Galignani Messenger - Friday, April 12, 1895

THE SOCIETY SCANDAL
POLICE COURT PROCEEDINGS
OSCAR WILDE AGAIN IN THE
DOCK.
WEAVING THE WEB CLOSER.
THE TRIP TO PARIS.
APPLICATION FOR BAIL.

LONDON, April 11.

There was the same crush and struggle to get into the court at Bow-street this morning as on Saturday. Long before ten o'clock a large crowd gathered outside the entrance doors, and though a few went in when the doors were opened to get an early place at the locked iron wicket guarding the stairway to the little court upstairs, the great majority waited outside to greet the arrival of the accused. The prison van drew up about twenty minutes to eleven o'clock, and the great mass of people booed loudly. The two prisoners, closely guarded, were hurried within the building.

Following the offer of his services to Mr. Wilde, Sir Edward Clarke, who wore a summery grey frock coat, and a general air of Easter vacation, put in an early appearance to conduct Wilde's defence. Mr. Travers Humphreys was with him. Against them as before was Mr. C.F. Gill, instructed by Mr. Angus Lewis, of the Treasury. To-day Taylor was represented by Mr. Arthur Newton. At 11.10 Sir John Bridge took his seat upon the Bench, and the two prisoners were ordered to be put into the dock, but so dense was the crowd that the police had difficulty in clearing a passage. Before Wilde appeared he could be heard asking, "Is Sir Edward Clarke here?" "Yes," replied the Sergeant-Gaoler, and Wilde strode heavily into the dock, with a slight bow towards the bench. He looked paler and less plethoric than last week, the change in his appearance being markedly for the better. He still wore the dark grey great coat with a velvet collar and cuffs, and as soon as possible sat down in the extreme corner of the dock, his elbow on the iron rail and his head on his hand.

Sir Edward Clarke, in announcing his intention not to cross-examine, said cross-examination would probably not influence the result so far as that court was concerned--the prisoner must be committed--and it was desirable on every ground to shorten the proceedings as much as possible.

Mr. Newton pointed out that his client, who is only charged with conspiring with Wilde, stood on a rather different ground, which made it desirable to cross-examine some of the witnesses in his behalf.

The lad Charles Parker was first recalled. He was respectably dressed, in apparently new clothes. He denied that he was introduced to Taylor by a man named Harrington, and adhered to his statement that Taylor first accosted him in a restaurant. He recognised, he said, the peril of prosecution in which he himself stood, but he denied with an air very like that of honest indignation that he had been guilty of improprieties before he met Wilde. He declared that he knew nothing of its being Taylor's birthday on the occasion when he was first taken to dine with Wilde. He knew the man Atkins who was mentioned at the Old Bailey in connection with the blackmailing letters, but he knew him only as a comedian, and not as a notorious blackmailer who lived by accusations against gentlemen. He left his own employment as valet because the gentleman could not afford to keep him. He was afterwards accused of stealing the master's clothes. He was arrested in the Fitzroy-square raid last year, but he declared he only knew one other man concerned in that little adventure. That was Taylor. Then Mr. Newton touched a more serious point.

Just before that did you get £30, in conjunction with two other persons, by threatening to accuse a gentleman of a crime? I didn't. The others gave it to me.
Then it was hush money? I don't know that.
Sir John Bridge: Isn't that substantially what it was? I don't know what they gave it to me for. They only told me who it came from.

Frederick Atkins, a pale-eyed, pimply-faced lad of 20, in a green cord waistcoat with pale blue spots, a blue oxford shirt and a jacket of rough brown tweed, was the next witness. He deposed that he first knew the prisoner Taylor and the establishment at Little College-street. Taylor introduced him to Wilde in November, 1893, when all three, and another man--one of the Nameless Men of the Old Bailey proceedings--dined together at the Florence Hotel in Soho. Wilde asked witness if he would like to go to Paris with him as his private secretary. He said "Yes," and they went two days later, by the Club Train from Victoria. Arrived in Paris, they went to 29, Boulevards des Capucines. Next day they lunched at the Cafe Julien, and in the afternoon went to the Grand Hotel to have their hair out. Wilde spoke in French to the barber, who began to curl witness' hair. It will be remembered that Wilde's version of this incident is that the lad wanted to have his hair curled, and he forbade him. They dined together, "the best dinner I ever had in my life," said the witness, and afterwards Wilde gave him a louis and permission to go out and amuse himself.

"To go to the Moulin Rouge?" suggested Mr. Gill.
"No," said the witness. "He told me not to go there. But I went." Wilde gave him the usual cigarette case and £3 when they got back to Victoria. Mr. Gill reverted to the dinner at the Florence, and the witness mentioned as parts of Wilde's table manners that he kissed the waiter, and put his arms round the necks of witness and Lord Alfred Douglas.

Mr. Newton had not much to ask this witness in cross-examination. "Don't mention any name," he said, "but were you not introduced to Taylor by the gentleman who was in Paris?" Yes.
Did not that gentleman also introduce you to Mr. Wilde? No.
Sir John Bridge: Did you do any secretarial work for Wilde in Paris?
Witness: Yes; I wrote something about the "Woman of No Importance."

Among the few people of some importance who were among the crowd in court during the morning were Sir Augustus Harris and Mr. Jerome J. Jerome.

The next witness was a tall, heavy-framed young fellow, with a distinctly "intellectual face," as Wilde said of him at the Old Bailey. This was Edward Shelley, the young clerk who was employed by Elkin Mathews and Co. at the Bodley Head, where he made Wilde's acquaintance. In spite of the stifling closeness of the court he wore a heavy double-breasted reefer overcoat, tightly buttoned. It was over the retail book counter that he first saw Wilde, who was at the Bodley Head about the publication of one of his books, and the acquaintance was encouraged by presents of Wilde's works and an invitation to dinner at the Albermarle, where the witness too so much wine that he became excited. Witness admired Wilde's works, and he always professed to be fond of Shelley, and Wilde flattered him and said he was clever.

All this Wilde heard with an inscrutable countenance, the inevitable suede gloves hanging from the fingers which supported his large fleshy face, and his eyes blankly fixed on the wall behind the magistrate.

Shelley went on to describe visits to Kettner's, the Cafe Royal, the Independent Theatre, and other places in the company of Wilde. He had destroyed all the letters he had received from Wilde, he said, and had torn out the inscribed title-pages from the books which were given to him.

The other witnesses who were called last week were not now present, and therefore could not be cross-examined.

Mrs. Lucy Rumsby, a stout old lady in a plush mantle and a crape bonnet, is landlady at 50, Park-walk, Chelsea, and for a fortnight Charles Parker occupied a small room in her house. At the end of that time she gave him notice in consequence of a complaint made by another lodger.

Mrs. Margery Bancroft, who lives in the house, added that Taylor, who at the time lived at No. 3, Chapel-street--which is just round the corner--sometimes called for Parker. On one occasion, late at night, a cab drew up at the door, and she saw Parker and Oscar Wilde alight.

Both prisoners were ordered to stand up, and Mrs. Bancroft stated positively that she recognized them both. Taylor smiled a sickly smile. Wilde was impassive and superior. Mrs. Bancroft added that she had her suspicions, and it was on her complaint that Parker was sent away.

Mrs. Gray, another landlady, gave similar evidence. She let two rooms to Taylor, from August to the end of 1893, and had seen both Parker and Wilde there. Parker had stayed all night. When Taylor went away he left behind a box of papers, which the witness had handed over to Mr. Russell, Lord Queensberry's solicitor. Taylor never seemed to have any occupation, and had not many callers. Perhaps two or three young men had called at different times. She knew nothing about the Little College-street establishment.

Mr. Vogel, proprietor at the Hotel Albemarle, Piccadilly, proved that Wilde stayed there in March, 1892, for one night, in October of the same year, and on a third occasion in April, 1893. At the latter date witness took note of the young men who visited Wilde. From what he observed it was his desire and intention that Wilde should not come back to the hotel again. Witness pressed him for payment through his solicitors, so that he should not come to the hotel again.

Inspector Brockwell deposed that when Wilde was handed over to his custody he read over the warrant to him. Wilde put out his hand and said, "Let me read it." The inspector said, "No, I can't do that. If there is anything you don't understand I will read it to you again." Wilde then asked what dates were mentioned, and the witness told him, "March 20, 1893, and divers other days." He was searched, and on him were found letters and memoranda, and three writs. Among the papers were an envelope adressed "Sidney Mavor, Esq.," and a pencilled note, 'Dear Sid,--I could not wait any longer. Come on at once to see Oscar. 16, Tite-street, Chelsea. I am there,--Yours, ALFRED TAYLOR." Two of the writs were by jewellers, for jewellery and cigarette cases.

There was another note from Taylor to Wilde, referring to Inspector Littlechild, the retired police officer, who prepared the evidence for the Marquis of Queensberry's case. "Dear Oscar," Taylor wrote, "When I left home yesterday I left a note for Sidney Mavor. Littlechild called shortly afterwards, and, saying he wished to write a note, got into my room. I found on getting back that the note to Mavor had been opened. In its place was one from Littlechild saying he wished to see me next morning."

The court adjourned for a few minutes for lunch.

If it is true that Wilde is so ingrained a poseur that he regards his present position with complacent self-satisfaction there is at least no trace of it in his manner. Without wearing the look peculiar to people who are described as "feeling their position" he betrays no consciousness of the inquisitive scrutiny of the crowd. Not a shade of emotion or anxiety appeared on his face all day. Taylor's bearing towards him is almost obsequious, but the two never speak, nor exchange any sign of intelligence.

After lunch Sarah Applegarth, an intelligent servant girl who had been employed at Atkins's lodgings, deposed that she had seen Wilde there. Another young man named Barford was also present at one of these meetings.

Thomas Price, a nervous, fair-haired young man, deposed that he was waiter at No. 10, St. James's-place, which is a private hotel. Wilde took rooms there--bedroom and sitting-room communicating--in October, 1893, and kept them till April, 1894. Young men visited him there. Wilde only slept in the rooms occasionally.

Sergeant Harris, of the A (Westminster) Division, deposed that in consequence of communications made to the police he kept observation on 13, Little College-street, in May, 1893. One one occasion he obtained admission to Taylor's room. The windows were always closed, and were heavily draped within. The staircase and even the walls of the rooms were draped, and strongly perfumed. This officer arrested Taylor at 25, Denbigh-street. He was so far from exhibiting the surprise that he said, "I expected you last night."

Mr. Newton suggested in cross examination that Taylor had been in attendance at the Old Bailey throughout the trials.

Wood, the lad who had given £30 by Wilde that he might go to America, was recalled, and denied that he had had money from Taylor. Examined by Mr. Newton, he said he was alone at the Cafe Royal when he first met Wilde.

A clerk in the employ of Thornhill and Co., silversmiths, produced an order for a cigarette case given to the lad Mann, and this concluded the evidence with which Mr. Gill was prepared to-day. Counsel said he did not anticipate having to take up much time at the next hearing.

Strong applications for bail were made on behalf of both prisoners. Mr. Newton urged that all the evidence against Taylor was that of discredited persons, and he was a member of a thoroughly respectable family, who were willing to provide bail.

Sir John Bridge refused to entertain the application in respect of either prisoner and remanded both in custody till Friday week.