Hamill and Mr. Quinn; while Serjeant Sullivan was for the defendant,
supported by Mr. Sidney, Q.C., and Mr. Morris, Q.C., and aided by Mr.
John Curran and Mr. Purcell.

The Court of Common Pleas was the stage; Chief Justice Monahan
presiding with a special jury. The trial was expected to last a week,
and not only the Court but the approaches to it were crowded.

To judge by the scandalous reports, the case should have been a
criminal case, should have been conducted by the Attorney-General
against Sir William Wilde; but that was not the way it presented
itself. The action was not even brought directly by Miss Travers or by
her father, Dr. Travers, against Sir William Wilde for rape or
criminal assault, or seduction. It was a civil action brought by Miss
Travers, who claimed £2,000 damages for a libel written by Lady Wilde
to her father, Dr. Travers. The letter complained of ran as follows:--

TOWER, BRAY, May 6th.

Sir, you may not be aware of the disreputable conduct of
your daughter at Bray where she consorts with all the low
newspaper boys in the place, employing them to disseminate
offensive placards in which my name is given, and also
tracts in which she makes it appear that she has had an
intrigue with Sir William Wilde. If she chooses to disgrace
herself, it is not my affair, but as her object in insulting
me is in the hope of extorting money for which she has
several times applied to Sir William Wilde with threats of
more annoyance if not given, I think it right to inform you,
as no threat of additional insult shall ever extort money