The St. James's Gazette - Wednesday, April 3, 1895

THE QUEENSBERRY LIBEL CASE.
TRIAL TO-DAY.

Shortly after ten o'clock this morning the Central Criminal Court was crowded to excess. The seats and gangways were packed with an army of barristers, solicitors, artists for the illustrated newspapers, and other members of the press. The limited accommodation in the public gallerics was utilized to its utmost extent. Speculation was rife as to the course of the case, and rumours were current that a startling development would arise. These rumours were, however, set at rest by the arrival of the principal parties to the case. Mr. Oscar Wilde came in at 10.20 and took his seat at the solicitors’ table. Mr. Wide looked well in health, and seemed to have been browned by other suns than those of England. As time went on Mr. Carson arrived with Mr. C.F. Gill and Mr. A. Gill, the three counsel who are defending the Marquess of Queensberry. Mr. Charles Russell, a son of the Lord Chief Justice, and member of the firm of Messrs, Day and Russell, was the instructing solicitor present. Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., M.P., Mr. Charles Mathews and Mr. Travers Humphreys were for the prosecution. Mr. Besiey, Q.C, held a watching brief on behalf of Lord Douglas of Hawick. The Marquess of Queensberry appeared in court shortly before half past ten. Like Mr. Oscar Wilde he wore an overcoat with velvet cuffs, and like him also he appeared to have been free from anxiety and to be quite cool and self collected. He stood beneath the dock until the time of the entrance of Mr. Justice Henn Collus and the Sheriffs. At this time the court was so crowded that it was almost impossible to pass through the blocks at the gangways; but the throng seemed to be purely a professional one, men of social distinction being conspicuously absent. The jury was sworn on the entrance of the judge and the case called on. The Marquis stepped into the dock, and the charge having been read over, assented to the plea of justification.

Sir Edward Clarke the rose to open the case for Mr. Oscar Wide. Speaking in the clear accents for which he is famous in the courts, and in sentences of perfect lucidity, Sir Edward detailed the circumstances of the charge. Absolute silence reigned in the court. He described the card left by the Marquess of Queensberry, and addressed to Mr. Wilde at his club; then gave a brief sketch of Mr. Wilde’s career, and afterwards Went on to tell the story of Mr. Wides association and friendship with the Marquess of Queensberry and his sons prior to 1892.

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The trial of the Marquis of Queensberry on the charge of libelling Mr Oscar Wilde was commenced today at the Central Criminal Court, before Mr. Justice Collins. The charge was maliciously publishing a defamatory libel of and concerning Oscar Fingal O’Flaherty Wilde. Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., Mr. C. Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys appeared to prosecute. Mr. Carson, Q.C., Mr. C.F. Gill, and Mr. A. Gill were for the defense, and Mr. Besley, Q.C., and Mr. Monckton watched the case on behalf of Lord Douglas of Hawick.

Mr. Justice Collins took his seat at 10.40. The Marquess of Queensberry then formally surrendered and took his place in the dock. In reply to the charge he pleaded not guilty, and also that the libel was true and for the public good.

class="heading" >SIR E. CLARKE’S SPEECH FOR THE PROSECUTION.

Sir E. Clarke, in opening the case for the prosecution, said the libel in respect of which these proceedings were taken was published in the form of a visiting card which was left by Lord Queensberry at the club to which Mr. Wilde belonged. It was a matter of serious moment that such words as the defendant had written should in any way be connected with the name of a gentleman who had borne a high reputation. It was not an accusation of the gravest of all offences, but the words seemed to suggest that in some way or other the person to whom the words were written was a person guilty of or inclined to the commission of the offence mentioned. The publication of such a statement, and the leaving of such a card with the porter of a club, was calculated to damage the reputation of the person of whom such a statement was made; such action could not be justified unless the statement was true. But the matter for consideration did not stop at the publication of the card. By the plea put before the court a much graver issue was raised, as the defendant said it was true, it was for those who put these allegations forward to satisfy the jury by creditable evidence that they were true. Mr. Wilde was a gentleman of thirty six years of age. He was the son of Sir William Wilde, a very distinguished Irish surgeon.