The Philadelphia Inquirer - Monday, April 8, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
WILDE MAY KILL HIMSELF
Disgraced Aesthete Threatens
to Commit Suicide at the
First Opportunity.
HIS JAILERS ARE ON THE ALERT
Taken Back to Prison in a State
of Hysteria and Semi-
Collapse.
HE DREADS A CONVICT'S LIFE
Dissipation Has Undermined His
Constitution, and Sudden Death
May Cheat Slow Justice.
Special Cable to The Inquirer, Copyright,
1895.
LONDON, April 7. - A widespread sensation was created to-day by a report that Oscar Wilde had committed suicide at the Bow Street Police Station.
It was found that the report originated in the fact that when Wilde was about to be transferred from the police station to the prison van for Holloway Jail, he was in a state of semi-collapse and suffering from hysteria. He said to his jailers that he should commit suicide if he had a chance. This put them on the alert, and he was immediately subjected to a thorough search, and the police even removed his pearl breast pin and a handkerchief lest he might stab or strangle himself.
A widespread sensation was created to-day by the report that Oscar Wilde had committed suicide at the Bow-street station. It was found that the rumour originated in the fact that when Wilde was about to be transferred from the police station to the prison van for Holloway jail, he was in a state of semi-collapse and was suffering from hysteria. He said to his jailers that he should commit suicide if he had a chance. This put them on the alert and he was immediately subjected to a thorough search. The police even removed his pearl breast-pin and a handkerchief, lest he might stab or strangle himself.
LONDON, April 7. - A widespread sensation was created today by the report that Oscar Wilde had committed suicide at the Bow-street station. It was found that the rumor originated in the fact that when Wilde was about to be transferred from the police station to the prison van for Holloway jail, he was in a state of semi-collapse and was suffering from hysteria. He said to his jailers that he should commit suicide if he had a chance. This put them on the alert and he was immediately subjected to a thorough search. The police even removed his pearl breast-pin and a handkerchief, lest he might stab or strangle himself.
LONDON, April 8. -- Special Cablegram.-A widespread sensation was created today by a report that Oscar Wilde had committed suicide at the Bow Street Station. It was found that the report originated in the fact that when Wilde was about to be transferred from the police station to the prison van for Holloway Jail he was in a state of semi-collapse and suffering from hysteria. He said to his jailers that he would commit suicide if he had a chance. This put them on the alert and Wilde was immediately subjected to a thorough search. The police even removed his pearl breastpin and handkerchief lest he might stab or strangle himself.
London, April 7. - [Copyright, 1895, by the Press Publishing Company, New York World.] - A report that Oscar Wilde had committed suicide in the Bow Street Police Station caused a widespread sensation today. The report originated, it was found, in the fact that when Wilde was about to be transferred from the police station in a prison van to Holloway Jail he was in a state of semi-collapse, suffering from hysteria, and said to the prison attendants that he should commit suicide if he had a chance. This put them on the alert. Wilde was immediately subjected to a thorough search, and the police even removed his pearl breast-pin and handkerchief lest he might stab or strangle himself.
HE IS STUPEFIED.
The prospect of conviction with the consequent horrors of a convict's life has simply stupefied Wilde. It is that aspect of the case which seems to concern him exclusively - not the shame and degradation into which his vices have brought him.
The prospect of conviction, with the consequent horrors of a convict's life, appaled Wilde. It is that aspect which seems to concern him exclusively, not the shame and degradation into which he is plunged.
He is a man to whom the luxuries of life were everything and whose sole thought was self-indulgence. To such a one the rigors and deprivations of prison will be the very worst kind of punishment.
He is a man to whom the luxuries of life were everything, whose sole thought was self-indulgence. To such a one the rigors and deprivations of prison are the very worst kind of punishment.
DEATH MAY COME SOON.
Wilde’s legal advisers declare that they never had a client less able to bear up under trial or whose anticipatory agonies are more intense.
Being a man of heavy, flabby physique and with a constitution greatly undermined by dissipation, it would not in the least surprise his doctor if a sudden seizure ended his troubles.
BALLARD SMITH.