Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-05-26

the Penalty Provided in the Law
Was Not More Severe-An Auto
graph Statement by Wilde-He
Loves Youth and Knows No
Difference in Social Conditions.
London, May 25.-Oscar Wilde's
trial having reached its final stage, the
Old Bailey court room was filled with
interested spectators almost as soon as
the doors We're opened to-day Sir
Frank Lockwood, the solicitor general,
resumed his address to the jury.
/ Referring to the much commented
upon letters which Wilde wrote to
Lord Alfred Douglas. counsel said that
I the jury had been told they were too
low to appreciate such poetry, and he
thanked God that it was so, as it
showed they were above the level Of
beasts applause, which the judge
promptly suppressed)
Justice Wills began summing up at
1:3Op. m. The general tenor of his ad-
dress to the jury was favorable to
/ Wilde.
The jury retired at $50 p. m. They
returned to court at $50 p. IN. with
/ verdict of guilty.
The jury found Wilde guilty on all
the counts of the indictments, includ-
ing the charge with reference to per-
/ sons unknown who were also pro-
nounced TO be guilty This probably
refers
TO THE SAVOY HOTEL
I evidence. to which place Wilde was ac-
Cused of taking Charles ParkeJ. gen
/ tieman's servant after treating the lat
. ter to a choice dinner at Ketmers res
tauranL The announcement of the
/ verdict caused great sensation i'm
I court as it was the general impression
/ that Wilde would escape conviction.
After short interval the judge call
/ ed Wilde and Taylor who was con-
. yicted of immoral practices last week,
. TO the bar and they We're each SEN
fenced to two years imprisonment at
hard labor.
While the jury was out, at the re-
cues OF the representative of the AS
socla ed Press Wilde's counsel pro-
cure8 l,t tollOwi-E igned statement
from Wilde, who was waiting in the
prisoners room below the dock:
"Ehe charges alleged against me are
totally untrue. Youth in every form
always fascinated me because youth
has naturally that temperament to
which the artists try to attain. 1 have
/ no sense at all of social grades. l love
/ society and the rich and we'll born on
account of their luxury culture. the
/ grace of their lives, the paterual acci-
/ dents of the comedy of life. But. any
/ one, ploughboy fisherman. or street
/ Arab, has an interest for me. Mere
/ humanity is so wonderful. l do not
/ ask of the young what they do. I don't
. care who they are Their ignorance
/ has it's mode of wisdom; their lack of
culture leaves them open 10 fresh and
f vivid Impressions.
CSigned OSCAR WILDE"
The document from which the above
/ statement is cabied to the Associated
/ Press is written throughout i'm
WILDE'S OWN WRITING,
which is extremely graceful and firm,
I ON q sheet of fOOlscap paper, and it is
/ signed with a flourish.
When the foreman of the jury had
/ delivered the verdict, Wilde, who had
; entered the prisoners dock a moment
/ before rose from the chair upon which
I bo has 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
/ painful, as Justice Wills ordered that
/ Alfred Taylor should also be summon
ed before him. Then in a voice trem-
bling with emotion, the judge said: Il
/ 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 tI\t
/ YOU Taylor. should be the keeper OF q
male br0thel, and that YOU, Wilde, a
/ man of reputed culture, should be
\ such q
PERVERTING OF YOUNG MEN.
/ There is no doubt but that the verdict
/ is q just one. and / shall give YOU the
/ full penalty allowed by law, aud l only
/ regret that it is not more severe. YoO
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 royed around the court room,
/ his face never changed color and he
/ looked like q man who had made up
|Tis mind to make C. best of bad sit
uation. Taylor smiled when sentence
was pronounced.
AS Wilde turned i'm the dock and pre-
pared to- go back into the prisoners
room the crowd present cried shame,
shame" This shouting caused Justice
Wills TO rise and eXclaim i'm loud and
| determined voice, silence, silence.
During the time the jury was debat-
] ina uuou the verdict Lord Douglas OF
| HaWiCk strOlled out of the court room
and into the court yard. where he walk
ed about. nervously smoking a cigar
efe. His face still shows traces of
his recent encounter with his father
his eve being much discolored. Dur
inc the final stages of Wilde's trial to-
/ day there was an immense crowd in
/ 'front.' of the old Bailey and the win
/ dovs of an the ueighboring houses
we're filled with highly interested spec
/ oscar Wilde and Taylor were, after
the conclusion OF the trial conveyed
/ v.irhout delay. TO the Newgate jail
,,br-a they waited until warrants were
stoned for their detention. Both men
0.sre then conveyed in the prison van
| 7,..,+,,,,-iIla where they Will serve