Omaha daily bee., 1895-05-26
OSCAR WILDE PRONOUNCED GUILTF
lt+-
Sentenced to Two Years imprisonment, the
Limit Allowed by Law.

IF
Sentenced to Two Years imprisonment, the
Limit Allowed by Law.
LONDON. May 25--oscar wilde has been |
found guilty Of the charges of serious mis-
demeanors for which he has been on trial
for some days
The trial having reached its final stage
the Old Bailey coprtOroom was filled with
interested spectators almost as soon as the
doors were opened today. Sir Frank l..
Lockwood the solicitor general resumed his
address to the jury which he had just begun
when court adjourned, yesterday. The pris-
oners intimacy with, Lord Alfred Douglas
and the exhibition Of the younger man by the
elder one at hotels and public places. in and
about London were severely commented upon
by counsel.
Referring to the much commented upon
letters which Wilde wrote to Lord Alfred
Douglas counsel said that the jury had been
told they were too low to appreciate such
poetry and he thanked Gcd it was so, as 1t
showed they were above the level cf beasts.
applause, which the judse promptly sup
pressed)
Sir Edward Clarke, leading counsel for
wilde here interposed objections to such ap-
peas as the one just made by Sir Frank
Lockwood, which counsel claimed should not
be allowed. When Sir Frank Lockwood con-
tnued his speech, he warned the jury to
render a verdict which would prevent "such
detestable and abomnabe vice to rear its
head unblushing in this country"
Justice Wills began summing up at 1870
p. m The general tenor of his address to
the Jury was favorable to Wilde The jury
retired at 3 80 p. m.
During the address of Justice Wills the
foreman of the jury asked whether in view
OF the intimacy between Lord Alfred Douglas
and Alfred Wood, one of the men whose name
! has besn brought prominently into the case,
a warrant for Lord Alfred's arrest had ever
| been issued. The judge replied that he
| thought not The foreman then asked If 1t
! had ever been contemplated to issue war
| rant for the arrest of Lord Alfred Douglas
To this the Judge replied that he could not
say, and the court adjourned for lunch.
| When the court reassembled for business
| the judge said that the suspicion that Lord
! Alfred Douglas would be spared, If guilty,
| siTply because he was Lord Alfred Douglas,
was a wild idea and a matter which they
| could not discuss. The present inquiry
as to whether the man in the dock was guilty
! Of immoral practices with certain persons.
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. This probably refers
| to the Savoy hotel evidence, to which place
Wilde was accused of taking Charles Parker
a genteman's servant, after treating the lat
ter to a choice dinner in Kittner's restaurant
| The announcement Of the verdict caused a
| great sensation in the court, as 1t was the
| general impression that Wilde would escape
| conviction.
After a short interval the Judge called
| Wilde and Taylor, who was convicted last
week. to the bar, and they each SEN
fenced to two years imprisonment at hard
labor.
While the jury was out at the request of
| the representative of ths Associated press
Wildes counsel procured the following signed
statement from Wilde, who was waiting in
the prisoners row, below the dock:
"The charges alleged against are en-
| tirely untrue. Youth in every form always
| fascinated me, because youth has naturally
that temperament! to, which the artists try to
attain. All works of art are work produced
in the moment of youth. l have no sense at
| all of social grades. / love society and the
rich and well born on account Of their luxury,
culture, the grace Of their lives, the external
accidents of comey life. But any one, plough
| boy, fisherman or street arab. has an interest
for me. Mere humanity is so wonderful. |
do not ask of the young what they do. l
don't care who they are. Their ignorance has
its mode of wisdom, their lack OF culture
leaves them open to fresh and vivid impress
s!ons. OSCAR WILDE"
The document from which the above state
ment is cabled to the Associated press is
written throughout in Wide's own writing,
which is extremely graceful and firm, on a
sheet of foolscap paper, and 1t is signed with
flourish '.N.
When the foreman Of the jury delivered the
verdict Wilde, who had entered the prisoners
dock a moment before, rose from the chair
upon 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 court room was really pain
full as Justice Wills ordered that Alfred Tay-
lor should be summoned before him Then in
a voice trembling with emotion the justice
said: II never before had such a shocking
case as this to deal with. Two men such as
you are by the very nature of your crime
lost to all sense of remOrse for what you have
done. To think that you Taylor, should be
the keeper of a male brothel, and that you
, Wilde, a man of reput9d culture, should be
such perverter of young men. There is nc
I doubt that the verdict is just one and shall
give you the full penalty Of the law, and
! only regret that 1t 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
7 sentence was being pronounced. His eye'
rOved around the court room, his face never
changed color and he looked like a man WHIT
had made up his mind to make the best O
! bad situation. Taylor smiled when sentenc'
was pronounced.
As Wilde turned in the dock and prepared
! to go back to the prisoners room the crowt
! ! yelled, SHANE! shame!" This shouting
l caused Justice Wills to rise and exclaim in
! loud and determined voice, 'Silence, silence!
During the time the jury was debating upor
, out of the court room and into the cour
yard, where he walked about, nervousl,
smoking a cigarette. His face still show
traces Of his recent encounter with his father
= his left eye being much discolored.
: During the final stages Of Wilde's tria
today there was an immense crowd in from
: Of the Old Bailey and the windows of all tn
! | neighboring houses were filed with highl,
interested spectators.
= BOARD APPOINTED A W4RDEl