The Evening Journal - Monday, April 15, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
When Oscar was this Side.
The shocking result of the Marquis of Queensberry libel suit in London has been more than a nine days' wonder, and has been the talk of the town. It is fifteen years ago since Oscar Wilde made his first appearance in New York posing as the prophet of a new aestheticism which was going to revolutionize the intellectual world. Being a well-shaped, good-looking fellow, who spoke as one authorized and inspired on the new cult, it was not long till among the brainless idiots, male and female, that form the fringe of society, he found a considerable following. He appeared on the lecture platform here in knee breeches, sporting an immense sunflower on the lapel of his coat, and announced that hereafter the sunflower should be regarded as the symbol of the cult of which he was the royal representative.
The fever spread, and there might be seem on all of our promenades and in our parks, brainless girls and stupid fops sporting sunflowers as big as a cabbage, and putting on those lackadaisical airs which filled plain-going people with wonder and contempt.
Mrs. Frank Leslie's Experience.
It was at this time that Mrs. Frank Leslie met him, and the acquaintance ripened into friendship which led to the acquaintance with the Wilde family in London. While there she formed the acquaintance of Oscar's brother, William, whom she afterwards married, and from whom she was speedily divorced. Mrs. Leslie, who probably knew Oscar Wilde better than any woman in America, would refuse to believe in Wilde's guilt if it were not for his own admissions. The majority of decent people had a very poor opinion of Mr. Wilde while he was here, and that opinion is now confirmed.
BROADBRIM.