no one.

The news of the Bow-street proceedings came up to Sloane-street before six o’clock, and it was just after half-past six when Inspector Riches and Sergeant Allen drove up and entere the hotel. At first they were told Mr. Wilde was not there, but on making themselves known they were taken to his room, and at once informed him that they had a warrant for his arrest.

THE ARREST OF WILDE.

The most epigrammatic reply that Mr. Wilde could think of was "Oh, really!" and when he assured the [...] that he would give them the least possible trouble he walked between them to the door and entered the four-wheeler which had been whistled up a moment before. The cigarette he held between his trembling fingers was lighted, but he did not put it to his lips, and made no attempt to render the occasion [...] by saying anything ; epigrams failed him. He was drive to Scotland-yard, and then taken down to Bow-street. He was charged and removed to the cell.

In an hour, a Mr. Rosse, who had been sent by Oscar for his bag, brought it along, but was not allowed to have it for him. Presently, Lord Alfred Douglas, who was temporarily [...] Cadogan when the arrest [...] drove up and asked if he could not [...] told it was impossible, neither [...] Mr. Wilde, and he left very much [...] Mr. Wilde was placed in an ordinary cell.

WILDE’S PLAYS IN AMERICA.

A [...] telegram from New York says: The [...] of the Lyceum Theatre, where Oscar Wilde’s play "An Ideal Husband" in [...] decided to remove the [...] from the bills and programmes. Miss [...] Coghlan, who has been playing "A Woman of No Importance"—in the Western States, has resolved to omit the play from her repertoire.

MR. CARSON’S MODESTY.

The representative in the Lobby of the House of Commons writes: Make no mistake about it, the House of Commons is composed for the most part of persons of a very ordinary character. [...] words, members of the House of Commons showed their interest in the appalling case, which ended yesterday at the Old Bailey, for all the [...] like any other mortals. When Mr. Carson arrived on the scene of action he was soon the centre of a group of questioners who were desirous [...] the absolutely latest development. Mr. Carson, far from joining in the general chorus of approval which has greeted [...] display of cross-examination, says that he never had a [...] and with the generous instinct [...] rising rapidly to the top of [...] that Sir Edward Clarke’s [...] opening part of the [...] under the circumstances, and [...] the tremendous difficulties under which he laboured, a real masterpiece. [...] heard anything to equal it in all [...] was the way in which he worded his tribute to his learned friend.

OPPONENTS CONGRATULATE HIM.

"Carson is the coming Russell of his day so far as cross-examination is concerned," remarked one member. It was curious, and at the same time rather pleasant, to observe bitter political opponents patting Mr. Carson on the shoulders, and saying, "Well done!" You might have seen Mr. Tim Healy and Mr. Swift MacNeill acting so yesterday, and you would have admitted that it did them honour. Mr. Carson was never an infant prodigy ; nor did his star shine very brightly at College. On the contrary, he was little known there. Mr. Ross, another Irish Q.C., who entered the House at the same time, was a far more distinguished member of Trinity College, Dublin. He was easily before Mr. Carson in every scholastic competition, took the gold medal for oratory, and came out as the finest Classic of his year. Mr. Carson seems to have taken things very easily. Even now, indeed, he never appears to be in the least hurry about anything.

THE NIGHT AT BOW-STREET

The Poet of the Beautiful in the Cell.

A night in a prison cell is a fearful experience. To a sensitive man it is a life-long endurance of terror. The bed is a board polished by the bodies of the infamous. The walls are bare and close to one another, and they seem all night long to be slowly falling upon the prisoner with a weight that is crushing his soul. ‘Tis a lamentable triumph of matter over mind.

Oscar Wilde endured all this last night. He lay on the board bed—yes, for a moment. There was little sleep after much wooing. The greater part of the night he walked and walked, within the cribbed, cabined, and confined space of the cell at Bow-street.

Asked what he would order to eat, when he stepped into the cell with an air of indifference last night, he replied, briefly, "A little chicken."

Then the heavy door swung to, and the man was alone. The eye of a minion of the law was ever upon him through the small barred latchethole in the door. The chicken was brought, and water. No intoxicants are admitted in a prison cell.

The plate was removed a little later, with the chicken on it, broken and played with.

Then came the night’s walk to and fro in a narrow space 12 to 20 ft. long. Hands clasped behind alternated with hands clasped in front of him and eyes lifted to the narrow roof above—a sight that made the lids close over the eyes and a shudder run through his frame.

Oh! for a cigarette! A cigarette would have saved him, and he asked that he might be permitted to smoke. But no cigarette was permitted. His hands involuntarily, unconsciously went to his pockets for his cigarette case. Then twitched with disgust. By daylight this morning Oscar’s face was pale, and there was a tremor in his fingers unconcealable from the peering warder.

"What would he have for breakfast?" Oscar shrugged his shoulders and replied without words. The can of coffee and a little bread and butter were brought him. He nibbled at the bread and butter, and drank the coffee with the eagerness of a parched man.

Such was Oscar Wilde’s experience last night. No sleep, little food, and nothing beautiful near him.

IN THE DOCK.

THE MAN WILDE CHARGED AT BOW-STREET.

Never has there been a worse crush at Bow-street than this morning. Those with business in the Court had to thread their way through a dense pack of people who were engaged in staring at nothing in particular, and asking each other what time the case would come on. The downstairs court rapidly filled, and no sooner had everyone shaken into place then the word went round that the hearing would be in the small court upstairs. There was a general stampede, a flying helter-skelter in which hate were sacrificed and costs left behind, and upstairs, four steps at a time, went a bounding crowd in a way that would not have disgraced a company of kangaroos. The court upstairs is smaller than the court below, and filled in a moment. The time was 10.25, and the arrangement was for the charge against Oscar to be heard before Sir John Bridge took his seat in the court below.

NONE OF WILDE’S FRIENDS, who were so indefatigable in their attendance yesterday, put in an appearance at Bow-street this morning, or, if they did, they failed to gain an entrance into the court-room. These few of the general public who were able to obtain admittance seemed attracted merely by curiosity, and no one could be identified as in any way, even remotely, concerned in the case. Some surprise was occasioned by the presence of a lady in the seats reserved for witnesses, and many were the rumours which went round as to her identity. While the crowd patiently waited, Sir Augustus Harris came in, and standing unnoticed for a moment at the back, was soon espied by the usher, who found him a place in front of the bench. At 11 o’clock Mr. Humphreys, Wilde’s solicitor, came in with Mr. Rosse. Immediately Sir John Bridge took his seat, Wilde was put in the dock, and the goaler said, "Oscar Wilde."

THE CHARGE.

Mr. C. F. Gill prosecuted. He prosecuted, he said, on a series of charges, of inciting lads to commit offences, and of committing offences against the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and having regard to the nature of the charges he would not go into the matter with any detail. The case he proposed to go into first related to the conduct of the prisoner with regard to one, Charles Parker. In the beginning of 1893, Wilde was staying at the Savoy Hotel from March 2 till March 29. At the same time there was living at Little College-street, Westminster, a man named Alfred Taylor, a man closely connected with Wilde. The prisoner was in the habit of visiting Taylor at Little College-street, as to the conditions of things at which house evidence would be given. Parker and his brother were approached by Taylor in the St. James’s Restaurant, and asked to visit him at Little College-street. He spoke to them there with reference to immoral practices and mentioned to them Wilde’s name.

Shortly afterwards they were taken by Taylor to Kettner’s, where they were entertained at a sumptuous dinner given by Wilde, at the close of which Wilde said to Taylor, "Charlie is the boy for me." He then took Charles Parker to the Savoy Hotel, plied him with drink, and committed the offences charged, giving the young man money. The same thing occurred a week later.

Wilde, who at first stood in the dock, had now sat down, and had his eyes fastened on Mr. Gill with A STRAINED EAGER LOOK.

Occasionally he sighed and changed the position of his arms, which were resting one on each rail of the dock, back and front.

Mr. Gill went on to detail charges of a similar character at Wilde’s rooms in St. James’s-place, and told how he took Parker about to dinner, to music-halls, in cabs, and elsewhere, and visited him also at the rooms in which he was living. In connection with the last-named visit, Mr. Gill said, a woman noticed Wilde, and would be prepared to give evidence as to what occurred. During the whole of the time the intimacy lasted between then prisoner and Charles Parker, the former was giving the latter money.

Wilde’s face went a dull earthy hue as Mr. Gill went on the describe Taylor’s rooms, and to say that the whole story of Parker would be proved indisputably in the box, and might even be corroborated BY THE PRISONER HIMSELF, who was eligible to give evidence, and whose story in another place was a corroboration of the evidence that would be laid before the magistrate to-day. The lad Parker was now leading a proper, honest, respectable life, and his evidence would be corroborated up to the hilt in every detail.

Having most exhaustively gone into this one case, Mr. Gill said there were a number of other cases which he did not propose at once to go into, but two incidents he mentioned, he would prove occurred at the Savoy Hotel, incidents of a scandalous character, and others took place at other hotels, and even AT THE PRISONER’S OWN HOUSE in Tite-street. The case, concluded Mr. Gill, was a case of an unpleasant nature, but one of enormous public importance ; young men must know that there was but one ending to such a life, viz., being brought to justice.

Charles Parker stepped into the box, a well-set-up young fellow, with a smooth face and little down on his upper lip, dressed neatly, almost fashionably, in a light grey overcoat with velvet cuffs. He is 19 years of age, was a valet in a gentleman’s employ, and in the beginning of 1893 was out of employment. So was his brother William Parker, who had been a butler. In company with his brother, in March, 1893, he went into the St. James’s Restaurant, and while there they were spoken to by a man whom he afterwards knew as Alfred Taylor. Taylor was a perfect stranger to both of them. He asked them to have a drink.

TAYLOR CHARGED.

The Wilde cases are full of dramatic incidents, and a sudden break off in the case now ended in the announcement by Mr. Gill that the man Taylor had just been arrested, and would be put in the dock beside Wilde.

There was an interval of nearly 10 minutes, during which Wilde somewhat recovered his sangfroid. He moved a little along the dock, to make room for Taylor, no doubt, and leaned forward caressing his lips with his gloved hands. He is a young man with a forehead looking bald owing to the black hair being brushed right back from the roots, he has a thin, sharp face, with bright eyes, and a way of looking out of their corners. He smiled at Wilde and bowed as he entered the dock with a jaunty step, and Wilde acknowledged the salutation.

Charles Parker went on with his evidence. Taylor said he would like to introduce him to Mr. Wilde, whom he described as a very good man. The witness understood by that a good man for money. Taylor said Wilde liked young men.

Shortly after this meeting witness visited Taylor in his rooms. His brother went with him.

Ever since Taylor had been in the dock he had been LAUGHING AND SMILING in a half-brazen, half-nervous manner ; he now listened intently as Parker went on to describe his rooms. The drawing-room was luxuriously furnished.

Taylor told them he had arranged the introduction to Mr. Wilde, and it was to take place at either Kettner’s or the Solferino, at dinner.

What is Kettner’s? asked Sir John Bridge, in fine imitation of a well-known precedent.

They are both restaurants, said Mr. Gill.

Witness them described the dinner, Wilde’s remark afterwards, and his accompanying Wilde to the Savoy Hotel. During the recital Oscar was shifting uneasily in the dock ; he had taken his gloves off and was fingering them nervously, and every now and then tucked his dirty shirtcuffs under the velvet sleeve-trimming of his overcoat.

The offences alleged were described by the witness in detail, as well as his second visit to Wilde a week later. He saw Wilde again from time to time, and Wilde gave him a silver cigarette case and a chain gold ring. He visited Wilde at St. James’s-place, went with him to places of public amusement, the Crystal Palace, music-balls, restaurants, and accompanied him about all over London ; acts of the kind he had described were constantly taking place. The last time he saw Wilde was in Trafalgar square, eight or nine months ago. Wilde was driving, and stopped, paid a compliment to his appearance, and went on. Witness frequently saw Taylor all this time, and was with him when arrested in the Fitzroy-square raid. After that he gave up the companionship.

Mr. Travers Humphreys did not cross-examine for Mr. Wilde, but reserved his right to do so.

Taylor was asked if he cross-examined, and in a week, effeminate voice he said he would reserve his.

QUEENSBERRY’S THREAT.

Saturday, April 6, Carter’s Hotel, 14 and 15, Albemarle-street, W.

The Marquis of Queensberry wishes to correct the published statement as to his message to Oscar Wilde, which was reported as follows : "If the country allows you to leave, all the better for the country, but if you take my son with you I will follow you wherever you go and shoot you." This statement, his lordship says, is not correct. The message was sent some days ago, and not after the trial ended. Lord Queensberry did not say he would shoot Mr. Wilde. What he said was, that if he persuaded his misguided son to go with him he would feel quite justified in following him (Wilde) and shooting him, did he feel inclined to do so, and were he worth the trouble.