Galignani Messenger - Saturday, May 4, 1895

THE SOCIETY SCANDAL
QUESTION OF BAIL.
APPLICATION TO THE HIGH COURT.
A JUDICIAL CONFERENCE.

LONDON, May 3.

Mr. Charles Mathews made an application before Mr. Baron Pollock in Chambers this afternoon to allow Oscar Wilde out on bail pending his new trial. Mr. Mathews cited a number of cases which tended to show that in a case of misdemeanour a judge has no discretion in the matter, but is bound under an Act of Charles II. to admit the prisoner to bail In a gentle and persuasive fashion Mr. Mathews urged his point, while Baron Pollock listened attentively, and occasionally made a note of some interesting point.

For the prosecution, Mr. C. F. Gill had but little to say. He did not offer any serious objection to the question of bail, but simply begged the learned judge to carefully read through the depositions and bear in mind the nature of the case. This Mr. Baron Pollock promised to do. One thing he wanted to know, and that was the amount of bail which Mr. Mathews proposed to offer. Two sureties of £1,000 each was the prompt answer of the counsel, and with that Mr. Baron Pollock announced that he would give his decision to-morrow morning, after he had had a chance of conferring with Mr. Justice Charles.

The affidavit upon which the application was made was sworn by Wilde's solicitor, and was merely of a formal character. It set out the facts of the case, the date of the late trial and the result, and the possible date of the new trial. But no grounds for the granting of the application were set forth, counsel arguing that the judge had no option but to grant bail, his discretion being as to the amount.