The Otago Witness - Thursday, June 27, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
SOCIETY SCANDALS.
(From Our Own Special Correspondent.)
London, April 20.
It is not likely that you will expect me to dilate on the details of the nauseous case of which Oscar Wilde is the loathsome and most unheroic hero. He has few who wish him well through the criminal prosecution which he is now undergoing. Most people think it will be a grave misfortune to society if he ever regains that freedom which on his own showing he has so vilely abused. What everybody is commenting on in strong terms is the fact that such a creature as this Wilde should have been able to get Lord Queensberry, or any decent person, arrested and deprived of liberty for several hours for seeking to protect his son from the contamination of Wilde's company. Clearly there is something our of joint here. It seems now that Wilde's notorious and detestable story "Dorian Grey," when it originally appeared in "Lippincott's Magazine"—without any fault of Messrs Lippincott themselves, it is only fair to say—encountered a most slashing slating from the St. James's Gazette, whereupon Wilde threatened a libel action, but did not bring it.
It is not likely that you will expect me to dilate on the details of the nauseous case of which Oscar Wilde is the loathsome and most unheroic hero. He has few who wish him well through the criminal prosecution which he is now undergoing. Most people think it will be a grave misfortune to society if ever he regains that freedom which on his own showing he has so vilely abused. What everybody is commenting on in strong terms is the fact that such a creature as this Wilde should have been able to get Lord Queensberry, or any decent person, arrested and deprived of liberty for several hours for seeking to protect his son from the contamination of Wilde's company. Clearly there is something out of joint here. It seems now that Wilde's notorious and detestable story "Dorian Grey," when it originally appeared in "Lippincott's Magazine"—without any fault of Messrs Lippincott themselves, it is only fair to say-encountered a most slashing slating from the St. James's Gazette, whereupon Wilde threatened a libel action, but did not bring it.
Much surprise has been expressed that in spite of the horrible disclosures in the Wilde case Lord Douglas of Hawick and Lord Alfred Douglas still take part with Wilde against their father, and that the elder of the two brothers should have penned and published the gross falsehood that "Every member of our family except our father disbelieves absolutely and entirely the allegations of the defence" (in the Queensberry prosecution), a statement which was promptly refuted by the Rev. Lord Archibald Douglas, Lord Queensberry's brother, who wrote: "We do most certainly believe those allegations and repudiate any sympathy with the statements of my nephew." The Marquis's sister (Lady Florence Dixie) and his mother take exactly the same view as that put forward by Lord Archibald. Assuredly they have the sympathy of all decent people. The two younger Douglases must have been completely hynotised by that satyr Wilde.
Much surprise has been expressed that in spite of the horrible disclosures in the Wilde case Lord Douglas of Hawick and Lord Alfred Douglas still take part with Wilde against their father, and that the elder of the two brothers should have penned and published the gross falsehood that "every member of our family except our father disbelieves absolutely and entirely the allegations of the defence" (in the Queensberry prosecution), a statement which was promptly refuted by the Rev. Lord Archibald Douglas, Lord Queensberry's brother, who wrote: "We do most certainly believe those allegations and repudiate any sympathy with the statements of my nephew." The Marquis's sister (Lady Florence Dixie) and his mother take exactly the same view as that put forth by Lord Archibald. Assuredly they have the sympathy of all decent people. The two younger Douglases must have been completely hypnotised by that satyr Wilde.