The Otago Daily Times - Monday, April 1, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS
LONDON SCANDAL
John Sholto Douglas, Marquis of Queensberry, was arraigned before the magistrate (Mr Newton) in the Marlborough Police Court, London, on the afternoon of March 2, on a charge of having libelled Oscar Wilde. Mr Wilde's lawyer, in presenting the case, set forth that his client was a husband who was living upon the most affectionate terms with his wife and two sons. For the last nine or ten months he said the Marquis of Queensberry had persecuted Mr Wilde with the utmost cruelty. The last act of persecution occurred on February 28, when the Marquis left Wilde, at a club of which both are members, an open card upon the back of which was written a vile epithet. The porter of the club, upon reading the word, enclosed the card in an envelope so that it might not be seen by any other person than Wilde. The detective who arrested the marquis at Dover on the morning of March 2 testified that when he approached the marquis and informed him of the complaint upon which he was arrested, his lordship said, "This has been going on for two years." Sir George Lewis, the Marquis of Queensberry's solicitor, in his address to the court, said that when the facts became fully known it would be found that the marquis had been acting under the influence of great indignation based upon abundant provocation. It has not been a secret (says the despatch) that the reason for the Marquis of Queensberry's resentment was to be found in the intimate relations existing between Mr Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, who until the death of Lord Drumligg placed him next in succession, was the younger son of the marquis. Owing to the friendship existing between Wilde and Lord Alfred the latter became estranged from his father, who, feeling his position more acutely by reason of sundry reports concerning the nature of relations between Wilde and his son, which are also common property, conceived a most violent antipathy to Mr Wilde.
John Sholto Douglas, Marquis of Queensberry, was arraigned before the magistrate (Mr Newton) in the Marlborough Police Court, London, on the afternoon of March 2, on a charge of having libelled Oscar Wilde. Mr Wilde's lawyer, in presenting the case, set forth that his client was a husband who was living upon most affectionate terms with his wife and two sons. For the last nine or ten months he said the Marquis of Queensberry had persecuted Mr Wilde with the utmost cruelty. The last act of persecution occurred on February 28, when the marquis left Wilde, at a club of which both are members, an open card upon the back of which was written a vile epithet. The porter of the club, upon reading the word, enclosed the card in an envelope so that it might not be seen by any other person than Wilde. The detective who arrested the marquis at Dover on the morning of March 2 testified that when he approached the marquis and informed him of the complaint upon which he was arrested, his lordship said, "This has been going on for two years." Sir George Lewis, the Marquis of Queensberry's solicitor, in his address to the court, said that when the facts became fully known it would be found that the marquis had been acting under the influence of great indignation based upon abundant provocation. It has not been a secret (says the despatch) that the reason for the Marquis of Queensberry's resentment was to be found in the intimate relations existing between Mr Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, who until the death of Lord Drumlanrig placed him next in succession, was the younger son of the marquis. Owing to the friendship existing between Wilde and Lord Alfred the latter became estranged from his father, who, feeling his position more acutely by reason of sundry reports concerning the nature of the relations between Wilde and his son, which are also common property, conceived a most violent antipathy to Mr Wilde.
Mr Wilkes Lawyer, in presenting the case, set forth that his client was a husband who was living upon the most affectionate terms with his wife and two sons. For the last nine or ten months, he said, the Marquis of Queensberry had persecuted Mr Wilde with the utmost cruelty. The last act of persecution occurred on Feb. 28, when the Marquis left for Mr Wilde at a club of which both are members, an open card upon the back of which was written a vile epithet. The porter of the club upon reading the words enclosed the card in an envelope so that it might not be seen by any other person than Mr Wilde. The detective who arrested the Marquis at Dover on the morning of March 2 testified that when he approached the Marquis and informed him of the complaint upon which he was arrested his Lordship said — "This has been going on for two years." Sir George Lewis, the Marquis of Queensberry's solicitor, in his address to the Court said that when the facts became fully known it would be found that the Marquis had been acting under the influence of great indignation, based upon abundant provocation. It has not been a secret, says the despatch, that the reason for the Marquis of Queensberry's resentment was to be found in the intimate relations existing between Mr Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, who, until the death of Lord Drumlanrigg placed him next in succession, was the younger son of the Marquis. Owing to the friendship existing between Mr Wilde and Lord Alfred, the latter became estranged from his father, who, feeling his position more acutely by reason of sundry reports concerning the nature of the relations between Mr Wilde and his son, which are also common property, conceived a most violent antipathy to Mr Wilde.
Mr Wilkes Lawyer, in presenting the case, set forth that his client was a husband who was living upon the most affectionate terms with his wife and two sons. For the last nine or ten months, he said, the Marquis of Queensberry had persecuted Mr Wilde with the utmost cruelty. The last act of persecution occurred on February 28, when the Marquis left for Mr Wilde at a club of which both are members, an open card, upon the back of which was written a vile epithet. The porter of the club, upon reading the words, enclosed the card in an envelope so that it might not be seen by any other person than Mr Wilde. The detective who arrested the Marquis at Dover on the morning of March 2 testified that when he approached the Marquis and informed him of the complaint upon which he was arrested his Lordship said – "This has been going on for two years." Sir George Lewis, the Marquis of Queensberry's solicitor, in his address to the Court, said that when the facts became fully known it would be found that the Marquis had been acting under the influence of great indignation, based upon an abundant provocation. It has not been a secret, says the despatch, that the reason for the Marquis of Queensberry's resentment was to be found in the intimate relations existing between Mr Wilde and Lord Alfred, who, until the death of Lord Drumlanrigg placed him next in succession, was the young son of the Marquis. Owing to the friendship existing between Mr Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred, the latter became estranged from his father, who, feeling his position more acutely by reason of sundry reports considering the nature of the relations between Mr Wilde and his son, which are also common property, conceived a most violent antipathy to Mr Wilde.