The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-02
WILDE JURY DIsAGREEs.
The Courts Charge Impartial ana
the Jury Out over Three Hours.

London, May 1.-The Old Bailey court
room was crowded at the opening of the
Wilde trial this morning. There was a
good deal of speculation as to what course
the judge would pursue in his charge to
the jury and the consensus of opinion
seemed to be that the result of the trial
depended more upon the charge than upon
the views taken by the jurors.
Wilde looked careworn and anxious, but
Taylor maintained the air of unconcern
which has characterized him throughout.
Justice Charles, in beginning his charge,
said that the evidence had not sustained
the charge of conspiracy and he, there
fore directed the jury to acQuit the prison
ers of those charges.
The judge then proceeded to analyze
the evidence, solely referring to Wilde
and begged the jury to dismiss from their
minds all press comments ana other out
side expressions of opinion upon the case.
1t was wholesome rule, he said, to re-
fuse to accept the uncorroborated testi-
mony OF an accOmplice. He was of the
opinion, however, that there was corrobo-
ration in the testimony of all
the witnesses in the sense that
the law required. 1t did not, il was true,
amount to seeing an actual act, but it
showed the relations and general conduct
of the parties. The young men who had
been called to the witness stand were not
only accomplices but Parker, Wood and
Atkins were properly described as black
mailers. Furthermore, Atkins had told
deliberate falsehoods within the hearing
of the jury In weighing the details Of the
evidence of these witnesses the jury could
not overlook the fact that they were per-
sons of character which they themselves
had asserted.
The judge then proceeded to trace the
history of the Queensberry trial In re-
gard to Wilde's literature, he did not
think that in a criminal case a jury
ought to base an unfavorable inference
upon Wilde's authorship of Dorian
Grey" As regarded the story of the
nd 40. II 49,. H..
magazine he thought 1t would be absurd
to impute blame to Wilde. The sonnets
of Lord Alfred Douglas which Wilde had
approved were. much more material, as
also were Wilde's letters, which Carson,
in the Queensberry trial, had described as
horribly Indecent. These letters were
but Wilde denied that there was any
thing in them to be ashamed of. The
jury, the judge also said, must exercise
letters.
He then procesied to deal at length
with the case of the young man Shelly,
mail. Shellys letters showed that his
mind had become excited. In regard to
the evidence of hotel servants and other
persons in similar positions, the judge
said. that what they saw was only seen
when they answered a bell call from
Wilde. An instance of this was shown
in the testimony of a chambermaid, who
swore TO having seen a boy in the room
but admitted that Wilde had asked the
hoy to come to the room and light
fire.
The judge, in concluding his charge,
said the case was one of great impor-
lance to the community. II the jury be-
lieved the charges against the prisoner
were true they should say so fearlessly.
The jury retired at 80 o'clock
After celebrating three and half hours
the jury returned to the court room and
announced that they had failed to agree
upon verdict. They were thereupon
discharged and the prisoners were re-
manded for a new trial. Application was
made for admission of Wilde and Taylor
to bail, but the judge refused to accept
bail for either of them.
The jury acquitted Wilde of the charges
against him in connection with Atkins
and reported to the court that 1t was i'm
possible for them to agree in regard to
the other charges. They, however, ac-
quilted him Of the charges of conspiracy
Mr. Gill, for the prosecution, said that
the case would undoubtedly be tried at
the next sessions.
Wilde and Taylor were returned to Hol-
ioway jail.