THE OSCAR WILDE SCANDAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10363, 18 May 1895, Page 7

THE OSCAR WILDE SCANDAL.

(I'hom Odb Own Cokbe3pondent.)

London, April 5. ' , Of course the "fashionable sensation" of the week has been the trial of Lord Queensberry ou the charge of criminally libelling Mr Oscar Wilde. " A person named Oscar Wilde " was how the judge, in charging the grand jury, specified this celebrated (or notorious) personage. It will be remembered that Lord Qaeeusberryleftat Mr Wilde's club a card on which was written words, that virtually accused Mr •Wilde-of a vile crime, and that on the f*ct coming to his knowledge the latter caused the Marquis to be; arrested forthwith for criminal libel. He was committed for trial, and the grand jury found a true bill against him. The trial is now proceeding. •■_■•.. •Yesterday the Daily Chronicle reported the proceedings to the extent of Gve solid columns, the Telegraph gave four and a-half, the Standard three and. la-half,'the Times and Morning ■ Pest each two; and a-half, tlie Daily' New? and Daily Graphic each two column's;,. Permit" me here, figuratively; to uplift1 my hands "in-Gutter amazement that respectable; journals should have allowed.thehv columns;to be defiled by ■floods of filthy allusions and revolting innuendo which flows through the whole ■ evidence in j this disgusting,case. To. me it seems most deplorable and discreditable that such loathsome.garbage should be reported in respectable 3ourhals. which are presumably, fit for family ;■ perusal. One-need not be » purist or a prude to be genuinely and intensely shocked that such' ah experience should have been possible. One^ evening paper, the St James's Gazette, to its great and abiding credit be it. said, resisted the temptation to wallow in this, filth, arid refused to report the case at all beyond a mere statement of the plain facts, much as they are set forth above. / , The, St.' James's, expresses its conviction that most cleanly-minded people .will' be glad "that there is at least, one London newspaper torday which.can be read without a shudder by persons of ordinary decent feeling, 'which need not ba excluded from'a household where thera.are women and young girls, wihich can be permitted to lie on the drawing room table without offence, and which can be taken into the family circle without apprehension." An .earnest, appeal is made by. the same paper for the hearing of suchoases in camera. It admits' the temptation under which newspapers lie' to publish sensational matter, and argues that they should be protected from themselves and th6ir readers from them by the court having the power to forbid the publication of indecent evidence. It is terrible to think of inquisitive boys and. girls-read ing this; mornirig?a papers. {■' ;.-.i-Whai riiakes the1 ;.<vhole ; -'thing- evenrrh]Ore; ■•offensive ; than'it-is ft* \i-\iVafy unblushing way: '.ltF which JMri Wilde- utilises; the:;;caSe:'as' an, adverEisepJentCpf,; himself' aiidjiiia,wares; v.X •!^?^:^^3?^!!!!4e»ti9'i^.theV•fllppa^ie>latd•■ •Ppertwencies and irreievancies";with; which ;he''showed off " to" an admiring audience: He ..■ re'idently been at work ,for weeks :.'mugging up " qmart Hayings and quips and paradoxes .with which to astonish his hearere.' ,Bojne of them are worth quoting, if only to show how far sheer impudence may be carried-by a witness in a court of law. ■.';'■ ■ .

Mr Wilde, by the way, confessed5 to 39 years of age, bub in cross-examination admitted to being born,in 1851. Asked if'""a certain book was immoral, he replied—" It is worse,1 it is badly written." Mr Wilde holds that "wickedness raa myth; invented by good people/ that religions die when; they are proved ■to be ;trae," that,'Mf one tells the truth one is sure;i sooner.or later, to'be found out." This last is characterised'as "a pleasing paradox." " Auy■thms," said Mr Wilde,.-" is. good that stimulates thought. , .-. .-, . There is no such thing as morality,or imtrio^ality in thought. ' :\-..", Pleasure is the only thing one should live for nbthing ages like ..happiness .: . . (another pleasing paradox!) and to 'realise oneself through pleasure is finer than to do: so- through pamv ;f . ... A truth-ceases to be! truewhen more ..than oqe person believes it "-^-" that,". said.Oacar, ;', would be my metaphysical; definition pf, truth; something: so personal that: the sam,e truth could .aevar be 'appreciated s by two minds."' .'•.'..-.•!.:.■. ,'.>.•:■";.•• ■■.....- -. .•■ ■■

; }.: \ 'The,'condition ~ of perfection its', idlehess "' that, Mr Wilde.;thinks, is at least "half;true " He,.says further."there is something.tragic about the enormous number Of young' man ,in. England' who"are■• startariglife With perfect oto-' £les. and end. by'adbptiDg -so'me'useful^'prb-' d essip.a.? : ;a»is .Mr«Wild.fr' describes'a<i w &n: l amunng,pa,r l ad,ox.!K^A.U.theseisapiant"aph6rismß are,from Mr Wilde's " Phrasei aad PhUoßophv for.the Use of the Young.:M:.They were submitted -to him in cross-examination for an- expression of his matured opinion on their merits :Mr, Wilde' further stated that.the only.critic, of the century whosa opinion he set.high" was Mr Walter Pater: "That covvrork of art ever ■pints forward■.;views' of .any kind. 'Views' to people who are,not artists." '..He' held that the tone of his own writings' could only be deemed immoral by "brutes arid the .illiterate—theviews'roS 'the-PHi?Vstines"on^'art:"^ said Oscar, iii'arg .incalculably :stupid "-"He"-.was-.-afcaia -the.' majority ,qf 'were':not; cultivated enough.to live up to thepose'he had' given them;rbut, t still,-,he .admitted;-Jhe-h^di 'Vnever discouraged their buying his books " He begged that he might not be cross-examined about /'the ignorance pf,,other. people," and declared he had "a great.passion to civilise the community." He described one of his own letters to a friend as "« a beautiful. letter" Was it an ordinary letter?" asked obi*-: sel..'? Certainly.not; I ahbuld think' riot!" replied Mr Wilde, -indignantly, amid roars of laughter. >' It was a beautiful letter-unique, I should.thinkv!' Have .you written othew 6f this;.clas? ?'';.,was;■ next asked. .-««. There is:no °\W «>that,,letter,":said,Mr Wilde, proudly 'Have you: written others like it?" ''I don t repeat myself, in style": was the lofty reply-.. '. .• ..... ..''■.. ■

.Another letter was read. "Don't; you think that is_ an extraordinary letter ?" asked counsel I think everything I write is extraordinary" answered the modest Oscar. »I don't pose as bmog ordinary! Great Heavens! !»• Several people had^ attempted to blackmail him, ■With tae result that ne gave thsin money-very freely and apparently constituted them his personal .'.^a? henceforward, calling them by their Christian names, regaling them., atdinner, .champagne, lunches, &0., and otherwise'entertaining them. "Everybody, with few exceptions, calls me by my Christian name," said the poetic Oscar,-and ~1 like calling people by their Christian names." He did think it " monstrous " that.a man with whom he was on such intimate terms should come to blackmail him, so he gave him 10s••• toshow my contempt for. him.-toTshow:i didn't'cafe •twopenceifor him !! ;,,» Didyou call hirn^lf!??':;wss asked. i'Wofr replied-.Mt;:Wilde,.. solemnly^"I never' use./;abbreviations., I ; called ;,him«- Alfred•■" T Being. asked whether;anpther passage ia.one' of his .writings, was proper, Mr-.Wilde said,. -t' I think it is the most perfect description possible of what an artist would feel." Asked whether he ever had the feoling'of admiration for another which one of his heroes expresses, O3car loftily responded, "I have never given udmiration ■to any person except myself!" He regarded it as ',' an intellectual treat" to his guests to be allowed to visit him. He did not know their ages because he " did not keep a cenßus." He did not visit them. "It would not interest me to go and see Parker; it would interest Parker to call arid see me," said Mr Wilde. "I do not like the sensible arid I do not like the old," he remarked, " and Ido not care twopence for social position. I recognise no social distinction at all of any kind; I like the society of people much younger than myself. The society of young people is "so,, wonderful! I would talk to a street arab with more pleasure than I would be cross-examined by you in court." When asked if one visitor discussed literature with him "I would not allow it," said Of car sternly.

TiieSo touches are amusing and characteristic of the man. He is emphatically a poseur and phraseur. He lives for notoriety. Some of the correspondence between Lord Queensberry and his aon whom he desired to save from Oscar Wilde's influence is, to say the least, curions; The Marquis wrote commanding him to cease his friendship with Wilde, and remonstrating with him for his idleness and "loafing." To this the dutiful son replied iii the? following -telegram : —r" : What: a,.* funny little mad' you are!" His father not unnaturally rejoined:;? You impertinent' young* jackanapes, if yon give me any of your impertinence I: shall give you the thrashing- yoi deserve;. My only excuse for; you is that' you must be crazy." ' ' ■ ■ : '.■ :■■•■■■■:)'■■

To this the affectionate son responded with the following, written on a postcard:—" As you have returned my letters unopened, I am obliged to write on a postcard. I write to inform you that I treat your absurd threats with absolute indifference. Ever since your exhibition at O. W.-'s home I have made a point of appearing withhim at many public restaurants, and I shall continue to go to any of those places whenever I choose, and with whom I choo?e. I am of age, and my own master. You have disowned me at least a dozen times, and have very meanly deprived me of money. You have therefore no right over me, either legal or moral. If q. W. was to prosecute you for libel in the criminal courts, you would get seven years' penal servitude for the 'outrageous libels. Much as I detest you I am snxions to avoid this for the sake of the family, but if you try to assault me I shall defend myself with a loaded revolver, which I always carry, and I'll shoot you, or if, ho shoot you we will be completely justified, as we should be acting in self-defence against a violent and dangerous rough ; and I think if you were dead nob many people would miss you."

This morning the unexpected happened, end the revolting case suddenly collapsed. When the judge took1 his Eeat ha was seen to receive, open, nnd read a letter. The silence waa breathless. Expectation was on tiptos. But nothing happened immediately. Mr Carson proceeded with his speech for the defence. But suddenly he was interrupted. Sir Edward Clarke plucked him by fche gown and whispered to

him.- Mr Carson sat down; Sir Edward Clarke arose and intimated the withdrawal of tho prosecution agaiußt Lord Queousberry, or, if that wore not agreed to, consent to a verdict of not guilty on the ground of justification and publication for the public good. A verdict was returned accordingly. . ' Meanwhile Mr Wilde's whereabouts is not definitely known. . He was last heard of at the Holborn Viaduct Hotel, where he wrote a letter imply ins; that he'withdrew rather thau place Lord Alfred Douglas in the ddx against his father.' But the. shorthand notes of the case and all the documents have been placed in the hands of the Pablic Prosecutor.

Let us hope we have heard the last b£ a, case which is, one of the most shocking society scandals of modern times. :