The Pall Mall Gazette - Monday, May 20, 1895

THE TRIAL OF WILDE AND TAYLOR
ACCUSED TRIED SEPARATELY.

The second trial of Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor was set down for this morning at the Old Bailey before Mr. Justice Wills. The Solicitor-General (Sir Frank Lockwood), Mr. Sutton, Mr. C. F. Gill, and Mr. Horace Avory prosecuted for the Treasury, the Public Prosecutor (the Hon. H. C. Cuffe) being personally in attendance. The defence of Wilde was again in the hands of Sir Edward Clarke, Mr. C. Mathews, and Mr. T. Humphreys; while Taylor was represented by Mr. J. P. Grain and Mr. Sydney Knox. Wilde came into court with his sureties, the Rev. Stewart Headlam and Lord Douglas of Hawick, and surrendered simultaneously with the entrance of Taylor up the dock stairs. Sir Edward Clarke opened the proceedings with an application that the prisoners might be tried separately. He urged that there was a division of interests in respect of the two prisoners, and he claimed the separate trial as a right. Mr. Grain, on behalf of Taylor, concurred, and joined in the application. The Solicitor-General replied that certain of the counts necessitated a joint indictment. The histories of the two cases were so bound up together that it would be impossible to inquire into one case without inquiring into the other. Separate trials would be the least fair course to the prisoners themselves. Sir E. Clarke said he must be allowed to be the best judge of what would be fairest to the prisoners, and he claimed separate trials. His lordship said he should decide that the cases should be taken separately. The Solicitor-General said he should

PROCEED FIRST WITH THE TRIAL OF TAYLOR.

Sir E. Clarke said that would be prejudicial to Wilde, and he asked that the case of Wilde should be taken first. His lordship said he could not interfere with the discretion of the Solicitor-General and those with him. Sir E. Clarke said that that being so he must apply that the case of Wilde should stand over until the next sessions. While theoretically juries could not be affected by anything outside of the absolute trial upon which they were engaged, it might be very unfair to Wilde to be tried directly after Taylor. His lordship said this application had better stand over until the result of the trial of Taylor was seen. If Taylor were acquitted it might be that Sir Edward would be glad to have the case against Wilde proceeded with. Sir Edward concurred, and asked that Wilde might be admitted to the same bail as before until his trial came on, or until to-morrow, at all events. His lordship assented. The Solicitor-General then opened the case against Taylor. The only new biographical detail about the prisoner which was brought out was that he once held a commission in a militia regiment.