The Australian Star - Monday, May 27, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
Star's Special Cables
THE WILDE SCANDAL
Addresses of Counsel.
Able Defence by Sir E. Clark.
Sir
F. Lockwood in Reply.
London, May 24.
The second trial of Oscar Wilde was continued to-day. The accused was examined in the witness-box at some length. He repeated his denials made at the previous trial. The evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution was contradicted in detail by Wilde.
Sir Edward Clark, Q.C., in addressing the jury for the defence, denounced the witnesses for the prosecution as blackmailers of the worst description; the trial he declared was apparently an act of indemnity for all the blackmailers in London, who were being fed and clothed by the Crown and the Marquis of Queensberry. If their evidence was to be accepted blackmail would become a more deadly evil than at present. When a man was assailed for the third time on such tainted evidence his lucid, candid testimony in reply was entitled to be believed.
Sir Frank Lockwood, Q.C., Solicitor-General, who prosecuted for the Crown, also addressed the jury. He pointed out that the first trial resulted in the downfall of Wild's reputation. Wilde had practically admitted the truth of the libel committed by the Marquis of Queensberry, and this libel really contained the substance of the present charges.
The trial will be resumed to-morrow. The betting is 5 to 2 in favor of a conviction.