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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 commenced in the Old Bailey, before Justice Collins.

The result was apparently brought about by the terrible denunciations in the opening argument of Queensberry’s lawyer, Edward M. Carson, M. P., who began yesterday his statement of what he proposed to prove against Wilde. To-day he continued laying down further the line of defense that he intended to offer, and had proceeded a few minutes when Sir Edward Clarke, Wilde’s leading counsel, left the court room. He returned after a brief absence, and amid an impressive silence asked permission on behalf his client, Wilde, to withdraw the suit and submit to a verdict of not guilty in regard to the libel alleged, written by the Marquis of Queensberry. The jury, under instructions from Justice Collins, returned a verdict of not guilty, coupled with the statement that the justification set up as a defence 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 of Queensberry was discharged from custody and left the court triumphant, smiling and surrounded by his friends.

The Old Bailey was filled before 10 o’clock with a crowd which had brought lunches, prepared to stay to the end of the day. No one had the remotest idea that the end was so near at hand. The Marquis of Queensberry entered the court room at 10:20 o’clock, looking calm and confident of the result. Promptly at 10:30 Justice Collins took his seat on the bench and opened court. It was noticed that Wilde was not in the court room, but nothing was thought of the circumstance, for the plaintiff was late yesterday.

It was learned later, after Sir Eward Clarke retired, that Wilde was in the anteroom to which his counsel had gone. After a brief interview with his client Sir Edward Clarke returned and withdrew the suit, as noted above. Wilde left he building hurriedly when his counsel began his statement of withdrawal.

Sir Edward Clarke, who is a prominent conservative and who was solicitor general under Lord Salisbury’s last administration, seems desirous of setting himself right for taking the case behalf of Wilde, and the developments of the trial the stated to be altogether surprising to him.

Oscar 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 and bear upon my own shoulders whatever shame and ignominy might result form not prosecuting the Marquis of Queensberry."

Shortly after it was announced that a warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde was to be applied for, all the papers in the case having been submitted to the public prosecutor.

Later in the day the application was formally made at the Bow street police court before Sir John Bridge, the presiding magistrate, for a warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde and the magistrate granted the application.

Officials of the treasury department, under which branch 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. Upon the question of their last visit they were accompanied by a detective and two boys. After a short-consultation between the treasury officials and Sir John Bridge, during which several questions were addressed to the detectives and to the boys, the magistrate issued the warrant. Wilde during the day spent several hours in company with Lord Douglas, at a hotel in Holborn. His brougham was waiting in front of the hotel. Early in the afternoon Lord Alfred drove to a bank, cashed a check and returned to the hotel. Soon afterward, both Wilde and Lord Alfred drove away.

Oscar Wilde Arrested.

London, April 5– Oscar Wilde was arrested at the Cadogan hotel this afternoon.

He was taken to Scotland yard by two detectives.

April 5.—The sensational libel suit of Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry came to an abrupt end to-day, and Wilde is not under arrest charged with the crimes of which he was accused by the Marquis.

Before 10 o'clock every available foot of space in the Old Bailey courtroom was filled with spectators armed with news papers and packages of sandwiches and otherwise ready to spend the day in court in the most comfortable manner possible.

The Marquis entered the court at 10.20 o'clock, looking calm and confident of the result. Promptly at 10.30 o'clock Justice Collins entered and court was opened. Oscar Wilde, however, was absent.

Edward M Carson, leading counsel for the defence, resumed his speech, which was not concluded yesterday when the court adjourned. Carson said he hoped he had demonstrated that the Marquis was justified in bringing to a climax in the way he did the connection between his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, and Wilde.

Continuing, the counsel said he now approached the more painful duty. It would be his task to call several young men who would tell their own tales, and who would show that the man Taylor, frequently referred to during the proceedings, was Wilde's procurer.

It was no wonder the Marquis of Queensberry protested against the intimacy between his son and Wilde. The wonder was, the counsel said, that this man had been so long tolerated in London Society.

Wilde's conduct regarding the boy at Worthing, continued Carson, was an instance of his disgusting audacity. He picked up the boy on the pier and introduced him to his family, and dressed him up as a gentleman.

Carson was continuing his terrible denunciation of Oscar Wilde when Sir Edward Clarke and other of the witnesses for the plaintiff left the courtroom for consultation. They soon returned and Sir Edward asked for permission to interrupt the proceedings.

Then, amid the most oppressive 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 had adjourned, but left the building hurriedly when Sir Edward Clarke began his statement—he asked to withdraw the suit, and on Wilde's behalf counsel said he did this more especially in view of the extracts which had been read in court from Wilde's novel on modern social life, "Dorian Gray," and from a magazine, "The Chameleon."

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.

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

The jurymen consulted together for a moment, and then without leaving their seats returned a verdict as directed by Judge Collins, namely, that the Marquis of Queensberry was not guilty of libel and that the words he had written on a card, which formed the basis of the suit, were published in the interests 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 and smiling, and surrounded by his friends.

The defence, it appears, had a long array of witnesses on hand, including waiters employed in the hotels of Paris, London and other cities which Wilde had visited.

Later in the day application was made at the Bow-street Police Court, for a warrant for the arrest of Wilde, and the magistrate granted the application. He was subsequently arrested at the Cadogan Hotel.

The officials of the Treasury Department, under which branch of the Government public prosecutions are directed, visited the Bow-street Police Court several times this afternoon previous to granting the warrant for Oscar Wilde's arrest. Upon the last visit they were accompanied by a detective and two boys.

After a short consultation between the Treasury officials and Sir John Brige, during which several questions were addressed to the detective and the boys, the magistrate issued the warrant.

Wilde spent several hours in company with Lord Alfred Douglas at the Hotel Holborn. His brougham was waiting in front of the hotel. Early in the afternoon Lord Alfred drove to the bank, cashed a cheque and returned to the hotel. Soon after both Wilde and Alfred drove away.

Wilde, after his arrest at the Cadogan Hotel, was taken in a cab by two detectives to Scotland Yard.

Wilde wore an ulster and a silk hat. He was very pale, but cool, when he arrived at Scotland Yard.

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.