The Wilde-dueensberry Libel Suit

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7293, 30 May 1895, Page 4

The Wilde-dueensberry Libel Suit

♦ ■ EXTRAORDINARY UTTERANCES

OF THE PLAINTIFF.

The London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes as follows : —

What makes the whole trial even more offensive than it is perse is the unblushing way in which Mr Wilde utilises the case as hi\ advertisement of himself and his wares. I wonder the judge tolerated the flippances and impertinencies and irrelevancies with which he "showed off" to an admiring audience. He had evidently been at work for weeks *• mugging up " smart sayings and quips and paradoxes with which to astonish his hearers. Some 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, confessed to 39 years of age, but in cross-examination admitted to being born in 1854. Asked if a certain book was immoral, he replied, "It is worse, it is badly written." Mr Wilde holds that " wickedness is a myth invented by good people," that " religions die when they are proved to be true," that " if one tells the truth one is sure, sooner or later, to be found out." This last is characterised as " a pleasing paradox." " Anything," said Mr Wilde, "is good that stimulates thought There is no such thing as morality or im-

morality in thought. . . . Pleasure is ! tha only thing oue should live for, nothing ages hk»i happiness. . . . (another plcosiDg paradox I) and to realise oneself through pleasure is fiver than to do so through pain. . ... A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes it "— " that," said Oscar, " would be my metaphysical definition of truth, something so personal that the same truth could never be appreciated by two minds." " The condition of perfection is idleness," that, Mr Wilde thinks, is at least " half-true." He says f urthtr " there is something tragic about the enormous number of young men in England who are starting life with perfect profiles and end : by adopting some useful profession." This Mr Wilde describes as " an amusing paradox." All these sapient aphorisms are from Mr Wilde's "Phrases and Philosophy for the Use of the Young." They were submitted to him in crossexamination for an expresßion of his matured opinion on their merits. Mr Wilde further stated that the only critic" of the century whose opinion he set high was Mr Walter Peter : " That no work of art ever puts forward * views ' of any kind. ' Views ' belong to people who are not artists." He held that the tone of his own writings could only be deemed immoral by " brutes and the ' illiterate— the views of the Philistines on art," said Oscar, "are incalculably stupid," He was afraid the majority of people were not cultivated enough to live up to the pose he had given them ; but still, he admitted, he had " never discouraged them buying his books.' He begged that he might not be cross-examined about "the ignorance of other people," and declared he had " a great passion to civilise the community." He described one of his own lectors to a frieud as " a beautiful letter." " Was it an ordinary letter ?" asked counsel. 4 * Certainly not ; I should, think not 1" replied Mr Wilde indignantly, amid roars of laughter. •'lt was a beautiful letter- unique, 1 should think." "Have you written others of this class 1" was next asked. "There is no class in that letter," said Mr Wilde, proudly. " Have you written others like it V "I don't repeat myself In style, ".was the lofty reply. Another letter was read. " Don't you think that was an extraordinary letter V asked counsel. "I think everything I write is extraordinary "answered the modest Oscar. ♦' I don't pose as being ordinary 1 Great Heavens 1 1" Several people had attempted to blackmail him, with the result that he gave them money very freely, and apparently constituted them his personal friends henceforward/ calling them by their Christian names, regaling them at dinner, champagne lunches, &c, and otherwise entertaining them. " Everybody with few exceptions calls me by my Christian name," said the poetic Oscar, " and I like calling people by their Christian names." He did think ie monstrous that a man with whom he was on such intimate terms should come to blackmail him, so he gave him 10s *' to show ray contempt for him -to show I didn't care twopence for him 1" •' Did you call him Alf.?" was asked. " No, " replied Mt Wilde, solemnly, * I never uae abbreviations. I called him Alfred." Being asked whether another passage in one of his writiugs was proper, Mr Wilde said, " I think it is the most perfect description possible of what an artist would feel." Asked whether he ever had the feeling of admiration for another which one of his heroes expresses, Oscar loftily responded, *• I have never given admiration, to any person except myself 1" He regarded it as " an intellectual treat " to his guests to be allowed to visit him. He did not know their age because he did not keep a census. He did not visit them. "It would not interest me to go and see Parker ; it would interest Parker to call and see me," said Mr Wilde, " I do not like the seusible and I do not like the old," he remarked, " and I do 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 hiai "I would not allow it," said Oscar sternly. These touches are amusing r.ud characteristic of the man. He is emphatically a poseur and phraseur. He lives for notoriety.

The New South Wales Department of Agriculture has received enquiries from a German pharmacist as to a supply of leaves of tho Duboisia myoporoides, a tree which grows in abundance, particularly iv the north coast districts. The alkaloid which is obtained from the leaves, and which is known as duboisine, is very similar in its action upon the eyes to atropine, the active principle of belladonna, or the deadly nightshade. An illustration of this occurred the other day on one of the Government experimental farms. A lad was cutting a tree, when a drop of sap fell into one of his eyes. The pupil dilated to aii extraordinary extent, and did not subside entirely for two days. The alkaloid, when taken internally, is said to have a remarkable anodyne effect, and to be exceedingly efficacious in relieving pain in some peculiarly distressing diseases. A few of the leaves chewed will rapidly produce stupor. The aborigines, besides using the leaves for medicinal purposes, are also said to utilise them in eel fishing. By throwing large quantities into a pool or water hole the eels are stupified when they come to the surface, and are caught. The department has given an order for 10001 b to a city firm, and it is now being filled. The commercial value of the leaves is said to be 6d per lb. In an article in Blackwood's Magazine the writer says : — " The School Board has now existed for 23 years, but juvenile delinquency has increased »t a rate almost alarming. The children of the poor of to-day have less regard for law or authority. They are more prone to acts of wanton mischief. Rudeness, incivility, indecency, and profanity are more than ever features in their speech and behaviour. Veneration or respect for age and experience is a diminishing quality. Drinking and smoking have become habits at a much earlier age. The whole of the tone of the conduct of the children of the poor is disappointing and regrettable." It will thus be seen that the same complaint is being made in the Home country that is generally brought against colonial youth. A good deal of excitemeut has been caused in Australia by the death at Albury of a man named McPhee, who was pronounced to be suffering from anthrax. Professor Anderson Stuart, of Sydney, on being spoken to about the case, said : "No doubt we should occasionally hear of cases of anthrax occurring amongst human beings. When people did fall victims to the disease it waß generally said that they were suffering from l woolsorters', disease. Not so long ago he came across a case in one of the midland counties, of England, the individual affected being a wool-sorter, and having contracted the sickness through coming in contact with Australian wool. Unquestionably, anthrax was contagious, but to make a great fuss about the disposal of the remains of any person who died from it, whilst the bodies of sheep that had succumbed to anthrax were allowed to rot wherever the animals happened to fall, was simply ridiculous." A violent assault was committed on a warder in the Bathurst gaol on May 14th by a prisoner named Gibbons. Gibbons, who is a professional pugilist, with several other prisoners, was being conducted to the special yard by Warder Conington, and while the warder was opening a door Gibbons rushed at him without a moment's notice and struck him a cowardly blow on the side of the head. This he followed up with other blows, rendering Conington quite helpless to defend himself. The consequences might have been serious but for the timely assistance of other warders, who ran to their comrade, and secured his assailant, placing Gibbons in a cell. In the evening when another warder visited Gibbons in the cell, the prisoner set upon him, and struck him violently on the head, partially stunning him. The warder, however, was fortunate in escaping from further injury. The matter is forming the subject of an investigation. Warder Conington's nose was broken by the blow he received. Gibbons is from another district, and is serving a heavy sentence on a serious chargo. Warder Ooniiigton haß now sufficiently recovered to give evidence against his assailant. The preliminary inquiry is strictly private, but if a i prima fade case is made out, the accused will be committed for trial.