Belfast News-Letter - Monday, April 29, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
THE TRIAL OF OSCAR WILDE.
London, Saturday.—The trial was resumed to-day of Oscar Wilde, aged forty, author and dramatist, and Alfred Taylor, aged thirty-three, on an indictment charging them with certain misdemeanours. Mr. C. F. Gill and Mr. Horace Avory prosecuted on behalf of the Public Prosecutor ; Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C. ; Mr. Charles Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys defended Wilde : Mr. J. P. Grain and Mr. Paul Taylor defended Alfred Taylor ; Mr. Leonard Kershaw watched the case on behalf of parties interested. The witness Wood, in cross-examination by Sir Edward Clarke, admitted that he received £175 out of over £300 which was alleged to have been extorted from a gentleman. It was not true that he had got money from other gentlemen in the same way that the £175 was obtained. Witness was questioned as to the circumstances under which he went with Mr. Wilde to Tite Street, and as to the letters which played an important part in the Marquis of Queensberry's trial. Thomas Price, employed at 10, St. James's Place, spoke to Wilde occupying rooms at that address in August, 1894, and as to Taylor and other persons visiting him. Frederick Atkins spoke of his acquaintance with the two prisoners. He was introduced to Wilde at a dinner ; afterwards he went to Paris with Wilde. By Sir Edward Clarke—He did not remember whether he and a man named Burton had been getting their livelihood by blackmailing. He never got any money by such means. Questioned as to a Birmingham gentleman, who, it was alleged, was enticed into witness's room, and there made by witness and a man named Burton to part with a large sum of money, Atkins denied that anything of the kind occurred. Did you take this gentleman's watch and chain and give it to Burton? No. Were you not taken to the Rochester Row Police Station, where you gave up the watch and chain? No. Did not a gentleman give Burton a cheque for £200 to your knowledge? He would swear that nothing of the kind ever occurred. Did not Burton also extort a large sum of money from two American gentlemen? No. Was there any blackmail levied on a gentleman at Nice? No. I will swear that. By Mr. Grain—Was not money paid by a foreign nobleman at Scarborough to Burton and yourself to the amount of £300? No. Sidney Mayor was examined next with reference to W. Taylor and other persons, but he gave an emphatic denial to any suggestions as regarded Wilde. Edward Shelley, formerly in the employ of a firm of publishers in 1891, with whom Wilde had business, spoke to his knowledge of the latter. The witness was subjected to a very close cross-examination with a view of testing the truth of his statements. The case was again adjourned.
The trial was resumed en Saturday of Oscar Wilde and Alfred Taylor on an indictment charging them with certain misdemeanours.— Mr. C. F. Gill and Mr. Horace Ayory prosecuted; Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., Mr. Charles Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys defended Wilde ; Mr J. P. Grain and Mr Paul Taylor defended Alfred Taylor. Mr. Leonard Kershaw watched the case on behalf of parties interested.— The Witness Wood, in cross-examination by Sir E. Clarke admitted that he received 175l. out of over 300l. which was said to have been extorted from a gentleman. It was not true that he had got money from other gentlemen in the same way that the 175l. was obtained. Witness was questioned as to the circumstances under which he went with Wilde to Tite-street, and as to the letters which played an important part in the Marquess of Queensberry's case.— Thomas Price, employed at 10, St. James-place, spoke to Wilde occupying rooms at that address in August, 1894, and as to Taylor and other persons visiting him.— Frederick Atkins spoke ot his acquaintance with the Prisoners. He was introduced to Wilde at a dinner; afterwards he went to Paris with Wilde.— By Sir E. Clark.: He did not remember whether he and a man named Burton had been getting their livelihood by blackmailing. He never got any money by such means. Questioned as to a Birmingham gentleman, who, it was alleged, was enticed into Witness's room, and there made by Witness and a man named Burton, to part with a large sum of money, Atkins denied that anything of the kind occurred.— Did you take this gentleman's watch and chain and give it to Burton? No.— Were you not taken to the Rochester-row Police-station, where you gave up the watch and chain ? No. — Did not a gentleman give Burton a cheque for 200l. to your knowledge? Nothing of the kind ever occurred.— Did not Burton also extort a large sum of money from two American gentlemen? No. — Was there any blackmail levied on a gentleman at Nice? No. I will swear that.— Mr. Grain : Was not money paid by a foreign nobleman at Scarborough to Burton and yourself to the amount of 330l/? — Witness : No. — Sidney Mavor was examined with reference to W. Taylor and other persons, but he gave an emphatic denial to any suggestions as regarded Wilde. — Edward Shelley, formerly in the employ of a firm of publishers in 1891, with whom Wilde had business, spoke to his knowledge of the latter. — In cross-examination by Sir E. Clarke, Witness said, in a letter which he wrote to Wilde, in the Spring of 1893, he said, "I have suffered more from my acquaintanceship with you than you are ever likely to know of." Notwithstanding, he went and dined with Wilde : but he did so, he supposed, because he was a young fool. — Sir E. Clarke read a number of letters written by the Witness to Wilde, in which he said he had had a horrible interview with his father, who told him to leave the house : that he was in the direst poverty, but would accept it as part of his fate, although ue was "sick, body and soul, of his harsh existence." He addressed the letters "Dear Oscar," and in one he said, "I can never forget your kindness,and I am conscious that I can never sufficiently express my thankfulness to you." — Witness, after being cautioned by the Judge, admitted that he and Burton bad been taken to Rochester-row Police-station, and charged with an offence.— Sir E. Clarke : Was not that charge one of demanding money with menaces from a gentleman? — Witness : I was not charged with that. — What were you charged for ? For hitting a gentleman. — You have sworn that you were not taken into custody. Why did you tell those lies ? I did not remember. — Formal evidence was given relative to the taking by Wilde of apartments at various hotels, &c., and the trial was adjourned to Monday.