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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.

LONDON, April 5. -- The suit of Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensbury 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.

Sir Edward Clark, formerly Solicitor-General, leading counsel for Oscar Wilde asked permission on behalf of his client to withdraw the suit and submit to a verdict announcing the Marquis not guilty in regard to the words "posing as a --," written by the Marquis of Queensberry on a card which was left for Wilde by the Marquis at the Albemarle Club on Feb. 18, and which was handed to the latter by a porter, Sidney Wright, on Feb. 28, and which 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.

Later in the day application was made at the Bow Street Police Court, before Sir John Bridge, for a warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde, which was granted.

Wilde spent several hours in company with Lord Alfred Douglas at a hotel in Holborn. Early in the afternoon Lord Alfred drove to a bank, cashed a check and returned. Soon afterwards, both Wllde and Lord Alfred drove away.

He was followed by two detectives and arrested at the Cadogan Hotel, Sloan street, whence he was taken in a cab to Scotland Yard.

Wilde wore an ulster and silk hat. He was very pale, but cool when he at arrived at Scotland Yard. At 8.10 P.M. he was arraigned at the Bow Street Police Court.

Before 10 o'clock this morning every available foot of space in the courtroom was filled with spectators, who were armed with newspapers and packages of sandwiches, and who were otherwise ready to spend the day in court in the most comfortable manner possible.

It was noticed, however, that Oscar Wilde was absent.

In resuming his argument this morning, Mr. Carson said that 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, counsel said that he now approached a more painful duty. It would be his task to call the 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 that the Marquis of Queensberry protested against the intimacy between his son and Wilde. The wonder is, 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 began to announce the withdrawal of the case on behalf of his client. The chief concern of Sit Edward Clarke, who is a prominent Conservative, and who was Solicitor-General under Lord Salisbury's last administration, from 1886, when he was knighted, to August, 1892, 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 a verdict of not guilty in regard to the words "Posing as a ---," which the Marquis of Queensberry had written on the card, which formed the basis of the suit.

Mr. Carson here interposed, saying that if there was to be a verdict of not guilty, it also involve a verdict of justification, as the case of his client must succeed upon that plea.

Justice Collins said, as to the Jury putting any limit on heir verdict, that the charge, "Posing as a ---," was either justified or not justified, and that if the jury consented to the course suggested they were to return a verdict of not guilty, and were 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.

At the close of tho proceedings it became known that it was momentarily expected that a warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde would be issued. Counsel for the Marquis of Queensberry have written to the Public Prosecutor, inclosing copies of the statements made by all the witnesses for the defense, and also inclosing the shorthand notes taken at the trial, in order that there may be no miscarriage of justice.

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 from not prosecuting the Marquis of Queensberry."