Galignani Messenger - Thursday, April 25, 1895

THE SOCIETY SCANDAL
APPLICATION FOR POSTPONEMENT.
DATE OF HEARING.
SALE OF OSCAR WILDE'S EFFECTS.

London, April 24.

When Mr. Justice Charles resumed his seat at the Old Bailey to-day after the mid-day adjournment, an application for the postponement of the case Regina v. Wilde and Taylor was made to him.

Mr. Charles Mathews, in making the application that the case should be postponed until the May Sessions, said that there had been no proper time for the preparation of the defence; and in support of this assertion he mentioned the dates of the hearing of the case Wilde v. Queensberry, of the arrest of Wilde, and of the hearings before the magistrate at Bowstreet. A further ground, he said, on which he might base such an application was that Mr. Humphreys, Wilde's solicitor, felt sure that in the present state of public feeling an impartial trial would be difficult to obtain, while in a month's time that feeling would have partially subsided.

Mr. J P. Grain, who appeared on behalf of Taylor, opposed the application, on the ground that his client desired to be tried at the earliest possible moment. There were, he pointed out, two indictments - one against Taylor alone, and one against Wilde and Taylor.

Mr. C. F. Gill said he must oppose the application to postpone the trial. The statement made on behalf of Wilde at the police-court to the effect that he wished the proceedings there to be concluded as speedily as possible in order that he might be sent for trial, if that becomes necessary, at the present sessions, disposed of the objection that the defence was not in a state of complete preparation. The dates mentioned by Mr. Mathews were, he said, immaterial, since the information given to Wilde or his representatives as plaintiff in the case Wilde v. Queensberry, in support of the plea of justification, made him fully aware of the nature and details of the charges which he had now to meet. It was of great importance that the witnesses should give their evidence as soon as they possibly could. If a postponement were allowed he feared that some miscarriage of justice might occur.

His lordship said he did not feel able to accede to the application of Mr. Mathews. He did not think there was any foundation for the suggestion that the prisoners -- more especially Wilde -- would receive better treatment at the next sessions than they would at present. The statement that the defence had not been properly prepared for want of time did not weigh with him, and he thought that Mr. Gill had thoroughly disposed of it. The names of the witnesses who would be called were disclosed as far back as March 30 last, when the plea of justification was delivered. He did not, therefore, feel justified in acceding to the application. His lordship said the case would be taken on Friday morning unless he was informed in the meantime that that would be inconvenient to any of the counsel concerned.

This afternoon a sale of the effects of Mr. Oscar Wilde was commenced at 16, Tite-street, Chelsea, under instructions from the Sheriff. The room in which the sale took place was crowded before the proceedings began. The catalogue comprised 250 "lots," including books, old blue and white china, Moorish pottery, Carlyle's writing table, and the usual household furniture. There were the customary dealers present, and not a few persons who had come merely out of curiosity. Books formed the first section of the sale. They were mostly of a miscellaneous character, and the great majority went into the possession of a few dealers. About 40 "lots" had passed through the hands of the auctioneer before a sum even of £2 was reached. The next highest amount was £4 15s. for 14 vols. of Swinburne's works. Nine vols. of the works of Oscar Wilde -- some large paper -- brought £8 5s. A very considerable quantity of French novels were in the sale.