Sunday World - Sunday, November 17, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
OSCAR WILDE AT THE BANKRUPTCY COURT.
Last week at the London Bankruptcy Court, Oscar Wilde was again brought up, in custody of two warders, from Wandsworth Prison for the purpose of his public examination. Immediately upon his conviction bankruptcy proceedings were instituted on behalf of the Marquis of Queensberry in respect of his costs of those proceedings, which amounted to over £600. Wilde says his income from his books and plays amounts to £2,000 a year. He attributed his insolvency to the failure of the legal proceedings against the petitioner and to his arrest and conviction, but the Official Receiver observes that it appears from the deficiency account that he had been insolvent for at least two years, and that his household and personal expenditure have been considerably in excess of his income. The debts are returned at £3,591, and there are no available assets. Of the debts, £2,514 5s is due for money lent; £677 for law costs; £233 for tobacco, wine, jewellery, flowers, etc, and £166 for household expenses, etc. Upon the previous occasion it was stated that the bankrupt’s friends were endeavouring to raise sufficient money to pay the debts and rescind the receiving order, and that a sum of £1 500 had been subscribed for the purpose. Reference was also made to the claim of the trustees under the marriage settlement, and the difficulties in the way of dealing with that claim, which it was hoped would be overcome. For this and other reasons the public examination was adjourned.
On Tuesday the bankrupt said that his income was almost entirely derived from royalties on his plays. He never kept any books of account of any sort, but he lived up to his income. A few other questions having been asked, the inquiry, which lasted only a few minutes, was concluded, and the bankrupt was removed.
Wilde looked somewhat worn and pulled down, but otherwise less altered than might have been expected. His manner was subdued, and apparently he had but very little liking for the scrutiny of which he found himself the object at the hands of the large numbers of well-dressed loafers and sightseers who occupied the back of the Court.