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Afraid to Meet the Proofs of the Defense, His Counsel Gives the Case Up-The Jury's Verdict Greeted with Cheers-He Spent Last Night in a Common Cell-His Name Stricken From the Playbills.

London, April 5. -- Oscar Wilde is locked up in a cell at the Bow Street, where he must spend the night, at least.

The charge against him is a criminal offense for which no bail can be accepted until he has been arraigned in court.

His libel suit came to a sudden end this this morning. The leading counsel for the defendant, Mr. Edward M. Carson, Q. C., was outlining the proof in the hands of the defense, when he was interrupted by Sir Edward Clarke, leading counsel for the plaintiff, who asked leave to withdraw the suit.

This was granted, and the jury under instruction from Justice Collins, without leaving their seats, returned a verdict of not guilty, coupled with the statement that the justification set up 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 cheers, which were not checked by the presiding justice.

Wilde wrote a letter after the verdict was rendered, saying it was impossible to prove his case without putting Lord Alfred Douglass in the witness box. Rather than do this he determined to retire from the case.

WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST.

The defense presented the testimony of a long array of witnesses, whom they had intended to call, to the authorities, and the result was that Sir John Bridge, Magistrate at the Bow street police court, issued a warrant for Wilde's arrest, which was served on him at Cadogan's Hotel.

Wilde spent several hours in company with Lord Alfred Douglass 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 drove away. When he was arrested he was taken at once to Scotland Yard.

Wilde wore an ulster and a silk hat. He was very pale, but cool, when he arrived at Scotland Yard. Few persons witnessed his arrival there, and those who did so maintained silence.

He had merely called at the Cadogan Hotel with a couple of friends, when at halfpast 6'0clock a detective walked into the office and asked for him.

The prisoner remained silent throughout the proceedings. He was then taken to Bow street. He 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.

MUST SPEND THE NIGHT.

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 at the station 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 offense which did not allow of bail being accepted until he had been arraigned in court.

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

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

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. Upon the occasion of their last visit they were accompanied by a detective and by two boys.

THIRD AND LAST DAY.

The collapse of Oscar Wilde's case, and subsequent arrest, says the London correspondent of the New York papers, on April 5th, caused a sensation without parallel in London, since the exposure and flight of the forger Pigott during the sittings of the Parnell Commission. Still, since Wilde's first day's testimony, the result had been foreseen. The expectation was that the jury would stop the trial and return a verdict for Lord Queensberry.

Before 10 o'clock every available foot of space in the Old Bailey courtroom was filled with spectators armed with newspapers 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 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 seem 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 eh 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 of 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, 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 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, 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 Bridge, 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. Bis 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 was arraigned in court. Lord Alfred was greatly distressed by this information.