The Morning Post - Monday, April 29, 1895

THE WILDE CASE.

The hearing of the charges against Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor, who were severally indicted for certain misdemeanours under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885, was continued before Mr. Justice Charles, at the Central Criminal Court, on Saturday. Mr. C. F. Gill and Mr. Horace Avory, instructed by Mr. Angus Lewis and Mr. Frayling of the Treasury, appeared for the Public Prosecutor: Sir E. Clarke, Q.C., Mr. Charles Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys defended Wilde; Mr. J.P. Grain and Mr. Paul Taylor defended Taylor; and Mr. Leonard Kershaw watched the case on behalf of certain parties interested. The evidence for the prosecution occupied the whole of the day, the cross- examination of Edward Wood by Sir E. Clarke being continued, and the evidence of several witnesses, against some of whom complicity with the accused was suggested by the prosecution, being taken. Shortly before the rising of the Court Sir E. Clarke asked permission of the learned Judge to recall a witness named Atkins, who, in the course of cross-examination, had denied that he with a friend of his had been arrested in 1891 at the instance of a gentleman whom they casually met. In further cross-examination, and on being confronted with one of the police constables who had effected his arrest, he admitted the truth of the allegation. He said that he and his friend were arrested for "hitting a gentleman," whom they had taken to their rooms in Tachbrook-street, Pimlico, in order to play cards. He believed that the landlady of the house called the police, though he did not know that she gave him and his friend into custody. They were taken to Rochester-row Police Station and charged, but the gentleman declined to prosecute and they were then liberated.—Sir E. Clarke: About two hours ago I asked you those very questions and you swore that you had never been in custody at all, that you had never been taken to Rochester-row Station, and had never been subjected to a charge of this kind. Why did you tell those lies?—The Witness: I did not remember it. The witness then left the box, and after several other witnesses had been examined the hearing was adjourned to this morning, when the case for the prosecution will be continued.