The New York Herald (European Edition) - Sunday, May 19, 1895

THE WILDE TRIAL.
Practical Certainty that the Crown Witnesses
will be in Their Places To-morrow.
[BY THE HERALD’S SPECIAL WIRE.]

LONDON, May 19.––During the past week it has been constantly hinted by those who ought to be in a prison to know, that Oscar Wilde would not find himself again in the dock.

Now that it seems positive that at half-past ten to-morrow he will occupy that position the rumors, though tending to the same end, have altered their complexion. I need hardly say that it has all along been supposed that Mr. Wilde’s conviction was a matter of much uncer-tainty and that perhaps the authorities would not feel themselves very grievously disap-pointed should this uncertainty be made certain. It is now whispered that though the prisoner will materialise the Crown wi-nesses will fail to do so.

In the case of one or two of them it is not at all unlikely that a difficulty has been felt by the prosecution from the first, but as it was thoroughly realized the authorities have been on the alert and there is very little probability at all but that when the trial commences all the witnesses required will be at hand. Mavor and Atkins––Mavor who has nothing to say that will help the prosecution and Atkins who can say nothing that a jury would believe––will, it is thought, not be needed, and the detec-tives have constantly had the others under surveillance. Yesterday there were long conferences at the Treasure, and the final arrangements of the prosecution were made.

It is, I understand, extremely unlikely that Sir Edward Clarke’s demand that the two accused persons should not be tried to-gether will be granted, but that the wit-nesses will be there and that the trial will proceed in due form is morally uncertain. It could hardly be supposed indeed that when the Treasure have gone so far as they have they could allow themselves either to abandon the case or two allow their witnesses to escape them. That the Solicitor-General, Sir Frank Lockwood, will lead, and that his junior, Mr. H. Sutton, will also lend his assistance to the Treasure counsel, Messrs. Gill and Avory, is a highly significant fact.

As regards Mr. Wilde I may say that all the stories of his having gone out of town are absolutely unfounded. Ever since his release from Holloway he has been staying with his mother and brother in the former’s house at Kensington. He has gone out but little and has only seen a few of his inti-mate friends. One of these assures me that the charge has taken place in him is almost incredible. He describes him as being mentally as well as physically a broken man, and as constantly averring that he has already been punished beyond his deserts.