The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-26
OSCAR WILDE CONVICTED,
Sentenced to Two Years Inn
priSOnment at Hard
Labor.
Jurors Make Pertinent Inquiries
Concerning Warrant for Lord
Alfred Douglass.

LONDON, Enc, Mag 25.-Oscar Wilde's
trial having reached the final stage, the
Old Bailey courtroom was filed with in
terested spectators to-day. Sir Frank Lock
wood, Solicitor General, concluded his ad-
dress to the jury.
After the arguments were finished JUS
tice Wills began summing up at 80 P. NJ.
The general tenor of his address was favor
able to Wilde.
During the address of Justice Wills to
the jury the foreman asked whether, in
view of the intimacy between Lord Alfred
Douglass and Alfred Wood, one of the
men whose name has been brought promi-
nently into the case, warrant for Lord
Alfred's arrest had ever been issued. The
Judge replied that he thought not.
The foreman then asked if it had ever
been thought of. To this the Judge re-
piled he could not say. He added that the
suspicion that Lord Alfred Douglass would
be spared if guilty simply because he was
Lord Alfred Douglass was wild idea and
matter which they could not discuss.
The present inquiry was as to whether the
man in the dock was guilty.
The jury found Wilde guilty on all the
counts of the indictment, including the
charge with reference to persons unknown,
who were also pronounced guilty. The
announcement of the verdict caused a
great sensation in the court, as it was the
general impression that Wilde would be
acquitted.
When the foreman of the jury delivered
the verdict, Wilde, who had entered the
prisoners dock moment before, rose
from the chair on which he had been
seated throughout the trial and stood
with his arms on the rail of the dock.
The silence which prevailed throughout
the courtroom was really painful as Justice
Wills ordered that Alfred Taylor should
be also summoned before him.
Then in voice trembling with emotion
the Justice said:
81 never before had such a case as this
to deal with. Two men such as you are by
the nature of your crime lost to all sense
of remorse for what you have done. To
think that you, Taylor, and that you,
Wilde, a man of culture, should be guilty
of the offenses charged.
"There is no doubt but that the verdict
is just one, and shall give you the full
penalty allowed by law, and only regret
that it is not more severe. You are both
sentenced to hard labor for the term of two
years."
Wilde did not look at the Judge while
the sentence was being pronounced. His
eyes roved around the room and his face
never changed color, and he looked like a
man who had made up his mind to make
the best of bad situation. Taylor smiled
when sentence was pronounced.
AS Wilde turned in the DOCK and started
to go back to the prisoners room the
crowd yelled "Shamel" "ShameW This
shouting caused Justice Wills to rise and
exclaim in a loud and determined voice,
silence, silencew
During the time the jury was debating
on the verdict Lord Douglass strolled out
OF the courtroom and into the courtyard,
where he walked about neryously, smoking
a cigarette.
His face still showed traces of his recent
encounter with his father, his left eye be-
ing much disclored. During the final
stages OF Wilde's trial to-day there was an
immense crowd in front of the Old Bailey,
and the windows of all the neighboring
houses were filed with highly interested
spectators.
S"i w Huc anu ldylol "oio, ditci Tie
conclusion of the trial, conveyed without
delay to the Newgate Jail, where they
waited until warrants were signed for their
sentence.
Both men were then conveyed in the
prison van to Pentonyille, where they will
serve out their sentences unless pardon
should be granted or they should be trans
ferred to another prison before the expira.
ton of their sentences.