Previous report Los Angeles Herald - Thursday, April 4, 1895
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Los Angeles Herald - Friday, April 5, 1895

This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.

SCANDAL SMIRCHES WILDE
The Famous Dude Testifies in
the Libel Case
GAVE YOUNG MEN MONEY
Tells of How He Attended Afternoon
Tea Parties
Nature of the Testimony Was Such That the
St. James Gazette Would Not Publish
It - A Remarkable Story

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LONDON, April 4. -- There was nnabated interest today at the Old Bailey in the taking of testimony in the suit for libel brought by Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry. The audience was largely composed of lawyers and reporters. There were few notable persons present. The plaintiff arrived at an early hour and took a seat at the table reserved for solicitors. The Marquis of Queensberry entered a few minutes later looking jaunty and confident. Several of his friends shook the defendant's hands as he entered his desk. Oscar Wilde, upon resuming his place upon the witness stand, admitted that he had attended tea parties in the rooms of a man named Taylor, which were artistically furnished and in which perfumes were burning. He denied, however, he had seen Taylor in woman's costume. Further questions upon the part of Mr. Carson, counsel for the Marquis of Queensberry, brought forth the admission that Taylor introduced to Wilde five youths whom Wilde gave money and took to a restaurant. The plaintiff admitted he was not aware that one of these was Halet and another a coachman, or that Taylor had been arrested in a raid on a house on Fitzroy square. Wilde, in answer to questions, exhibited confusion, and contradicted himself frequently. He also lost his temper. Carson's questions were in the main pitiless and unprintable. Carson's cross-examination of the plaintiff was concluded at noon, having lasted over six hours.

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Sir Edward Clarke, counsel for Wilde, then examined his client by putting a certain letter of the Marquis of Queensberry in which he called upon his son, Lord Alfred Douglass, to cease his "infamous intimacy" with the plaintiff, saying his "blood turned cold" at the sight of their infamous faces. He added: "I hear Wilde's wife will petition for a divorce on the ground of unnatural crimes. If you do not cease letting him disgrace us, I shall feel justified in shooting him on sight."

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To this letter Lord Alfred replied: "What a funny little man you are."

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Most of the newspapers are printing testimony of the suit almost verbatim, but the character of the testimony is such today that the St. James Gazette says: "The nature of the evidence and the whole circumstances of the case prove to be of such a character we cannot repeat it." The St. James Gazette adds: "The English public is at present involved in one of those orgies of indecency permitted by the operations of open law courts and an enterprising press."

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At the afternoon session the crowd in the courtroom was larger than ever, and the hall and stairs leading to it were filled ten deep with well-dressed men waiting.

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Wilde kept the court waiting ten minutes for which he apologized to Justice Collins, saying he had been consulting his doctor. After the production of other letters the case for the plaintiff closed and Carson began his speech for the defense. It was terribly denunciatory of Wilde, who left the court room as soon as counsel for the defense began to speak. Lord Alfred Douglass was present in court a short time during the morning, but did not return in the afternoon.

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The speech of Mr. Carson for the defense lasted until court adjourned at 4 p. m., and was not finished. He reviewed the evidence point by point, denounced Wilde and said the witnesses he would produce would prove beyond any doubt the guilt of the plaintiff. Carson alluded in complimentary terms to the course of Beerbohm Tree in forwarding to plaintiff a copy of the anonymous letter headed the English actor, which Justice Collins said: "There is no occasion to mention the name of Beerbohm Tree." Carson in reply remarked: "Nor should I have done so, my lord, had it not been I received a cable message from him today asking his connection with the case to be fully explained."

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"Everyone understands Mr. Tree's connection with the case. It is in every way honorable and praiseworthy," said the justice in conclusion.

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Wilde returned to the court room a few minutes before it adjourned. Among the letters produced by the Marquis of Queensberry to his son Lord Alfred Douglass was one saying, "Wilde was a cur and a coward."

Metadata
Newspaper:
Los Angeles Herald
Date published:
1895-04-05
Region:
United States
Original language:
English
Sources:
Newspapers.com
www.newspapers.com
Facsimile:
www.newspapers.com
Word count:
707
Report data updated:
2022-04-22
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