The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-07
OSCAR WILDE DEFENDED.

AItq,ough Oscar Wilde is languishing
in a Jail as a criminal without Dail on
n heinous charge, he still has q humDer
of Influential friends. who are jealous
I'm his defence, notwithstanding tnat tney
are intimate enough with nim to know
most of the secrets OF his private lie.
Lord Douglas, of Hawick, second ana
eldest living son OF the Marquis OF
oueensbury. is one of these. He is al
together the manifest looking of the
family. Before the death Of his elder
brJthcr. Yiscount Drumlanryg, he was
well and favorably known as plain Percy
Douglas. He has an unsmirched reputa-
tion and entirely differs in every respect
from his effeminate next younger brother,
Lord Alfred Douglas. Since his return
from Australia last fall, Lord Douglas. or
Hawick has been an almost constant
associate of Oscar Wilde In an inter-
view this afternoon he said tnat every
one I'm his family, excepting his FATHER
has refused TO believe the accusations
against Wide. He himself. he said, was
willing al any time to 40 upon the Wit
ness stand IN Wildes behalf and he was
vehement I'm his denunciation OF Wilde'S
counsel for having withdrawn the SUIT.
The maximum penalty for the crime
with which Wilde is charged, Is life
imprisonment and the minimum twenty
years Until 1884, when the law was
modified the penalty for the offence was
death. One thing Is certain, however.
that no matter what may be the out
come of the case, whether Wilde goes
free or IS sent 10 prison. the death knell
of Wilde has been rung and the corpse
Is prepared for burial The prurient
rlays OF Wilde and the Cognate
PRODUCTIONS "The Second Mrs. Tanque-
ray and THE Notorious Mrs EDDsmith,
which are now called "Plnerotc, are
doomed, and there Is strong reaction
towards a healthier treatment OF stage
representation, while the current decadent
literature will also get a setback.
THE WELSH pIsEsrABLIsgMEST BILL.
The political situation Is decidedly tame.
The Conservatives. who have been IN
expectation that the House or L)fds
will absolutely reject the Welsh church
6isestablishment bill, have been badly
shaken up by well-founded report that
Lcrd Salisbury is in communication with
the Bishops for the purpose OF
advising them the better way 10
avoid trouble is simply TO cor
ret IL In the committee OF the
whole. Meanwhile, however, the bishops
refuse to be parties 10 compromise,
but II is likely that they will eventually
be brought around to Lord Salisbury s
way Of thinking.
Tha efforts OF Archbishops Walsh and
Croke to reunte the Irish parties have
not been successful. The Parnellites de-
manded the cession TO them OF several
seats. but the anti-Parneliites refused
TO sccede TO this demand. Subsequently
both factions declined to entertain the
suggestion of a conference on the sub
iect, and the matter may, therefore,
be regarded az having fallen through.
Sir Henry James has introduced I'm the
House OF Commons a bill imposing a
penalty for the utterance OF any false
statement regarding THE character or
conduct OF any candidate for election
to Parliament, which may be circulated
during a contest for a seat and providing
that a seat shall be lost II the opposing
candidate or election agent shall be found
to be responsible for such statement.
COLLAPSE OF A GOLD BOOM.
A sensation was created or the Stock
Exchange to-day by the revelation that
the Londonderry gold mine. in Austria
liza, has petered out. The mine was
doomed by experts, as containing an In
exhaustible mass OF surfaced gold. and
financed through England through Colo
mel North. Lord F'ingal and other reputa-
ble men, In one-pound shares. The
shares were quoted a week ago at 3J
shil!ings share, but yesterday they
were not salable at any price. For sew
eral days prior to yesterday. the heavy
Gales OF these shares mystified the more
ereduious OF the share holders. but the
reason for this activity on the part Of
the sellers was not known until the d.
rsctors chose to make public telegram
dated Colgardie. April LIST. announcing