London Star - Tuesday, April 23, 1895

SPECIAL EDITION.
WILDE CASE.
A STARTLING RUMOR DENIED
Mr. Wilde's Solicitors Say he will Plead
Not Guilty, and Will Fight
the Case to
the End.

The Exchange Telegraph Company has good grounds for the belief that the case of Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor will be reached to-morrow at the Old Bailey, when in all probability the case will come to a sudden termination. Taylor will plead guilty to one offence set forth in the indictment, and Wilde is likely to follow a similar course. Although it is true that under the eleventh clause of the Criminal Law Amendment Act the maximum penalty for the offence charged is two years' imprisonment, it must not be forgotten that the judge has the power to make the sentences cumulative, a fact which has no doubt weighed with the prisoners' legal advisors.

The Press Association is informed by Messrs. Humphreys, solicitors to Mr. Oscar Wilde, that he will not plead guilty. Their intention is to fight the case to the end, and they express themselves as confident of winning.

LORD ALFRED DOUGLAS

Congratulates Mr. Labouchere on being the Creator of the "Modern System of Blackmail."

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE STAR."

SIR,--I had not intended to trouble you again, but as you have lent the weight of your columns to a quite unwarrantable anonymous attack on me, I claim the right to say a few words more. I should like to point out to "Common-sense" that there are two kinds of criminal offences, felonies and misdemeanor, and if "Common-sense" cannot see the difference, and cannot see that the latter is compared to the former comparatively trifling, I can only say that he has been unfortunate in his choice of a pseudonym. I should like further to point out that the offence with which Mr. Wilde is charged was only made an offence some eight or nine years ago, by a clause in the Criminal Law Amendment Act, inserted by Mr. Henry Labouchere, M.P., who may thus justly claim to be the inventor and supporter of the

MODERN SYSTEM OF BlACKMAIL

as positioned in London by a very large professional gang, a distinction of which, I hope, he is proud. As regards our friend "Bill Sikes," nobody could be more sorry for him or more sympathetic to him than I am. I have been down to Holloway every visiting day since Mr. Wilde's arrest to enjoy this 15 minutes' interview through an iron grating which English justice allows to prisoners awaiting their trial, and I have seen enough misery and pitiful suffering among the poorer classes to melt a harder heart than mine. Bill Sikes and his friends and visitors all have my sympathy, but that is no reason why it should be denied to Mr. Oscar Wilde, whose sufferings surely must be far more acute than those of Bill Sikes and Co. What is, comparatively speaking, "play" to them is death literally to him. In conclusion, I should like to take this

OPPORTUNITY OF THANKING

from the bottom of my heart the enormous number of people who have written to me since my letter in your columns appeared. I have been quite unable to reply to them personally; the task would require several secretaries. They are all personally unknown to me, but the knowledge that I have the sympathy of so many men and women is like "the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land."--Yours, &c.

ALFRED DOUGLAS.
18, Cadogan-place, 23 April.

Wilde's Effects to be Sold.

By order of the sheriff, Messrs. Bullock, of High Holburn, will sell the effects of Oscar Wilde, at 15, Tite-st., to-morrow at one o'clock. The sale includes many valuable prints, Carlyle's writing table is expected to excite keen competition, while Oscar Wilde's collection of Moorish pottery and old blue and white china are renowned.