The Star - Thursday, April 4, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
MR. OSCAR WILDE AND LORD QUEENSBERRY.
TRIAL AT THE OLD BAILEY
All the appearances of a sensational trial were presented at the Old Bailey, yesterday, when the Marquis of Queensberry entered the dock to answer the charge of criminally libelling Mr. Oscar Wilde. Although influential people and ordinary public clamoured at the doors for admission soon after eight o'clock in the morning, it was only the privileged few who gained entry with- in the judicial precincts. Necessarily, from the peculiar nature of the case, the proceedings were expected to be of a character such as to preclude the admission to the court of any but the sterner sex. The Marquis was the first to appear, and was soon followed by Mr. Oscar Wilde, who took a seat at the solicitor's table. By the time Mr. Justice Collins took his seat on the bench the court was crammed; and the counsel engaged were busy with their blue papers. Sir E. Clarke, Q.C., Mr. C. Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys appeared to prosecute ; while Mr. Carson, Q.C., Mr. C. F. Gill, and Mr. A. Gill (instructed by Mr. Charles Russell) represented the Marquis of Queensberry; Mr. Besley, Q.C., with Mr. Monckton, watching the proceedings on behalf of Lord Douglas of Hawick, the eldest son of the Marquis. The Clerk read out the indictment to the effect that the Marquis "did unlawfully and maliciously write and publish a false, malicious, and defamatory libel," concerning Mr. O. Wilde, in the form of a card directed to him.
All the appearances of a sensational trial was presented at the Old Bailey to-day, when the Marquis of Queensberry entered the dock to answer the charge of criminally libelling Mr. Oscar Wilde. Although influential people and the ordinary public clamoured at the doors for admission soon after eight o'clock in the morning, it was only the privileged few who gained entry within the judicial precincts. Necessarily, from the peculiar nature of the case, the proceedings were expected to be of a character such as to preclude the admission to court of any but the sterner sex. The Marquis was the first to appear, and was soon followed by Mr. Oscar Wilde, who took a seat at the solicitors' table. By the time Mr. Justice Collins took his seat on the bench the court was crammed, and the counsel engaged were busy with their blue papers. Sir E. Clarke, Q.C., Mr. C. Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys appeared to prosecute; while Mr. Carson, Q.C., Mr. C. F. Gill, and Mr. A. Gill (instructed by Mr. Charles Russell) represented the Marquis of Queensberry; Mr. Besley, Q. C., with Mr. Monckton, watching the proceedings on behalf of Lord Douglas of Hawick, the eldest son of the Marquis.
The Marquis said he pleaded not guilty, and that the libel was true, and that it was for the public benefit that it should be published.
The Marquis said he pleaded not guilty, and that the libel was true, and that it was for the public benefit that it should be published.
The Marquis said he pleaded not guilty, and that the libel was true, and that it was for the public benefit that it should be published.
Sir E. Clarke, in opening the case for the prosecution, said the card was a visiting card of the Marquis of Queensberry, and had written upon it: "To Oscar Wilde, posing as ---" (an expression which we are unable to print). Of course it was a matter of serious moment that such a word as that should in any way be connected with the name of a gentleman who had borne a high reputation in this country. It was an accusation of the gravest of all offences the accusation of posing no doubt appeared to suggest that there was no guilt of the actual offence, but that in some way or other the person of whom these words were written desired to appear to be a person guilty of that gravest of all offences. He pointed out that there was no allegation in the pleadings that Mr. Oscar Wilde had been guilty of the offence of which he (counsel) had spoken; but there was a series of accusations, and the names of many per- sons were mentioned. It was said with regard to these that Mr. Wilde had solicited them to commit with him a grave offence, and that he had been guilty, with each and all of them of improper practices. He thought it would occur to the jury as some- what strange that whereas these pleadings and the statements which were contained in them referred to a very considerable period of time, one would gather from the pleading that during all that time Mr. Wilde had been unsuccessfully soliciting these persons. If they were called upon to sustain the charges these persons would necessarily have to admit much in cross-examination, but he supposed they would not be prepared to admit that they were guilty of the grossest of all offences. Of course it was for those who had undertaken the grave responsibility of putting in the pleadings these allegations to satisfy the jury if they could, by witnesses whose evidence they would deem worthy of consideration and entitled to belief, that these charges were true. Counsel next gave a brief resume of the career of Mr. Oscar Wilde.
Mr. Oscar Wilde, after giving evidence as to his University and literary career, etc., was cross-examined by Mr. Carson. The case was adjourned until to-day.