The Daily Colonist - Thursday, May 2, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
CABLE NEWS.
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The Wilde Case.
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In the Old Bailey to-day Justice Charles summed up the case against Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor. He said that counsel had acted wisely in withdrawing the charge of conspiracy brought against Wilde, as he would have ordered the jury to bring in a verdict of not guilty on that specification. There was corroboration of witnesses, but the jury would have to weigh the characters of men like Parker, Wood and Atkins, whom Sir Edward Clarke, in the justice's opinion, properly described as blackmailers.
Justice Charles, in summing up the case against Wilde and Taylor, said the counsel for the prosecution acted wisely in withdrawing the charge of conspiracy brought against Wilde, as he would have ordered the jury to bring in a verdict of not guilty on that specification. He admitted that there was corroboration of the witnesses, but the jury, he added, would have to weigh the characters of men like Parker, Wood and Atkins whom Sir Edward Clarke, in the Justice’s opinion, had properly described as blackmailers.
In the Old Bailey Court, May 1st, Justice Charles summed us, In doing so, he said the counsel for the prosecution acted wisely in withdrawing the charge of conspiracy against Wilde, as he would have ordered the jury to bring in a verdict of 'not guilty' on that specification. He admitted that there was combination of the witnesses, but the jury, he added, would have to weigh the character of men like Parker, Wood, and Atkins, whom Sir Edward Clarke, in the Justice's opinion, had properly described as blackmailers.
Justice Chester, in summing up the case, said that counsel for the prosecution acted wisely in withdrawing the charge of conspiracy against Wilde, as he would have ordered the jury to bring in a verdict of "not guilty" on that specification. He admitted that there was corroboration of the witnesses, but the jury, he added, would have to weigh the characters of men like Parker, Wood and Atkins, whom Sir Edward Clarke, in the Justice’s opinion, properly described as blackmailers.
Immediately upon the opening of the court Justice Charles charged the jury. The justice, in so doing, said that counsel for the prosecution acted wisely in withdrawing the charge of conspiracy brought against Wilde, as he Justice Charles, would have ordered the jury to bring in a verdict of "not guilty" on that specification. He said that there was corroboration of the witnesses, but, the jury he added, would have to weigh the characters of men like Parker, Wood and Atkins, whom Sir Edward Clarke, in the justice’s opinion, properly described as blackmailers.