Mr.Justice Charles, who was to try the case, heard the application and refused it peremptorily: "Any suggestion that the defendant would not have a fair trial was groundless," he declared; yet he knew better.

In his summing up of the case on May 1st he stated that "for weeks it had been impossible to open a newspaper without reading some reference to the case," and when he asked the jury not to allow "preconceived opinions to weigh with them" he was admitting the truth that every newspaper reference was charged with dislike and contempt of Oscar Wilde.

A fair trial indeed! The trial took place at the Old Bailey, three days later, April 27th, 1895, before Mr.Justice Charles.

Mr.C.F.Gill and A.Gill with Mr.
Horace Avory appeared for the Public Prosecutor.

Mr.Wilde was again defended by Sir Edward Clarke, Mr.Charles Mathews and Mr.Travers Humphreys, while Mr.J.P.Grain and Mr.Paul Taylor were counsel for the other prisoner.