Auckland Star - Saturday, July 13, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
LONDON GOSSIP.
(From Our Special Correspondent.)
London, May 24.
WILDE TRIAL.
The second Wilde trial is drawing to a close as I write, and a strong impression prevails that the accused will be acquitted. The present judge is even more favourable to Oscar than his predecessor, ruling out the evidence of all accomplices and (to the dismay of the Crown) including Edward Shelley amongst the latter. Wilde, who looks dreadfully ill, has been staying with his mother, Lady Wilde. He saw his wife for half an hour on Saturday and she forgave him. He has told everyone that if convicted he means to take poison, and the story goes that the smelling salts he pretends to use in Court contain a deadly potion. That, of course, is nonsense. One cannot suppose the authorities will be quite such fools as to neglect a few obvious precautions.