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London, April 6.--Mr. Oscar Wilde, who for twenty years has, after one fashion or another, attracted to himself the attention of the cultivated world both of England and America; who has posed by turns as a languorous aesthete, as a caustic cynic and as a producer of brilliant epigrams and witty paradox is, as I write, the occupant of a Bow Street Police Court cell on a charge which in the eyes of most honest men is even more odious than that of murder.

Yesterday was a day of sensationalism which, though one at least of its startling effects was carefully prepared in advance by a master hand, was in its essence intensely dramatic.

When Mr. Justice Collins took his seat on the Bench at the Old Bailey at half-past ten, the Court to outward appearances was the same as that of the two previous days, with the same crowd of standing and sitting spectators, with the Marquis of Queensberry quietly lounging over the rail of the dock in his customary attitude and with the long array of counsel fidgeting over their papers and briefs. But there was a feeling of expectancy as though something were about to happen, which in some vague way changed the entire aspect of things.

That the prosecutor was not in his usual place by his solicitor's side added, doubtless,to this strained feeling, but as his presence was not absolutely required at this stage, nothing conclusive was shown by his absence.

A CABLE DESPATCH FOR THE JUDGE.

The Judge, after making the customary bow to the jury, the Court and the bar, opened and read with impressive countenance a cable despatch which was lying on his desk. He said no word, however, but nodded to Mr. Carson to resume his address, which the latter did in his usual solemn but effective manner.

He began by saying that he now came to the more painful and distasteful part of his task, for he had to call one by one the subordinate actors in a hideous drama. After hearing the evidence they would have to hear, the jury would wonder, not that Lord Queensberry should have acted as he did, but that this man Wilde had been tolerated in London society so long as he had.

He then proceeded to outline the evidence which he was to produce, and clearly showed it was of a most horribly conclusive nature. While Mr. Carson was making this scathing attack upon the absent prosecutor, an attack which at times rose to the utmost height of withering vituperation, Sir E. Clarke had quietly left the Court, and had remained absent for some minutes.

THE FIRST SENSATION.

When he returned Mr. Carson was dealing with Mr. Wilde's conduct at Worthing and elsewhere, and pointing out in the most trenchant fashion the disgraceful audacity of his behavior upon the witness stand. At this point the first sensation of this sensational day occurred. Sir Edward plucked Mr. Carson by his gown and for a few moments the opposing counsel conferred together.

Then Sir Edward rose and, addressing the judge, said that Mr. Carson had on the previous day referred to certain literature and letters, and had hoped he had said enough to convince the jury on that score alone, without dealing with other issues. Lord Queensberry, in the libel complained of, had used the word "posing," and his colleagues knew that they could not resist a verdict of "Not guilty" in this case.

ASKS TO WITHDRAW.

Taking into consideration the word "posing," he now said that on behalf of Mr. O. Wilde he would ask to withdraw from the prosecution, and if at this stage of the case that were not allowed he was prepared to accept a verdict of "Not guilty" in reference to such parts of the plea of justification as referred to Dorian Grey and The Chameleon.

Mr. Carson said, so far as Lord Queensberry was concerned, that if the verdict should involve that he succeeded in his whole plea of justification he was quite satisfied.

Mr. Justice Collins in clear, precise tones set forth that in his opinion he did not think it was any part of the functions of a judge or jury to insist on going through prurient details when the prosecutor was prepared to acquiesce in a verdict of "Not guilty," but he went on:--

"As to the jury putting any limitation upon the verdict of justification, the justification is one which is justification of the charge, which is of "posing". If that is justified, it is justified; if it is not, it is not; and the verdict of the jury upon it must be "Guilty," or "Not guilty." I understand the prosecutor to assent to a verdict of "Not guilty."

A STORM OF APPLAUSE IN COURT.

He then directed the jury to return a verdict to this effect, which, in accordance with the usual formalities they proceeded to do, the foreman, however, adding that in their opinion the libel had been uttered for the public benefit. Then there arose such a storm of applause as has seldom been heard in a court of justice.

I am told on the best authority that the arrangement as to Mr. Wilde's withdrawal from the prosecution was arrived at between counsel late on Thursday night. Mr. Carson, however, insisted that he should be allowed to continue his address to the jury long enough to bring out such essential facts as he deemed necessary. Indeed the signal for Sir E. Clarke's rising was actually given by Mr. Carson himself, when he thought the proper moment had arrived.

Before Lord Queensberry and his counsel left the Court the following letter was written to the Hon. Hamilton Cuffe, Director of Public Prosecutions:-- Dear Sir,--In order that there may be no miscarriage of justice, I think it my duty at once to send you a copy of all our witnesses' statements, together with a copy of the shorthand notes of the trial.--Yours faithfully, Charles Russell.

And, then so far as Lord Queensberry was concerned, the case was ended. The rest lay with the Public Prosecutor.

"DONE MY DUTY.

"I think," said Lord Queensberry to me later in the afternoon when I found him at Carter's Hotel, Albemarle-street, his table littered with congratulatory telegrams which continued to arrive in batches at intervals, "I think I have done my duty, not only to my family and myself, but also to the community. It has cost me £1,200 and now if the law of England does not step in I must make my own law. I have sent a message to this creature Wilde that if he chooses to leave the country, I, for one, shall certainly not lift a finger to stay him, but he must distinctly understand that if he takes my son with him I shall follow him and shoot him like a dog. But I think he ought not to be allowed to leave the country; I think he ought to be placed where he can ruin no more-young men.

"For the part I have taken myself in this matter I can only say I acted absolutely and entirely from a sense of duty. Many of my friends have said, as many of these telegrams received also say, that I am to be commended for my pluck. I do not see that pluck had anything to do with it.

"I do not see that I could have acted otherwise than I have done and have preserved my self-respect I may tell you that the full measure of this man's baseness was not revealed to me until after my own arrest at his instance.

DEPTHS OF IMMORALITY.

"Then the evidence which accumulated and the voluntary confessions which were made to us showed us a depth of immorality which is almost incredible. But I have come to the conclusion that the man, if man you can call him, must be demented. No sane man could have adopted the tone he did on the witness stand ; no sane man could have made the ridiculous assertion you tell me he has concerning the reason of his counsel's withdrawal.

"Why he has not long since fled the country I cannot imagine, for he knew of our defence and our witnesses days ago, and must have anticipated the only result possible. I may tell you that our evidence was irrefutable, peculiarly so, indeed."

As I was talking to Lord Queensberry a serious conclave was in progress at Bow Street police court. When Mr. Russell's letter reached the Treasury the Hon. Hamilton Cuffe chanced to be there and at once went through the papers and communicated with the authorities at Scotland Yard.

They in turn applied to Sir J. Bridge, the presiding magistrate at Bow Street, who after personally examining two of the witnesses subpoenaed by Lord Queensberry's lawyers, signed at a quarter-past five a warrant of arrest for Mr. Wilde on the most serious charge short of a capital offence. This was taken by two detective-sergeants to the Cadogan Hotel, Sloane-street, where Wilde was known to be.

CLOSELY SHADOWED.

I may say here, by the way, that for the last six weeks he has been closely shadowed by the police authorities. At the hotel Mr. Wilde was found sitting in an armchair, smoking and chatting with the two Douglas boys.

When one of the detectives explained the nature of their visit, Mr. Wilde quietly said: "Oh ! May I ask what you are going to do with me?" He was told he would first be taken to Scotland Yard, and the warrant was read. "Shall I be kept in a cell all night?" he asked. "Yes," was the reply. "Can I be bailed out?" "That," said the detective, "is not a matter for me to decide."

Picking up and taking with him a number of the Yellow Book which lay on the table he then put on his coat and hat and accompanied the detectives in a cab to Scotland Yard. It then became evident that he had been drinking heavily. As he left the cab he nearly fell and reeled somewhat as he crossed the pavement.

At half-past eight he left Scotland Yard for Bow Street. On the way he asked various questions as to the treatment he might expect. Whether he might smoke in his cell, and so forth.

CONDUCTED TO A CELL.

Arrived at the station he was at once charged and while the warrant was read stood quietly and collectedly in the dock with his hands in his pockets. He said nothing in answer, save to ask that the date of the alleged offence, which was March 25, 1895, might be repeated. He was then searched, all valuables and papers taken from him and was immediately conducted to a cell.

Later a Mr. Rosse arrived with a bag containing Wilde's dressing-gown and so forth, but was not allowed to see him or to leave the bag, and later still Lord Alfred Douglas appeared with a substantial sum in his possession which he was prepared to offer as bail. It was, of course, refused. Wilde is treated as an ordinary prisoner, no indulgences of any sort being allowed to him.

I am told that the case had already been informally submitted to the Public Prosecutor, and so there was not the least delay in the action taken by that functionary.

I also heard that the detectives have been scouring the city in search of the man Taylor, for whom a warrant is already signed. He has been under police surveillance for some time, but unluckily was allowed to slip away early yesterday morning and has not been seen since. It is not expected that he has left the city.

I need not say that London yesterday afternoon and night was completely possessed of but one idea, and that idea concerned itself with the arrest of Mr. Wilde. Not only has he been for a very long time a prominent figure in literary and artistic circles, but for the last few years rumors and innuendoes which have caused Lord Queensberry to insist upon his son breaking off his intimacy with the dramatist have been prevalent, and have included the names not only of Wilde and his close intimates, but many well-known men of social as well as artistic distinction.

Things, indeed, have been fast reaching a point at which no man's name has been safe, and it is therefore felt by everyone that Lord Queensberry has rendered a positive service to the community. This at all events is the opinion I have heard expressed on every hand to-day.

Interest has of course attached to the course that would be taken by the managers of those theatres at which Mr. Wilde's plays are at present running. It was expected, indeed, by the majority of people that both would be immediately removed from the boards.

Neither Mr. Alexander nor Mr. Morrell, however, adopted this course. The author's name was omitted from the programme and the advertisements, and that was all. The attendance at both houses was, however, slight.

The prisoner will be brought before the magistrate at ten o'clock this morning.

London, Friday. The trial of the Marquis of Queensberry for an alleged criminal libel upon Mr. Oscar Wilde entered upon its third day of hearing at the Old Bailey this morning before Mr. Justice Collins and a jury. As on the two previous occasions, the small, dingy court was crowded. The interest taken in the unsavoury proceedings seemed unabated. No sooner were the doors of the court opened than the public gallery was again besieged. In the body of the court there was not that eager rush for seats on the part of the Junior Bar that was apparent on the two previous days. At ten o'clock the gangways were not blocked, as hitherto had been the case, and it seemed evident that more stringent efforts were being taken by the officials of the court to prevent the inconvenient crushing and crowding so characteristic a feature since the opening of the action.

The prosecutor was represented by Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C, M.P.; Mr. Charles Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys. Mr. Carson, Q.C, M.P.; Mr. C. F. Gill, and Mr. A. Gill were for the defence; and watching briefs were held by Mr. Besley, Q.C, and Mr. Monckton.

As soon as the Marquis of Queensberry arrived he went to the dock, and took a seat, where he read a newspaper, pending the arrival of the judge. Mr. Wilde had not yet appeared, but his solicitor was chatting with Sir Edward Clarke.

MR. CARSON'S PAINFUL DUTY.

When the Court rose yesterday Mr. Carson had not finished his opening address to the jury. Resuming this morning, he said it would be his painful duty to bring before the jury the young men mentioned in the case who had unfortunately allowed themselves to be dominated by Mr. Oscar Wilde, and had been more sinned against than sinning. They were none of them educated persons or Mr. Wilde's equals in years, and the excuse put forward by the prosecutor to account for those friendships was onlv a travesty of facts. There was an extraordinary similarity in the history of all these sad cases, all leading up to the inevitable conclusion that there was something criminal in the relations between these young men and the prosecutor. How could one believe that Taylor was the kind of man that Mr. Wilde pretended him to be? There could be no possible doubt, viewing all the circumstances and admissions, that Taylor was employed by Wilde.

THE LAST SCENE AND VERDICT.

Amid impressive silence Sir E. Clarke, pale and trembling, and evidently feeling his position very acutely, rose, and asked leave to withdraw from the case. Addressing his Lordship with some emotion, he said perhaps he would allow him to interrupt at that moment, and make a statement. His learned friend had addressed the Jury upon the question of the literature involved in this case and upon the inferences to be drawn from the admissions made with regard to letters by Mr. Oscar Wilde on the previous day. His learned friend began his address that morning by saying he hoped that he said enough in dealing with those topics in detail to have prevented the necessity of referring in detail to the other issues in the case. Be thought it must have been present to the mind of his Lordship that those who represented Mr. Wilde on this case had before them a very terrible anxiety. They could not conceal from themselves that the judgment which might be formed with regard to the literature and to the conduct, which had been admitted was such as might induce the jury to say that there was ground for justification on the part of Lord Queensberry in using the words that he was posing as a man of immoral character, it being the clear view of himself and his learned frineds, who desired to be associated with him in this matter, that might not improbably be the result upon that part of the case. They had to look forward to this, that a verdict given in favour of the defendant in reference to that might be regarded as a conclusive finding as to all parts of the case. The position, therefore, in which they stood was this, that without expecting to gain a verdict in this case, they would be going through day after day a large amount of evidence in the investigation of matters of the most appalling character. In these circumstances he hoped his Lordship would think that he (counsel) was taking the right course which he was about to take after consulting with Mr. Wilde—that was to say, that, having regard to what had already been referred to him by his learned friend Mr. Carson in respect to the literature and the letters, he felt it would not be right to resist a verdict of "not guilty" in reference to the words "posing as" an immoral person. Under these circumstances he (the learned counsel) thought he was not going beyond the bounds of duty and doing something to save and prevent what would be a most terrible case, however it might close, if he now interposed on behalf of Mr. Wilde, and stated that he would withdraw from the prosecution, and he was prepared on Mr. Wilde's behalf to submit to a verdict of not guilty.

Mr. Carson, Q.C, said he did not think that he had any right whatever to interfere in any way with such an application his learned friend had made. He could only say that, as far as Lord Queensberry was concerned, if there was to be a verdict of "not guilty," the verdict must involve that his Lordship had succeeded in his plea of justification. With that understanding he (the learned counsel) would be quite satisfied to adopt the course proposed. Of course, his learned friend would admit they must succeed on that plea, and that being so it rested entirely with his Lordship as to whether the course suggested by his learned friend was to be adopted.

THE JUDGE'S RULING.

Mr. Justice Collins was understood to say that it rested with the jury to say whether they were prepared to acquiesce in that verdict of "not guilty" against the accused. It was not part of the duty of the judge or jury to go into the details bearing upon the matter, but the jury could not place any limitation to their verdict. A plea of justification was made, and the charge was that of "posing" as a person of immoral character. If it was justified it was justified ; if it was not it was not ; and the verdict of the jury must be "guilty" or "not guilty." He understood that the learned counsel (Sir E. Clarke) had said that the prosecutor was willing to agree to a verdict of "not guilty.' There could be no terms, no limitation. The verdict must be "guilty" or "not guilty." He understood the learned counsel for Wilde to assent to a verdict of "not guilty," and the jury would, therefore, return that verdict.

Mr. Justice Collins said he should have to tell the jury that two things must be established. First, that the plea of justification was true in substance, and, in fact, that the prosecutor had "posed" as a person of immoral character, and he should also have to tell them that they would have to find that the statement was published in such a manner as to be for the public benefit. If they found on these two points in favour of the defendant, then the verdict would be "not guilty." In that way they would say whether they found the plea of justification proved or not.

NOT GUILTY

After a few moments' consultation together on the part of the jury, the foreman intimated that they had arrived at their verdict.

The Clerk of Arraigns—Do you find the plea, of justifcation proved? Yes.And do you find the defendant not guilty? YesAnd that is the verdict of you all? Yes.And also that it was published for the public benefit? Yes.

The result was received with loud cheers by the crowded court.

The Marquis of Queensberry was then formally discharged, and left the dock.

The learned judge made an order allowing the costs of the defence.

THE PROSECUTOR'S MOVEMENTS.

An "Echo" reporter, who called this morning at the residence of Mr. Oscar Wilde, in Tite Street, Chelsea, learnt that he left home between 9-30 and 10 o'clock this morning, and drove to an hotel in Sloane Street. There he had some refreshment, asked if there were any letters for him, and then drove away in a cab. Here the Exchange Telegraph Company takes up his movements. In a message sent across the wires shortly after twelve, the company says:—"Oscar Wilde went to the Old Bailey this morning, but did not enter the precincts of the court. He had a consultation with Sir Edward Clarke in a room off the court, and while the learned gentleman was making his statement to the judge Wilde hurriedly left the building."

Another report says:—It was at first stated that Mr. Wilde had left London by the boat train for Dover, but this rumour probably arose from the fact of his having written a letter to a contemporary from the Holborn Viaduct Hotel explaining his reason for the withdrawal of the charge, which was that he could only prove his case by putting Lord Alfred Douglas into the witness-box against his father. The "Globe's" representative on calling at the hotel was told by the manager that Mr. Oscar Wilde had not been staying there, nor was he there then. "Mr. Wilde was here this morning," added the manager, "but he has left." Asked for how long a period Mr Wilde remained, and at what time he left, the manager expressed himself unable to answer either questions. Our representative was informed later that several friends of Mr. Wilde were with him at the hotel, and that they all left together early in the afternoon.

Another representative called at the Cadogan Hotel, Sloane Street, where Mr. Wilde was said by another authority to have gone. Asking to see Mr. Wilde, he was told that he declined to be interviewed ; but the reporter saw Lord Alfred Douglas, who, in reply, said that Mr. Wilde had not the least intention of leaving the country, but would remain "to face whatever there was to face."

The Exchange Telegraph Company confirms this statement, and adds that the name of Mr. Oscar Wilde has been removed from the playbills and programmes of the Haymarket Theatre.

LETTER TO THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR.

On leaving the court this forenoon, Mr. Charles Russell, Lord Queensberry's solicitor, addressed the following letter to the Public Prosecutor:—"37, Norfolk Street, Strand."The Honourable Hamilton Cuffe, Esq., Director of Prosecutions. "Dear Sir—In order that there may be no miscarriage of justice, I think it my duty at once to send you a copy of all our witnesses' statements, together with a copy of the shorthand notes of the trial.Yours faithfully, Charles Russell."The Treasury, Whitehall."

A WARRANT ISSUED.

A report from Bow Street states—"It is understood that a warrant in connection with the Wilde case was applied for at five o'clock thia afternoon, and it is believed that it was granted. The application was made to Sir John Bridge in his private room, and the officials were naturally reticent on the subject. Mr. Charles Russell (son of the Lord Chief Justice) and Mr. Angus Lewis of the Treasury, with two witnesses, were in attendance, and it is understood that the application for the warrant was made by them.