The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-05-30

the jury was favorable to Wilde. During
his address. the foreman of the jury
asked whether during the intimacy be-
tween Lord Douglass and Alfred Wood
one of the men whose name has been
prominently brought into the case war
rant for Lord Alfred's arrest had never
been issued. The judge replied that he
thought not.
The foreman of the jury then asked if
it had ever been contemplated to issue a
warrant for the arrest of Lord Alfred
Douglass. To this the judge replied that
he could not say, and the court adjourned
for lunch
When court re-assembled for business
the judge said that the suspicion that
Lord Alfred would be spared if guilty
simply because he was Lord Alfred
Douglass. was a wild idea and a matter
which they would not discuss. The pres
ent inquiry was as to whether the man in
the dock was guilty of immoral practices
with certain persons.
Justice Wills concluded at the eXpira.
ton of two hours, whereupon the jury re-
tired.
The jury returned to court at $50 p
m, after having been absent two hours
and returned a verdict of guilty against
the defendant. Wilde was sentenced tC
two years Imprisonment with hard labor
Alfred Taylor, Wilde's associate, was
also sentenced to two years imprison
ment with hard labor.
The jury found Wilde guilty on all
the counts of the Indictment including
the charge with reference to persons un
known, who We're also pronounced to be
guilty.
This probably refers to the Savoy hote
evidence, to which place Wilde was ac
cuSed of taking ChaS. Parker, a gentle
mans servant after treating the latter
TO choice dinner at Kettner's restaurant
The announcement of the verdict caused
a great sensation in court as it was the
general impression that Wilde would es
cape conviction.
After short interval the judge callet
W Hide and Taylor, who was convicted o
IMMORAL practices last week, to the bar
ana they were each sentenced to two year,
Imprisonment at hard labor
While the jury was out, at the reQues
OF the representative of the Associated
lreSS, Wilde'S counsel procured the fol
lowing signed statement from Wilde. VIII,
was waiting in the prisoners room below
the dock.
The charges alleged against me ar,
entirely untrue. Youth in every form
always fascinated me because youth ha
naturally that temperament to which
me artists try to attain. | have no sense
~ all OF social grades. | love society anC
me rich and we'll born on account of thei
| luxury culture, the grace of their lives
| me external accidents of comely life
but any one. ploughboy, fisherman o
street arab, has interest for me. Mer,
humanity is 50 wonderful, l do not asl
OF, the young what they do; do not carr
VINO they are. Their ignorance has it
mode of wisdom; their lack of cultur,
| leaves them open to fresh and vivid i'm
| preSSionS OSCAR WILDE.
The document from which the abov,
| statement is cabled to the Associate,
Press is written throughout is in Wilde
own writing, which is extremely grace
tul and firm, on a sheet of foolscap paper
ana 1t is signed with flourish.
When the foreman of the jury delivere,
the verdict, Wilde. who had entered tn
prisoners dock a moment before. rOs
from the chair upon which he had beel
seated throughout the trial and stood will
his arms on the rail of the dock.
The silence which prevailed Throughout
the court room was really painful, a
Justice Wills ordered that Alfred TaylO
should also be summoned before him
Then, with voice trembling with emo
! ton, the justice said:
] Il never before had such shockiu!