Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-04-04
OSCAR WILDE IN COURT.
The Apostle OF Estheticism Has TO Appear
in u Bcastiy Libel suit
Doncherknoy.

l
in Bcastly Libel suit
| Doncherknow.
| London. April 3,-Every available inch OF
| the old Bailey was occupied this morning
/ when the hearing Of the libel suit of oscar
| Wilde against the Marquis OF Queensberry
| was opened before Justice Collins. oscar
| Wilde charged the marquis with libel by
| leaving, February 2s. an uncovered card at
| the Albermarle Club on which was written
! certain disgracefu epithets. Admission TO
| the court was obtained by ticket only. and
| the shcrim In charge showed pile of appli-
cations a loot high, many OF them being
! IRON qn wei known people.
! Inc marquis, who wore n shabby over
| coat; was placed In the dock, and answered
| to the Indictment by pleading Iirst. not
| true, and that 1t was published for the
public good. lie seemed unconcernsd and,
| spoke quietly and clearly.
! sir Edward Clarke. former solicitor gen.
card eft at the Hi6ermale %S ti Glib 3st for Mr e
! W llde was one of the visiting cards of the
mhq1r9qbis ih1 bs Of SH,eiep1s6srry ,i1 qnd it Tas apon
| est Issues had been raised 10y the defendant
IN MS pleadings: Certain letters, addressed
second son OF the Marquis OF Queensberry,
We're brought to The plaintiff by g man who
| him Slp with which to pay his passage TO
america. Another letter was handed to Mir
| the plaintiff. Counsel then rccountcd the
| story OF me presentation of the card,
! ''NtuT NllHc was tIpn called ana lHr-
| ggiily arose from the solicitors, table.
| where he was seated, and entered the wit
| n black frock coat and carried his gloves
| In his hands. showing his fingers covered
with rings He was very pale. but, was
! customary druwl. leaning his arms upon
| the rail Of the witness box and replying
| him. The fury, which was composed Of
| very Intelligent mon Of elderly appearance.
mainly prosperous tradesmcn, eyed him
/ with CURIOSITY. He said that arriving
! at his house few months ago he found
them was the the, MARQUIS f Of Queensberry' ana
the Other IS. w9s unknown 70 him The for
talk that way in my house ! suppose
/ you have come TO apologize" The mar
| quis replied by making an insulting innu-
Counsel for. the plaintiff then asked the
given 800 with which to nay his passage
! TO America. wilde said; THE man told me
| | advised him to Immediately accept it,
! But | finally gave him the money In
der TO relieve his distress, and he gave me
The document referred to was handed to
Justice Collins. 1t addressed Lord Alfred
ed Wth m nTdvnF love es 6scar @ WtS Counsel
! in explaining this letter. said 1t might
seem extrayaEant to those who We're, in the
| habit of writing commercial letters, but he
added that it .wss mere poetry, us,,
in he case Nn was i'm si M whfn G
rect examination OF his client turned the
latter over 20 M. e H. Carson g. G., NJ
| for cross-eNamination. Mr. Carson began
the presentation Of the cases for the mar
S;r5v one eeSt Of Oscar wiiie's novels 5S Of nod
| ern life. the plaintiff following with a copy
| Of the book and laughing at Mr. Carson's
Mr.. Carson then asked: DO you, think
On 6a"5 6ass se sx aSsfP2n m5fa 29"n cray give"
YES" replied Wilde, "iust. what an, art,
ist would notice IN beautiffgl nersGmaliitHy1
| in Dorian Gray any man younger than
y9ursel[?' was the next question ,,a e,o,,
| shalespeare's sonnets.'
| Wilde testified to the fact that the, man
letter dbout Lord Alfred Douglas. which
amount was used d., to vEy. pay his passage to
Replying to other questions put to him
| by Mr.. Carson, Wilde said the letter to
Lord Alfred was merely "poet!ear "a, and he
friend. lie denied having missondgGte,d
was introduced to him by Lord Alfred, who
asked him to hefriend the man ~ -.
! Wilde and Wood, il was also shown by
| the cross-eXami mination. addressed each other
| by their Christian names.
! did not concern himself TO produce moral
Iity or immortality. He had no purpose n
/ literature. beauty wit and emotion. He
rarely Thought that anything he wrote was
I tru"-ln3eel ne UllBNL say NEVER III iSShl'
Sir Edward clarke objected to Mr.. Car
/ son Cross-eXamining his client on that novel
/ rs it appeared in Lippincotts Maga2ine and
/ not as it was published In England. Wilde
| thereupon left the witness box and Whis-
/ which Sir Edward Clarke withdrew his OBJ
Tho cross-examination was very severe
! and brought out the great differences in
/ the ages Of Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred
/ Douglas Cthe former was born In 1906 ana
| The latter In 1870. how the two had visited
/ various towns together. stopped at the
/ savoy hotel together and how Lord Alfred
/ visited WiIdc's rooms in St. James place,
whIch he maintained in addition to his
house at No lG Ti,e street, 5, Y.
/ Mr. Carson then drew out Mr.. Wildes
| opinions regarding literature In general, to
| which line Of cross-oxa mination the plaint-
| I'M made many smart reSnonSes IN the
same line as in his plays. The interpreta-
| Hon Of my works does not concern me-"
pence for what the Philistnes think about
Hut Mr.. Carson severely repressed the
levity Of the witness and began the more
+ serious phase of the -eNamlnanon.
/ Wilde was troubled and confused under the
terrible cross eNamination 10 which he was
/ subjected. and frequently drank water: IN
fact ne seemed ready to faint and a chair
was placed inside the witness stand for his
I use. ~, ,,.
tn the Marquis Of Quecnsberry stood fac
Ing him and aid not take his eyes off the
The oross-examlnatiou Of Wilde was not
finished when the court adjourned at y;
H. large crowd of people Assembled
about the OlG Bailey in order 10 see NlIue
leave the court.