The New York Herald (European Edition) - Wednesday, May 1, 1895

WILDE STILL ON TRIAL.
Case for the Defence Only Just Finished when the Court Rose.
[BY THE HERALD'S SPECIAL WIRE.]

London, May 1 --The general expectation that the Wilde trial would be concluded yesterday was again not realised, the defence just being finished when the Court rose. The summing up and the conclusion of the trial will take place to-day.

The crowd striving to gain admission to the Court was even greater than usual yesterday. Mr. Gill, at the commencement of the proceedings, withdrew the charges of conspiracy.

Sir E. Clarke wanted a verdict of "Not guilty" on those counts on the spot, but the judge would not accede to that course, and Wilde's counsel thereupon addressed the jury on his behalf.

Wilde then went into the witness box. His evidence was a categorical denial of all the charges made against him. All were untrue, he said. Only once did he show the characteristic of assurance so dominant in the Queensberry trial. That was when Mr. Gill read Lord Alfred Douglas's poem on "Two Loves."

"What does it mean?" asked Mr. Gill.

"It is the love," replied Wilde, "that in this century dare not speak its name. It is such great affection as David bore to Jonathan; such as Plato made the basis of his philosophy; such as inspired the sonnets of Michael Angelo and the sonnets of Shakespeare. It is a deep spirit of affection as pure as it is perfect, like that which dictated Michael Angelo's sonnets and Shakespeare's, like that which dictated those letters of mine, a love which is essentially misunderstood. There are those who cannot, who will not understand. That is why in this century there is a love which cannot speak its name."

Mr. Gill dropped the subject with a shrug of his shoulders.

The second prisoner, Taylor, also entered the witness box and denied the charges made against him. Then, after Sir. E. Clarke and Mr. Grain had spoken again for the prisoners, the trial was adjourned until to-day.