5 Apr 1895 - The Globe (London)

Case File: Oscar Wilde

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THE QUEENSBERRY CASE YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

The following report of yesterday's proceedings appeared in our later editions last evening: -

Mr. Oscar Wilde, in re-examination by Sir E. Clarke, said that letters written by Lord Queensberry were communicated to him by the persons to whom they were addressed. These were read by councel. The first, addressed to Lord Alfred Douglas, ran: -

"Alfred, - It is extremely painful to me to have to write to you in the strain I must, but please understand I decline to receive any answers from you in writing in return. After your previous hysterical impertinent ones, I refuse to be annoyed with such, and must ask you, if you have anything to say, to come here and say it in person. First, am I to understand that having left Oxford, as you did, with discredit to yourself, the reasons of which were fully explained to me by your tutor, you now intend to loaf and loll about and do nothing? All the time you were wasting at Oxford I was put off with the assurance that you were eventually to go into the Civil Service or to the Foreign Office, and then I was put off by an assurance of your going to the Bar. It appears to me you intend to do nothing.... I utterly decline, however, just to supply you with sufficient funds to loaf about. YOu are preparing a wretched future for yourself... Secondly, I come to a more painful part of this letter, your infamous intimacy with the man Wilde. It must either cease or I will disown you, and stop all money supply. I am not going to try and analyse this intimacy, and make no accusations.... No wonder people are talking as they are if you are seen as I saw you. Also, I now hear on good authority - but this may be false - that his wife is petitioning to divorce him... Is this true, or do you not know of it? The horror has come to my mind that it was possible you may perhaps be brought into this. If I thought the actual thing was true, and it becomes public property, I should be quite justified in shooting him at sight... - Your disgusted, so-called father, QUEENSBERRY"

Replying to a question, Mr. Wilde said there was not the slightest foundation for the remark as to divorce proceedings.

To the letter a telegram was sent in reply, "What a funny little man you are - ALFRED DOUGLAS". The next letter began, "You impertinent young Jackanapes," and went on: -

"If you come to me with any of your impertinence, I shall give you the thrashing you richly deserve. The only excuse for you ist hat you must be crazy. All I can say is that if I catch you with that man again, I will make a public scandal in a way you little dream of. It is already a supressed one. I prefer an open one."

A letter from the Marquis to Mr. Alfred Montgomery, his father-in-law, was next read: "Sir, - ... Your daughter is the person who is supporting my son to defy me... Last night I received a very quibbling sort of message from her, saying the boy denied having been at the Savoy for the last year.... As a matter of fact, he did so, and there has been a scandal every since... I saw Drumlanrig here (Maidenhead) on the river last night, which rather upset me..."

Another letter was read, and then,

Sir E. Clarke asked: Having regard to the contents of those lettes did you or did you not think it right to disregard the wishes referred to in them? - I thought it right to entirely disregard them.

And I think that your friendship with Lady Queensberry and her sons has continued up to the present time? - Yes.

In further re-examination the witness said that several of the young men whose names had been mentiond in the course of the case, were introduced to him by Taylor. He was introduced to Taylor in 1892 by a gentleman of high position and repute. At the itme of the introduction Taylor was living in Little College-street. He ahd lost a great deal of money he had inherited, but he (witness) believed he had still a share in an important businss. Taylor was educated at Marlborough, and was very accomplished. Witness had never any reason to believe that he was either immoral or disreputable. Witness was introduced to the young man Shelley by his publisher as a person who had literary tastes. He was the assistant to witness's publisher, and in the course of business witness naturally came in contact with him. They became intimate, and he presented Shelley with a copy of his works.

Sir E. Clarke put in several letters from Shelley to Mr. Wilde. In some of these the writer thanked Mr. Wilde for some pomegranates and tickets for the theatre, and stated that he could never forget his kindness. In another letter Shelley said he had had a horrible interivew with his father, and had been told to leave the house; that he was on the verge of despair, and that he was anxious to do some work. In April, 1894, he asked Mr. Wilde to help him, as he was in absolute poverty, and had lost his health and strength in trying to keep himself on ₤4, 3s. 4d per month. He added that he wanted to go and rest somewhere in Cornwall for two weeks, and expressed the determination to try to live a Christian life, and accept porverty as a part of his religion; but pointed out that he must have health.

Sir E. Clarke: Did you, in consequence of these letters, give him ₤10? - I certainly lent or gave him ₤5 about that time.

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MR. OSCAR WILDE AND LORD QUEENSBERRY THE CHARGE OF LIBEL SENSATIONAL TERMINATION VERDICT "NOT GUILTY"

On the resumption of the hearing to-day of the charge against the Marquis of Queensberry for libelling Mr. Oscar Wilde, the court at the Old Bailey was again crowded. The Judge took his seat at 10.36. Sir Edward Clarke Q.C., Mr. C. Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys appeared to prosecute; while Mr. Carson, Q.C., Mr. C. F. Gill, and Mr. A. Gill (instructed by Mr. Charles Russell), represented the Marquis of Queensberry; Mr. Besley, Q.C., with Mr. Monckton, watching the proceedings on behalf of Lord Douglas of Hawick, the eldest son of the Marquis.

Mr. Carson, continuing