THE LONDON SOCIETY. SCANDAL. OSCAR WILDES COLLAPSE AND ARREST.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8172, 2 May 1895, Page 4

THE LONDON SOCIETY. SCANDAL. OSCAR WILDES COLLAPSE AND ARREST.

(nnt MAIL sTEVMKU VT AIVKLINU ) The collupso of Oscar WiKl'a caso and BubBc<|uent arrest, says tho cor* respondent of the ' New York World ' on .")th April, have caused ft sensation without parallel jn London since tho exposure and flight of tho forger Pi^ott during the sitting of the Parnell Commission. Still, since Wilde's firab day's testimony tho result wag foreseen. The expectation was thab tho jiuy would stop the trial and return n verdicb for Lord Queeoaberry. Wilde's lawyers acted wisely in consenting bo a verdicb at the stage the suib had reached. If Lord Queensberry's wit* nesses had been examined the judge would have had do recourse, bub musb have issued a warraob for Wilde's arresb on a charge entailing as a maximum a penalty of twenty yeaia' imprisonment, bub upon the evidence already unfolded, if Wilde is convicted ib can only bo of a misdemeanor, for which the maximum penalty is two years' imprisonment Wilde looked a changed man this morning ns ho Blunk into the court buildings. His complexion was ghastly, and altogether ho bad the aspect of a man who had passed a wakeful and anxious night. To an interviewer Wilde stated, in a nervous tone quite unlike Ins flippant audacity as n witness, thab he had withdrawn from the oase to spare Lord Douglas the pain of testlfyinq against his fathor, adding thab he willingly sacrificed himself for bis f fiend. Tbab was tho ho'lowesb 'bluff Tho tiuth is that Wilde's chief lawyer, Sir Edward Clarke, decided after the close of Thursday's proceedings to withdraw from tbo suib. Th ; s deacision was immediately communicated to Oscar, hence tho restless, hopeless night he passed. WiHe's lawyers say that up to thab time he had never evinced the slightest appreciation ol the enormity of the accusations against him. It was only when the immiuont prospect of bis taking Lord Queensberry's p'nee in the dock dawned upou him that he losb bis self-command, Tho mass of testimony ready to be giveu against him, as forshadowed by Lord Quoensberry's counsel, took Wilde completely back. The c World's ' correspondent heard that this tostimony was tendered by tho police to Lord (Queensberry's lawyers, ib having accumulated during their investigation?. They had planned a public prosecution if the case had proceeded. Ib is rumored thab one of the reasons why Sir Edward Clarke decided to stop tho trial was thab to go on would have involved the disclosure of tbo names of distinguished personages, but this story is discredited. If Wilde had escaped to the < ontinenb he would have been safo from arrest, as he cou d not have been extradicted under the charge. It was reported he had fled but he was seen in Chelsea at 1 p.m. to-day, and was arrested by 7 p.m. Mra Wilde who is distrncted with grief at tbo turn affairs have taken, bas aboub LGOO a year of her own. For tho last three years she has received no financial help from her huaband. Ever since the Police Courb proceed"* inga the bookings for both Wilde's pieces have steadily dec ined. The London public will never tolerato the performance of any more of his plays. Thus his principal means of livelihood is gone, and as bo lived very extravagautly ho has nothing from the large income be has had for tome years.

FLIGHT PROJECTED. A later London cable says : Oecar Wilde was arrested by a detective of Scotland Yard this afternoon on charges growing oub of bis own evidence given in the libel suit againsb Lord Queensborry, which was decided ngainsb the dramatisb to-day. The warranb was issued on the application of Sir George Lewis, on behalf of the Public Prosecutor. After tbo trial this afternoon Wilde went to the Westminster Bank, where be drew out the funds to his accounb, after which he waB constantly shadowed. He returned to hiß hotel, accompanied by Lord Alfred Douglas, only reraainiug a few minutes, after which they drove off to Ely Place, and bhence to the Cadogan Hotel where they vanished. The Scotland Yard authorities issued deecripbions of Wilde, and spread them over the city, and he was oaptured bofore he could geb oub of the country, as was evidently his intention. He waa taken to Scotland Yard and locked up ; then he was taken to Bow Btreet and placed in the dock. At the police station he stood with his hands in his pockets while the charge againsb him waB being taken. The police in. bpector then read the charge aloud, and asked Wilde if he bad anything to say, adding the usual warning thab anything he said mighb be used againsb him. The prisoner, apparently indifferent), made no reply. He was then searched, after which he was locked in a cell. Subsequently Lord Alfred Douglas wenb to the police station and inquired whether Wilde would be admittod to bail. The police inspector explained tbab Wildo waa arrested for a criminal offence, which did nob allow of bail being accepted until be had been arraigned in courb. Lord Alfred seemed greatly diabressed by this information. Sworn informations have been lodged againsb several persona mentioned in the trial, Borae of whose names were nob made public. They will be arrested,

WILDE'S EXPLANATION, Tho Evening Nowa to day received the following letter from Oacar Wilde, written upon note paper of the Holborn Hotel : "Ib would have been impossible for me to have proved my case without putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness-box againtb bis father. He wai extremely anxious to go into tbe witneB3-box bub I would not let him. Ratbcr than pub him in so painful r position I determined to withdraw from the oase and boar upon mv own oboulders whatever ignomioyftnavbaaie wig'ib reiull from my proicoutioa of tbe M»r(jHJi o{ Q\l9W)\Wtty i "e*Qw\l\