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The collapse of Oscar Wilde's case and subsequent arrest, says the correspondent of the 'New York World' on 5th April, have cause a sensation without parallel in London since the exposure and flight of the forger Pigott during the sitting of the Parnell Commission. Still, since Wilde's first day's testimony the result was foreseen. The expectation was that the jury would stop the trial and return a verdict for Lord Queensberry. Wilde's lawyers acted wisely in consenting to a verdict at the stage the suit had reached. If Lord Queensberry's witnesses had been examined the judge would have had no recourse, but must have issues a warrant for Wilde's arrest on a charge entailing as a maximum a penalty of twenty years' imprisonment, but upon the evidence already unfolded, if Wilde is convicted, it can only be of a misdemeanor, for which the maximum penalty is two years' imprisonment. Wilde looked a changed man this morning as he slunk into the court buildings. His complexion was ghastly, and altogether he had the aspect of a man who had passed a wakeful and anxious night. To an interviewer Wilde stated, in a nervous tone quite unlike his flippant audacity as a witness, that he had withdrawn from the case to spare Lord Alfred Douglas the pain of testifying against his father, adding that he willingly sacrificed himself for his friend. That was the hollowest "bluff." The truth is that Wilde's chief lawyer, Sir Edward Clarke, decided after the close of Thursday's proceedings to withdraw from the suit. This decision was immediately communicated to Oscar, hence the restless, hopeless night he passed. Wilde's lawyers say that up to that time he had never evinced the slightest appreciation of the enormity of the accusations against him. It was only when the imminent prospect of his taking Lord Queensberry's place in the dock dawned upon him that he lost his self-command The mass of testimony ready to be given against him, as foreshadowed by Lord Queensberry's counsel, took Wilde completely back. The 'Word's' correspondent hears that this testimony was tendered by the police to Lord Queensberry's lawyers, it having accumulated during their investigations. They had planned a public prosecution if the case had proceeded. It is rumored that one of the reasons why Sir Edward Clarke decided to stop the trial was that to go on would have involved the disclosure of the names of distinguished personages, but this story is discredited. If Wilde had escaped to the Continent he would have been safe from arrest, as he could not have been extradited under the charge. It was reported he had fled, but he was seen in Chelsea at 4 p.m. to-day, and was arrested by 7 p.m. Mrs Wilde, who is distracted with grief at the turn affairs have taken, has about £500 a year of her own. For the last three years she has received no financial help from her husband.

Ever since the Police Court proceedings the bookings for both Wilde's pieces have steadily declined. The London public will never tolerate the performance of any more of his plays. Thus his principal means of livelihood is gone, and as he lived very extravagantly he has nothing from the large income he has had for some years.

FLIGHT PROJECTED.

A later London cable says:—"Oscar Wilde was arrested by a detective of Scotland Yard this afternoon on charges growing out of his own evidence given in the libel suit against Lord Queensberry, which was decided against the dramatist to-day. The warrant was issued on the application of Sir George Lewis on behalf of the Public Prosecutor. After the trial this afternoon Wilde went to the Westminster Bank, where he drew out the funds to his account, after which he was constantly shadowed. He returned to his hotel, accompanied by Lord Alfred Douglas, only remaining a few minutes, after which they drove off to Ely place, and thence to the Cadogan Hotel, where they vanished. The Scotland Yard authorities issued descriptions of Wilde, and spread them over the city, and he was captured before he could get out to the country, as was evidently his intention. He was taken to Scotland Yard and locked up; then he was taken to Bow street and placed in the dock. At the police station he stood with his hands in his pockets while the charge against him was being taken. The police inspector then read the charge aloud, and asked Wilde if he had anything to say, adding the usual warning that anything he said might be used against him. The prisoner, apparently indifferent, made no reply. He was then searched, after which he was locked in a cell. Subsequently Lord Alfred Douglas went to the police station and inquired whether Wilde would be admitted to bail. The police inspector explained that Wilde was arrested for a criminal offence, which did not allow of bail being accepted until he had been arraigned in court. Lord Alfred seemed greatly distressed by this information. Sworn informations have been lodged against several persons mentioned in the trial, some of whose names were not made public. They will be arrested."

WILDE'S EXPLANATION.

The 'Evening News' to-day 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 bear upon my own shoulders whatever ignominy and shame might result from my prosecution of the Marquis of Queensberry."—Oscar Wilde.

London, April 5. – The suit of Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry came to a sudden and unexpected termination this morning shortly after the third day’s proceedings were begun in the Old Bailey before Justice Collins.

Sir Edward Clarke, leading counsel for the plaintiff, asked permission on behalf of his client to withdraw the suit and submit to a verdict of not guilty in regard to the words written by the Marquis of Queensberry on the card left by the Marquis of Queensberry at the Albemarle club for Wilde on Feb. 18, and which card formed the outward basis of the suit. The jury, under instructions from Justice Collins, returned a verdict of not guilty, coupled with the statement that the justification set up as a defense by the Marquis of Queensberry was true in substance and in fact, and that the statement complained of was published for the public good.

The verdict was received with loud applause, which was not checked by the presiding Justice, and the Marquis was discharged from custody, smiling and surrounded by his friends. Shortly afterwards a warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde was applied for, all the papers in the case having been submitted to the Public Prosecutor, and Wilde was arrested.

Before 10 o'clock today every available foot of space in the court-room was filled with spectators, who were armed with newspapers and packages of sandwiches, and were otherwise ready to spend the day in court.

The Marquis at 10:20 a. m. entered the court, looking calm and confident of the results. Promptly at 10:30 a. m. Justice Collins entered and the court was opened. Oscar Wilde, however, was absent.

Carson's Merciless Speech.

Edward M. Carson, Q.C., leading counsel for the defense, resumed his speech, which was not concluded yesterday when the court adjourned. Mr. Carson said he hoped he had demonstrated that the Marquis was justified in bringing to a climax in the way he did the acquaintance between his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, and Wilde. It was a wonder, counsel said, that this man has been so long tolerated in London society. Mr. Carson was continuing his terrible denunciation of Oscar Wilde when Sir Edward Clarke and others of Wilde's counsel left the court room for consultation. They soon returned and Sir Edward asked for permission to interrupt the proceedings. Then, amid a most impressive silence, the leading counsel for the plaintiff announced the withdrawal of the case on behalf of his client. The chief concern of Sir Edward Clarke seemed to be his desire to justify himself in undertaking the case for Wilde. He said that after consulting with his client, who, by the way, was in the room to which his counsel adjourned, and who left the building hurriedly when Sir Edward Clarke began his statement, he asked to withdraw the suit and on Wilde's behalf to submit to a verdict for the Marquis of not guilty. Counsel said he did this more especially in view of the extracts which had been read in court from Wilde's novel of modern social life, "Dorian Gray," and from the magazine, the Chameleon. Mr. Carson here interposed, saying if there was to be a verdict of not guilty it also involved a verdict of justification, as the case of his client must succeed upon that plea.

Verdict Is Returned.

Justice Collins said, as to the jury putting any limit on its verdict that the words were either justified or not justified. If the jury consented to the course suggested and was to return a verdict of not guilty, it was also to find that the, justification set up by the defense was true in substance and in fact, and that the words complained of were published for the public benefit.

The jurymen consulted together for a moment and then, without leaving their seats, they returned a verdict as directed by Justice Collins - namely: that the Marquis of Queensberry was not guilty of libel and that the words he had written on the card which formed the basis of the suit were published in the interest of the public.

The verdict was received with loud applause in court, and Justice Collins made no attempt to check it. The Marquis of Queensberry was then discharged from custody and left the court triumphant, smiling and surrounded by his friends.

Officials of the Treasury Department, under which branch of the government public prosecutions are directed, visited Bow Street Police Court several times this afternoon previous to the granting of the warrant for Oscar Wilde's arrest. After a short consultation between the Treasury officials and Sir John Bridge the magistrate issued the warrant. Wilde was arrested at the Cadogan Hotel, Sloane street, and taken in a cab by two detectives to Scotland Yard.

Locked Up Without Bail.

Wilde wore an ulster and a silk hat. He was pale but cool when he arrived at Scotland Yard. Few persons witnessed his arrival there, and those who did maintained silence. He had merely called at the Cadogan Hotel with a couple of friends, when, at 6 o'clock, a detective walked into the office and asked for him. He was shown to the room where Wilde was and put him under arrest. Wilde said nothing, but immediately went with the detective, who took him to Scotland Yard, where the warrant was read. The prisoner remained silent throughout the proceedings. He was then taken to Bow street. He was not arraigned in the police court, but was placed in the dock in the police station. Here he stood with his hands in his pockets while the charge against him was being taken. A police inspector then read the charge aloud and asked Wilde if he had anything to say, adding the usual warning that anything he said might be used against him. The prisoner remained apparently indifferent and made no reply.

He was then searched, after which he was locked in a cell. Shortly after he had been locked up one of his friends arrived in a carriage with a small Gladstone bag containing a change of clothing and other necessaries, but the police refused to permit him to leave it. Later Lord Alfred Douglas went to the police station and inquired whether Wilde could be admitted to bail. The Police Inspector explained that Wilde had been arrested for a criminal offence, which did not allow of bail being accepted until he had been arraigned in court. Lord Alfred was greatly distressed by this information. He was told by the Inspector that Wilde had a blanket and other requisites in his cell to be as comfortable as the police regulations allowed.

The prisoner will be allowed to receive food from a hotel until tomorrow, when he will be arraigned in court on a charge involving a penal offence.

His Name Erased.

The name of Oscar Wilde has been withdrawn from the playbills and advertisements of the two theaters, the St. James and the Haymarket, where two of his plays are running.

Wilde has written a letter to the newspapers, in which he says:

It was impossible to prove my case without putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness box against his father. Lord Alfred was extremely anxious to go into the box, but I would not allow it. Rather than put him in such a painful position I determined to retire from the case, bear upon my own shoulders whatever shame and ignominy might result from not prosecuting the Marquis of Queensberry.

Washington, D.C., April 5. - [Special.] - "When Oscar Wilde was in this country fifteen years ago," remarked Supervising Architect Aiken of the Treasury Department, "I was a Harvard student and remember distinctly a prank played upon the apostle of the esthetic craze. Word was passed around among the students that in order to properly honor Oscar, who was to deliver a lecture at the Music Hall in Boston, it would be as well for those who attended from Harvard College to wear knickerbockers, short coats, and sunflowers on their coat lapels. At the appointed time 100 students thus attired presented themselves at the lecture hall, where front seats had been reserved for them. Their attire had been determined upon, because it had been said Wilde would present a similar makeup and the boys wanted to show their appreciation of his efforts in the line of dress reform. By some means an intimation of the joke to be perpetrated was given Oscar half an hour before his lecture, and when he came upon the platform it was quickly discovered he was in conventional evening dress, without a suggestion of knickerbockers or sunflowers.

Oscar Wilde divided honors with the assassin Guiteau during the progress of the trial of the slayer of President Garfield, the long haired Englishman being a frequent visitor to the court-room in the city hall here, when that famous case was on trial. Usually he sat close to the assassin and Wilde would come early in the forenoon and staid until the crier announced adjournment. He would not even leave the court-room during the recess for luncheon, and this was the time which autograph hunters utilized in securing the signature of the champion of the lily and the sunflower.

New York, April 5. – [Special.] - Mr. Froman of the Lyceum Theater, where Oscar Wilde's play, "An Ideal Husband," is now running, has decided, on account of the termination of the suit against Wilde, to have the playwright’s name erased from all the bills and programs of the theater after tomorrow. All the printing contracts have also been cancelled, in order to admit of these charges being made in the advertisements also. No change will be made in the play itself, however, as the management of the Lyceum holds that it is a clearly wholesome production.