Editing 25 Mar 1895 - The Globe (London)

<b>[[Case File: Oscar Wilde]]</b>

Page 5, Column 1, Link

<b><center>THE MARQUIS OF QUEENSBERRY AND OSCAR WILDE</center></b>
<center>RECORDER'S CHARGE</center>

The March Sessions were opened this morning by the Lord Mayor, who was accompanied on the bench by the Recorder (Sir Charles Hall), the Common Serjeant (Sir Forrest Fulton), Mr. Alderman Davies, Mr. Alderman Morgan, Aderman Sir Joseph Dimsdale, Mr. Alderman Ritchie, Mr. Alderman Bell, the Sheriffs, Messrs. Samuel and Hand, and Sir Simeon Stuart (the City Marshal). The Recorder, in his charge to the Grand Jury, said that although the calendar of the business was slightly below the average in point of numbers, there were a numbber of very serious offences to be disposed of. Referring to the charge of libel preferred by Mr. Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry, he said that he would not go into the facts of the case, and he mentioned it to the Grand Jury in order ot merely direct them with regard to the law upon libel. The Marquis of Queensberry was charged with having libelled a person named Wilde. A card would be produced before them bearing upon it words, which, according to the Marquis of Queensberry's own account, he wrote. Assuming that he did write those words, it was his duty to tell the Grand Jury that they constituted a libel at law. Whether or not the defendant was justified in writing the words was a matter which could only be inquired into hereafter, assuming that hte proposed to justify them. The Grand Jury would see from the depositions taken before the magistrate that the defendant said that he did proposed to justify writing the words, but he could only do this after a true bill had been returned. The words consituted a libel, and, therefore, it was their duty to return a true bill in the case.