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LONDON, April 4. -- Every available inch in old Bailey was occupied yesterday morning when the libel suit brought by Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry, opened before Justice Collins.

Oscar Wilde charges the marquis with libel by leaving an uncovered card at the Albemarle club, on which card was written certain foul epithets. The marquis was placed in the docket and answered to the indictment by pleading first, not guilty, and secondly, that the libel is true and it was published for public goods.

LONDON, April 3. -- Every available inch of the Old Bailey was occupied this morning when the hearing of the libel suit brought against the Marquis of Queensberry by Oscar Wilde was opened before Justice Collins.

Wilde charges the Marquis with leaving, February 28th, an uncovered card at the Albemarle club on which was written certain foul epithets.

As a result, Wilde on March 2d caused the arrest of the Marquis, and the latter at Marlborough Street Police Court was placed under £1500 bail.

The courtroom was crowded with lawyers.

Admission was obtained by ticket only, and the Sheriff in charge showed the representative of the Associated Press a pile of applications a foot high, many being from well known people.

Rumors were current in London yesterday that Wilde had suddenly left the city to avoid being present in court today, and reports were also current that startling developments would arise to-day.

But both of these rumors were set at rest by the arrival in court of the principals to the suit.

The Marquis of Queensberry, who wore a shabby overcoat, was placed in the dock and answered to the indictment by pleading first, not guilty, and secondly, that the libel was true and it was published for the public good.

The Marquis seemed quite unconcerned and replying to the questions, spoke quietly and clearly.

Sir Edward Clarke, formerly Solicitor General, in opening the case, said the card left at the Albemarle Club for Mr. Wilde, was one of the visiting cards of the Marquis of Queensberry.

Continuing, counsel said that the gravest issues had been raised, as the defendant in his pleadings, alleged the plaintiff had for sometime solicited persons named to commit indecent offenses.

Certain letters addressed by the plaintiff to Lord Alfred Douglass, second son of the Marquis of Queensberry were brought to the plaintiff by a man who said he was in distress and Wilde gave him £20 with which to pay his passage to America.

Another letter was handed Beerbohm Tree, the actor, who gave it to the plaintiff.

Counsel then recounted the facts already known in the case, showing Wilde, who had recently returned from Algiers, drove up to the Albemarle Club about 5 P. M. February 28th, and on entering was handed an envelope by hall porter Sidney Wright, who said: "Lord Queensberry desired me, sir, to hand this to you when you came to the club."

Inside the envelope plaintiff found a card, on the back of which was the date, 4:30, 18, 2, 95, and on this card were written certain foul epithets which formed the basis of the suit.

OSCAR TAKES THE STAND.

Oscar Wilde was called. He languidly arose from the solicitor's table, where he was seated, and entered the witness box.

The plaintiff was faultlessly dressed in a black frock coat and carried gloves in his hand, showing his fingers covered with rings.

He was very pale, but seemingly composed.

Wilde spoke with his customary drawl, leaning his arms upon the rail of the witness box and replying distinctly to the questions.

The jury, which was composed of very intelligent men of elderly appearance, mainly prosperous tradesmen, eyed him with curiosity.

Witness said that upon arriving at the house, a few moments ago, he found two gentlemen waiting in the library.

One was the Marquis of Queensberry, the other unknown to the plaintiff.

The former said: "Sit down." "I replied," said Wilde: "Lord Queensberry, I will not allow any one to talk that way in my house. I suppose you have come to apologize. It is possible you accuse me and your son of sodomy." He replied: "I don't say it, but you look like it and appear like it."

Counsel for the plaintiff then asked the witness about the man to whom he had given £20 with which to pay his passage to America.

Witness said: "The man told me he had been offered £60 for the letter and I advised him immediately to accept it. But finally I gave him the money in order to relieve his distress and he gave me a letter."

THOSE "ROSE-RED LIPS."

The document referred to was here produced in court and was handed to Justice Collins.

The letter referred to the "rose-red lips" of Lord Alfred Douglass and the writer addressed him as "My own boy" and asked, "Why are you alone in London?" The letter was signed "With undying love, Oscar."

Counsel, in explaining this letter, said that it might seem extravagant to those who were in the habit of writing letters.

"But," he added, "it was mere poetry." [Laughter.]

Interest in the case was increased when Sir Edward Clarke, upon finishing the direct examination, turned the witness over to E. H. Carson, Q C. M. P., counsel for the Marquis of Queensberry, for examination.

Carson began his presentation of the case for the Marquis by reading passages from "Dorian Gray," one of Oscar Wilde's novels of modern life to show the author upheld sodomy, the plaintiff following counsel with a copy of the book and laughing at Mr. Carson's insinuation.

Carson, addressing the plaintiff, asked: "Do you think that the description of "Dorian Gray," given on page 6, is a moral one?" "Yes," replied Wilde; "just what an artist would notice in a beautiful personality." "Did you ever adore madly, as described in 'Dorian Gray,' any person of the male sex younger than yourself?" was the next question. In reply, Wilde said: "I took the idea from Shakespeare's sonnets."

During this portion of the proceedings the Marquis of Queensberry followed his counsel with a copy of "Dorian Gray" in hands, with seeming enjoyment.

Wilde testified to the fact that the man to whom he gave £20, on receipt of the letter in which he had referred to the "rose red lips" of Lord Douglass, which amount was used to pay his passage to America, was named Wood.

POETRY AND UNDYING LOVE

Replying to questions by Mr. Carson, Wilde said the letter to Lord Alfred was merely "poetical," and he added he had "undying love" for Lord Alfred, who, he claimed, was his best friend.

Witness denied having misconducted himself with Wood.

The latter, he added, was introduced to him by Lord Alfred, who asked him to befriend him.

Wilde and Wood, it was also shown by the cross-examination, addressed each other by their Christian names.

It was also developed in writing that he did not concern himself to produce morality or immorality.

He had no purpose and was concerned merely with literature, beauty, wit and emotion.

He rarely thought of anything he wrote as true. Indeed, he might say never in regard to Dorian Gray.

Sir Edward Clarke objected to Carson cross-examining his client on that novel, as it appeared in Lippincott's Magazine and not as it was published in England.

Wilde thereupon descended from the witness-box and whispered a few words to his counsel, after which Sir Edward Clarke withdrew his objection.

The cross-examination was very severe and brought out the great differences in the ages of Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglass, the former was born in 1856 and the latter in 1870; how the two had visited various towns together, stopped at the Savoy Hotel together, and how Lord Alfred visited Wilde's chamber.

Carson then drew out Wilde's opinion regarding literature in general, to which line of cross-examination the plaintiff made many smart responses in the same line as in his plays.

"The interpretation of my works does not concern me," said Wilde. "I do not care ,tuppence' for what the Philistines think about me."

A NEWSBOY TOO.

Carson severely repressed the levity of the witness and began a more serious phase of the cross-examination, by questioning Wilde about his intimacy with a newsboy 18 years of age, belonging to Worthing, and brought out the fact that Wilde took the boy to a hotel at Brighton.

"Why did you seek the boy's society?" asked Carson. "Was it for an intellectual treat?" "Oh, he was a bright, careless, amusing creature," replied the witness.

Carson here produced a silver cigarette case, handsome cane and book, which Wilde admitted he had given the newsboy.

The cross-examination then touched upon Wilde's relations with several boys and men, and the questions were so pointed as to be unprintable.

Wilde, however, emphatically denied, that he had done anything improper, but he was troubled and confused under the terrible cross-examination to which he was subjected, and frequently drank water.

In fact, he seemed ready to faint, and a chair was placed inside the witness stand for his use.

Throughout the questioning the plaintiff, the Marquis of Queensberry stood facing him, and did not take his eyes off him.

The cross-examination of Wilde was not finished when the court adjourned at 5 P. M.

A large crowd had assembled about Old Bailey to see Wilde leave.