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London, Friday. Sir Edward Clarke, who appeared for Wilde, to-day accepted the verdict of not guilty against the Marquis of Queensberry, and the jury found the plea of justification proved. The Marquis was at once discharged.

The Press Association, on enquiring 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. As it was surmised Wilde was in the precencts of the Old Bailey when the speech for the defence of Lord Queensbury 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 formally withdraw from the prosecution.

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 copy of shorthand notes of trial."

The London Evening News states that it has received four letters from Mr Oscar Wilde written on notepaper of a Holborn hotel:—"To the Editor—It would be impossible for me to prove my case without putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness box against his father. Lord Alfred Douglas was extremely anxious to go into the witness box, but I would not let him do so. Rather than put him in so painful a position I determined to retire from the case and to bear on my own shoulders whatever ignomy and shame might result from my prosecuting Lord Queensberry."

Mr. Angus Lewis of the Treasury, who was accompanied by Detective-Inspector Brockwell, attended at Bow-street this afternoon and said he would like some private conversation with Sir John Bridge. The magistrate granted the request, and it is understood that Mr Lewis intimated that an application might be made during the day with reference to an important case which is at present engaging such public attention.

London, April 5 — The Old Bailey Courtroom was crowded almost to suffocation this morning when Mr. Carson resumed his speech in behalf of the Marquis of Queensberry. It would be his painful duty, he said, to put upon the witness stand men who would speak freely of the nature of their connection with the plaintiff, Wilde. The ages of these men varied from 18 to 22 years. They were of the class of servants, valets, etc. not belonging to Mr. Wilde’s station in life, not interested in literature or art, yet they addressed this distinguished dramatist by his Christian name, Oscar, he in turn calling them Charlie, Freddie, etc. Mr. Carson said he would produce overwhelming evidence of the abominable immorality of this man Wilde.

Sir Edward Clarke interrupted Mr. Carson and said he had undertaken a great responsibility in defending Mr. Wilde against the charges made against him by the Marquis of Queensberry. In regard to the literature which Mr. Wilde had published and upon which Mr. Carson had questioned him, he (Sir Edward) had come to the painful conclusion that it would not be expected that the jury would find a verdict of guilty on the actual words used by the defendant, viz., that Mr. Wilde was posing as a devotee of unnatural practices. He had consulted with Mr. Wilde in the interim of the adjournment of the Court, and in order to save the Court the painful details connected with the rest of the case, he was prepared to accept a verdict of the Jury in regard to Mr. Wilde’s literature.

The judge interposed and said if the Jury were justified in agreeing upon a verdict on one part of the case, they must return a verdict of guilty or not guilty as regards the entire case.

The Jury then rendered a verdict of not guilty, to which Sir Edward Clarke assented, but supplemented their verdict its the declaration that the charges made by the defendant against Mr. Wilde, which constituted the libel complained of, were true and that they had been made in the public interest.

When the verdict was rendered, the Marquis of Queensberry left the dock amid loud cheers.

The judge granted an order requiring Mr. Wilde to pay the costs of the defence.

Mr. Wilde and a companion drove from the Old Bailey to the Holborn Hotel, where they were joined soon afterwards by Lord Douglas together in a private room, Wilde’s carriage remaining in front of the Hotel.

The Evening News received the following letter from Oscar Wilde, written upon note paper of the Holborn Hotel:— "It would have been impossible for me to have proved my case without putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness box against his father. He was extremely anxious to go into the witness box, but I would not let him. Rather than put him in so painful a position I determined to withdraw from the case and hear upon my own shoulders whatever ignominy and shame might result from the prosecution of the Marquis of Queensberry. (Signed) Oscar Wilde."

At 3.30 o’clock this afternoon a solicitor, whose name is not given, applied at the Bow Street Police Court and obtained a warrant for immediate execution.

It was learned this afternoon that the warrant issued was granted against Wilde.

In an interview this afternoon the Marquis of Queensberry said:— "If the country allows you to leave, all the better for the country; but if you take my son with you, I will follow wherever you go and shoot you."

Sworn informations have been lodged against several persons mentioned in the trial and some of those whose names were not made public and the civil officers are waiting the authority of the Treasury Department to make the arrests.

Oscar Wilde has been arrested and taken to the Scotland Yard Station. It is learned that the solicitor who applied at the Bow Street Police Court for the warrant for immediate execution was Mr. Lewis, Solicitor of the Treasury.

Before Mr. Wilde was taken to his cell, the charge incited by his testimony in Court was read to him. He stood with his hands in his pockets, silent and apparently unconcerned.

In an interview this afternoon Mr. Alexander, of St. James theatre, said that "The Importance of Being Earnest" would be kept on the stage pending the public verdict. If he should be compelled to withdraw it some 150 persons would be thrown out of work, as he had nothing ready to replace it.

It is reported that the Criterion, to which "An Ideal Husband" was to be transferred from the Haymarket, has declined to put the play on the stage.

The Daily Chronicle will have a long leader to morrow on the Oscar Wilde case. It will say:— "Either Mr. Carson’s brief contained a series of the wickedest slanders, or the prosecutor perjured himself unspeakably."

The Daily Telegraph will say tomorrow in a leader on Wilde’s case:— "It was a just verdict and must be held to include with Wilde the tendency of his peculiar career, the meaning and the influence of his teachings and all the shallow and specious arts by which he attempted to establish a cult and even set up new schools of literature and social thought."