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London, Thursday.The hearing of the libel action brought by Mr Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry was resumed to-day at the Old Bailey. Sir E Clarke, Q C; Mr C Mathews, and Mr Travers Humphreys appeared to prosecute. Mr Carson, Q C; Mr C F Gill, and Mr A Gill (instructed by Mr Charles Russell), represented the Marquis of Queensberry : Mr Besley, Q C, with Mr Monckton, watching the proceedings on behalf of Lord Douglas of Hawick, the eldest son of the Marquis. The indictment was to the effect that the Marquis "did unlawfully and maliciously write and publish a false, malicious, and defamatory libel" concerning Mr Oscar Wilde, in the form of a card directed to him.

Mr Carson, Q C, resumed the cross-examination of Mr Wilde, who said he used to go to the upper part of a house 13 Little College street, occupied by a man named Taylor. The rooms were artistically furnished, and perfumes were burnt. He never saw Taylor attired in a woman’s costume, or knew that he had one. He used to attend tea parties at Taylor’s rooms. He did not know that one of the men frequenting Taylor’s house had disappeared within the past week. He did not know that Taylor and a companion named Parker were arrested in a raid on a house in Fitzroy square last year. Taylor introduced witness to five young men, to all of whom he gave money. He invited a party to dinner at Kettner’s Restaurant. He was not aware that one of them was a valet and the other a coachman.

Mr Carson—Was there plenty of champagne?

Witness—What gentleman would stint the valet? (Much laughter.)

Further cross-examined, Mr Wilde denied driving one of these men to his own private room at the Savoy Hotel. He never paid visits to Parker at a house in Camera square. He did not know that certain men who were arrested in the Fitzroy square raid were connected with the Cleveland street scandal. The Fitzroy square arrest made no difference in his friendship with Taylor. He was introduced to a young man named Freddy Atkins and took him to Paris, being joined there by a gentleman whose name was written yesterday and passed to counsel. Atkins was addressed as "Freddy," and was plaintiff’s guest. He gave Freddy money to go to the Moulin Rouge. They stayed at the same hotel. Freddy suggested he should have his hair curled.

Mr Carson—Did he have it curled?

Witness—No, I should have been very angry if he had (laughter). The gentleman (whose name had been written) also introduced him to two young men named Scarp and Mabor. The latter met him on his return from Scotland in October, and they stayed at the same hotel in town. He gave Mabor a cigarette case. At the rooms occupied by Lord Alfred Douglas, in High-street, Oxford, he met a youth named Granger, a servant, but denied counsel’s suggestions with regard to him, Granger was ugly.

Counsel—Why do you give that as a reason?

Plaintiff—Because you stung me with an insolent question.

Further cross-examined, he said he knew a masseur at the Savoy Hotel, but denied that the masseur made any incriminating discovery. He also repudiated certain suggestions with regard to certain occasions in Paris.

At the conclusion of the cross-examination, Sir E Clarke began the re-examination by putting in certain letters of Lord Queensberry. In part of these, written from Carter’s Hotel to Lord A Douglas, the defendant called upon his son to cease his intimacy with the man Wilde. His blood had turned cold at the sight of their faces. The writer continued—"I hear on good authority that his (Wilde’s) wife is petitioning for a divorce on the grounds of crimes. The horror has crossed my mind you may be brought into this. If I thought the actual thing true, I should feel justified in shooting him at sight." Lord Alfred replied by wire—"Queensberry—What a funny little man you are." Plaintiff denied the suggestion of the divorce petition. Lord Queensbury in a further letter called Lord Alfred an impertinent jackanapes, and threatened to cut off supplies. In another letter addressed by the defendant to the father of his former wife he repeated the accusations against Wilde, to whom he referred in the following terms :—"He (plaintiff) showed the white feather. He is a d—cur and a coward of the Rosebery type." Then alluding to his former wife, Lord Queensberry said. "I am convinced that the Rosebery-Gladstone Royal insult that came to me through my soc—it shall be known some day that Rosebery not only insulted me by lying to the Queen (which makes her as bad as him) and to Gladstone, but also had made a life-long quarrel between my son and me." Lord Queensberry in August addressed Lord Alfred in an offensive way. The letter continued—"How right I was to face misery rather than bring others into the world : that was the reason I broke off with your mother."

The case for the plaintiff closed, and Mr Carson began his address for the defence.

London, Friday.The hearing of the libel action brought by Mr Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry was resumed to-day at the Old Bailey. Sir E Clarke, Q C; Mr C Mathews, and Mr Travers Humphreys attended to prosecute. Mr Carson, Q C; Mr C F Gill, and Mr A Gill (instructed by Mr Charles Russell), represented the Marquis of Queensberry, : Mr Besley, Q C, with Mr Monckton, watching the proceedings on behalf of Lord Douglas of Hawick, the eldest son of the Marquis.

When the trial was resumed Mr Carson, continuing his address for the defence, said he hoped he had convinced the jury that the defendant was justified in bringing to a climax the association of his son with Mr Wilde. It would be his painful duty to call several young men to tell their own tale. He would show that Taylor acted as an agent for Wilde. Mr Carson remarked with much emphasis that it was a wonder a man like Wilde had been tolerated in London society so long. He regretted to have to call the young man Parker because he had joined the service of his country, and now bore an excellent character.

Mr Carson was continuing his argument when Sir E Clarke and Mr Mathews retired from the court for a moment. Wilde up to this time had been absent. Sir E Clarke, on returning, whispered to Mr Carson, who resumed his seat.

Sir E Clarke then, addressing the Court, said he had to make a statement under the gravest responsibility. Mr Carson yesterday said that he hoped he had said enough regarding Mr Wilde’s letters and literature to influence the jury to relieve him from the necessity of dealing in detail with other issues. Those representing Mr Wilde had, therefore, before them a terrible anxiety, and could not conceal from themselves what the judgment of the jury might be, and that the jury might say Lord Queensberry was justified in using the words he had done. The position he (Sir Edward) stood in was that, without expecting to obtain a verdict, he would be going on from day to day investigating circumstances of a most appalling character. Under those circumstances, he hoped his lordship would think he was taking the right course. After consulting Mr Wilde in a reference to his letters and literature, he felt that he could not resist a verdict of "not guilty" in regard to the words, "posing as a——." He, therefore, asked on behalf of Mr Wilde to withdraw from the prosecution, and submit to a verdict of "not guilty," in respect to that part of the particulars connected with the publication "Dorian Grey and Chameleon."

Sir Edward Clarke’s statement produced a profound sensation in court.

Mr Carson said a verdict of "not guilty" involved a verdict also of justification.

Mr Justice Collins said that if the jury found a verdict of "not guilty" they would also find that the justification set up was true in substance and in fact: and that the statement was published for the public benefit.

THE VERDICT.

The jury, after a moment’s consideration, returned a verdict of NOT GUILTY against the Marquis of Queensberry, the foreman adding that what he had written was published for the public benefit.

The Judge thereupon ordered the Marquis of Queensberry’s discharge from custody and certified for costs.

The Marquis on descending from the dock was heartily congratulated by his friends, and the court rapidly cleared.

THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR INVOKED.

The Press Association, on inquiring of Lord Queensberry’s solicitors (Messrs Russell and Day), is informed that it is not his lordship’s intention to take the initiative in any criminal prosecution of Oscar Wilde, but after the finding of the jury this morning in the libel action, the whole of the documents, with proofs of the evidence upon which the defence had intended to rely, were forwarded to the Public Prosecutor, the Hon Hamilton Cuffe.

The letter written by Mr Russell, and accompanying the documents, is as follows :—

"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."

WILDE’S RETREAT.

As was surmised, Wilde was in the precincts of the Old Bailey when the speech for the defence of Lord Queensberry was resumed. It was for the purpose of holding a conference with Wilde that his leading counsel left court. At the close of the consultation in one of the waiting rooms Wilde hailed a hansom and drove away, leaving Sir E Clarke to withdraw formally from the prosecution.