THE FALL OF OSCAR WILDE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 126, 28 May 1895, Page 2

THE FALL OF OSCAR WILDE.

HOW IT CAME ABOUT.

OUTLINE OF THE PROCEEDINGS,

PUBLIC OPINION IN LONDON.

OUR London correspondent writing on April I2bh says : — " The public owes a debb of gratitude to the Marquis of Queensberry for branding the high priest of a culb Which has been a black disgraceto London for the lasb 15 years. Lord Queensberry disliked Oscar Wilde bhe h'rab time he meb him, and labor intervened to atop Lord Alfred's . acquaintance with him. This Interference merely aggravated Lord Alfred's friendship for the apostle of " culchah." Moreover, not content with defying Ma erratic parenb(vyhich probably wouldn't .have mattered much), Lord Alfred chaffed him and scoffed at him. In reply to an indignant epistle calling Oscar unpleasant names, tho son wired "Oh ! you funny little man," whilst Oacar himself calmly ignored bhe Marquis. Thi.H treatment not unnaturally intensified Lord Queensberry's dislike. He went about raving againab Oscar, and. the latter having many enemies and having grown careless with immunity awkward evidence was soon in his lordship^e possession. Tho statemenbs the Marquis made everywhere became very serious, and bub for "old Q." being a notorious *' crank," Wilde couldn'b possibly have ignored them as long as he did. The scene on bhe promier of "The Importance of Being Earnest" broughb things to.a head. Mr Alexander expected Oscar to take Lord Queensberry and hi 3 bouquet of -vegetables as a joke to be skilfully burned against the joker. But Oscar seemed 'terrified, sent for the police and had every entrance strictly guarded. The actors and actresses were amazed. • Two days later a very influential personage' in bhe Arb world intimated to Oscar thab Lord Queensborry's mouth must be Btopped. His allegations were boo specific to be ignored. Mr Wilde thereupon pledged himself to take action ab the n'rsb opportunity. This was the time to halb or rather to " leave England for an indefinite period." Oscar rejected the opportunity. Hia conceit and egotism were colossal, ho bad turned many awkward corners in the past. Mother wib and brazan impudence mu3b enable him to negotiate this one. Lord Queenebei-ry, like " Brer Rabbit," lay low. The proceedings at the Police Courb reassured Oscar greatly. Ib was rumoured tho defence meanb to rsly on the "Priest and the Acolyte" and tho "Portrait of Dorian Gray " chiefly, " and they," as Oscar Baid to "Boysey"-(Lord Alfred Douglas), ••wont settle us."

TIIE.TRIAIi.

Mr Carson, Q.C., who conducted Lord Queensberry's case so brilliantly, was an undergraduate ab Triniby College, Dublin, with Oscar Wilde, and a member of the same class. Oscar was a scholar of Triniby, and one of the beat classics of his year. Mr Carson's academic career was comparatively undistinguished. On dit, a feud of 20 years' standing exists between the men, and Lord Queenabury, hearing of it, insisted on the member for Dublin University being retained for him. The reports of tho trial in the papers of course give only a meagre account of whab occurred. Ab the opening of his cross-examination, Mr Carson allowed Oacar to score off him again and again. The Court re-echoed with laughter ab the rather grim-looking advocate's expense. Suddenly, as Oscar lolled gracefuHy over the bar. of the witness-stand. blandly, Carson fired off a short, sharp question;' Its effect was_ magical. The plaintiff started in spite of himself, his liandß clutched the bar nervously, and he turned pale as death. In an instant all the question implied musb have flashed across him. Ib meanb discovery, social destruction, perhaps lifelong imprisonment Mr Carson repeated bhe query incisively. Oscar pulled himself togethor with a mighty effort, and replied. Bub from.thab moment "he was demoralised; Epigram and reparbee were abandoned. He grew angry, flustered and confused!, and made slip after -slip. Often, of course, his answerß were flab denials. But he bad to admit associating with a number of young men, valets, grooms and junior clerks wholly withoub culture or even education. Why did ho give these money and dinners and jewellery ? He could only cay because he liked bhem, because having young fellows round him was a joy and gave zesb to life, and because he was wholly indiflerenb to social distinctions. Questioned as to kissing one of the lads, Oscar made a bad slip. " Nonsense, 1' said 4&*~h9T~ t% tha fellow was too ugly." Carson seized on the inevitable inference to be drawn from this reply, and pressed Oscar terribly hard. He completely lost control of himself ab lasb, and cried, " You harry and ,> badger me till I'm so nervous I don'b know whab I'm saying." "Or say too much," :- put in" Carson, quietly. Ab the close of the prosecution the jury privabely inti- ' mated to the judge thab they wished to stop bhe case and find a verdict for defendant. An intimation to this efiecb was convoyed to Sir Edward Clarke. He consulted with Wilde, and they defe. termined, after learning bhe strength of H the case from Carson's opening, to throw I up the sponge.

THE ARREST.

•".Wilde's explanation of his collapse is thab he could not prove bis case without putting Lord Alired Douglas in the box ogainab his parent, and this he declined to do. "I prefer to bear what ever ignominy and shame may result from my prosecuting Lord Queensberry myself." The new Public Prosecutor lost no time in following up the verdict. Within three hours the police, Sir James Ingham (Chief Magistrate ab Bow-street), the Home Secretary and the aforesaid oflicial, had reviewed the depositions, and at 2 p.m. "Oscar Wilde i 3 wanted by the police " had been wired to every station in the metropolis, and he was arrested and lodged in the cells for the night.

AT THIS POLICE CODRT.

Oscar Wilde was broughb up at Bowstreet on Saturday, and charged under the eleventh section of the Criminal Law Amendment Act with felonious practices. The case had hardly begun before Taylor, the alleged procurer of lads for vicious purposes, was placed hi the dock beside Oscar, having just been arrested. Mr Gill (for the Crown) sairl that the police had known of Taylor's infamous occupation for years, but could never aecura satisfactory evidence to Jay him by the heels. Now, however, they thongbb they had all that was necessary. Four witnesses wore examined on Saturday two brothers (Charles and William Parker), "T/aylor'a landlady and Sydney Mayor. 'Jharlea Parker is a valeb, and William Parker a groom. Both are slight, fair young fellows, and were in deadly fear. They evidently had been aasured that there waa no alternative cave between the wit-ness-box and the dock. Chas. Parker deposed that when out of a situation in March i 893, he went to the St. James's restaurant jne afternoon with hie brother. They there >nefc Taylor, who said Oscar was "a good man " (for money), and kind to youths. A dinner at a restaurant followed and a number of meetings in private ab which certain im proprieties took placg and for which snbness received money. William Parker md Mayor gave similar evidence. It id right to state here that the charge *b present alleged against Wilde is not (as .uost of tho public imagine) the most serious which could be made. It is merely filthy, 'and the maximum penalty under* tho Criminal Law Amendment/ Act is two years. . Tho papers talking aboab Oscar .getting ten and fifteen yeora, simply »«ddrino where they are." .;: Taylor's iandladjv a. stupid old woman, evidently selected to wait" upon him Because

of her denseness, described his rooms. He burnt quantities of pastilles, and the curtainß in the drawing-room were drawn and the gas lit' day as well as night. Young risen were • consbanbly coming to see Taylor. They usually drank champagne. Witness did nob recognise , the prisoner Wilde. To the best of her belief she had never seen him before. Oscar heaved a sigh of relief. " But you've heard of Mr Wilde?" inquired Mr Gill taken aback. " Never 'card 'is name," replied the woman. " Didn'b you ever hear the Parkers or Taylor mention him ?" said Mr Gill. "No, never," persisted the witness. " Whom did they talk about then•?" "They was allus going on aboub a man called Hosker." "Oscar, you mean?" "Yes, that's'im." (Laughter.) Abthe close of Saturday's proceedings, the case was adjourned till yesterday (Thursday), bail being refused. Mr Wilde was removed in" Black Maria " to Holloway Castle, in a cell whereof he has had abundant time to distinguish between the beautiful and bha degradingly prosaic.

A UNITKD FAMILY.

Lord Douglas of Hawick stated to a re* porter on Friday thab "every member o' our family excepting my father, utterly and absolutely disbelieves the allegations of the defence concerning Mr Wilde." This, however, was promptly contradicted by His Lordship's' uncle tho Hon. and Rev. Lord Archibald Douglas, who, on behalf of Lady Queensberry and hia sister stated thab they did "most certainly believe the allegations against Wilde and repudiated all sympathy with his nephew's statement." Between the Police Courb proceedings in the libel rase and the trial, Lord Queensberry senb Oscar a contemptuous message advising him to bolt bub not to take Lord Alfred with him. It he did the Marquis might follow and shoot him. Oscar's reply was to go abroad at onco with Lord Alfred and bo send " old Q." his address.

FCBLIC OPINION,

Great is the power of the verdict of a British jury. On Friday morning lasb tha plain tift in the Quesnsberry libel case was •" Mr Oscar Wilde," the" apostle of culture," and an undoubted leader of London society. Despite the rumours concerning his gross and foetid immorality, which have been freely current for over twenty years, there were very few smart houses where he was nob an honoured guest. To be quibe just, certain wellknown persons, as for instance Lord and Lady Bath and Mr and Mrs Gladstone, have never stomached him. Bub these exceptions were not numerous. Even as late as Thursday night, Oscar was the hero of a big " crush." It was his lust. Twenty-four hours later the reporters do longer prefixed the well-known name with Mr. He became " Wilde," or " the man Wilde," or tho " infamous Wilde."

The papers; with one or tv/o exceptions, passed by the trial without comment. Tho '-• Daily Twaddlegraph," which has on many occasions "gushed "fulsomoly anenb Oscar's "coruscating wit,"and "undoubted genius," now dilated on his " spurious brilliancy, inflated egotism, diseased vanity and shameless disavowal of all morality." I preferred the tone of the " Chronicle," which summed up tho situation and its moral accurality thus:—For long past London life, or—lot us say—a small and obscure section of it, has been under tho shadow of a black cloud. Everybody has suspected and feared; nobody—no decent person—has known. There was some centre whenco a mosb deadly infection spread ; it was apparent in a'certain class of literature. Now the jury has declared that even a man of unattractive character bag done a public benefit in branding one of the most prominent figures in our drama, our literature, and a by no means " unfashionable " section of society. Upon the gen6si3 of this pose—upon the causes of this degradation of great natural abilities and talents almost amounting to genius—we will not dwell. Suffice it to know tbab : as some return for the undamming of this putrid stream, our life— to go no sfcep beyond the verdict of the jury yesterday —is rid forever of a pestiferous poseur. " Decadence " among us has received a death-blow, and the way has been cleared for an increased wholesomenesa of life. Public opinion has been so sharply screwed up during the past two days that certain things in current art and literature, no leas than in conduct, will be intolerable for ab least a long time bo como. One aspect of .this sombre and dreadful case forces itself on the public view, and cannot be withheld from it. We seem for some unhappy hours to have been the shuddering witnesses of a bastard revival of society under the later Roman Empire, or of tho dark background of tho Italian Renaissance. That is a grave tact, which mueb bo recorded, albeit wo set it down with "mourning and lamentation and woe." The esthetic movement has been dragged into the mud. Greab names are associated with ita earlier influences, names ac greab as those of Keats and of Ruskin, and of Dante, Gabriel Roseetti and as pure and high as the name of Christina Rossetti. Bu6 all things—even the noblest—are subject to contamination, and we must bear, with whab patience we may, bhe feeling bhab essentially righb and inevitable tendencies in art and in literature have baen foully proatibuted.