WILDE ABANDONS THE SUIT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 99, 26 April 1895, Page 3

WILDE ABANDONS THE SUIT.

VERDICT: OF JUSTIFICATION FOR THE MARQUIS. April s.—The sensational libel suit of Oscar Wilde againsb bho Marquis of Queensberry came bo an abrupb end bo^d-iy^anr" Wilde is now under arreab charged with bhe crimes of which he waa accused by bhe Marquis. Before 10 o'clock every available foot of space in tho Old Bailey courtroom waß filled with spectators armed with newspapers and packages of sandwiches and otherwise ready to spend the day in court in bho moat comfortable manner possible. The Marquis entered bho court ab 10.20 o'clock, looking calm and confident of the resulb. Promptly ab 10.30 o'clock Justice Collins entered" and courjr was opened. Oscar Wildo. however, was abaenb. i Edward M Carson, leading counsel for tho defence, resumed his apeech,^hich w»a nob concluded yesterday when the court adjourned. Carson said ho hoped ho had demonstra*. •! that the Marquia was justified in bringing to a climax in the way he did the connection bebween hia son, Lord Alfred Douglas, and Wildo. Continuing, the counsel said he now approached tho more painful duby. It would bo his task bo call several young men who would tell bheir own tales, and who would show thab.bhe man Taylor, frequently referred to during the proceedings, was Wildo's procurer. ' lb was no wonder bhe Marquis of Queensberry protested -gainst the intimacy between his eon and Wildo. The wonder waa, tho counsel said, thab this man had been so long tolerated in London Society. , Wilde's conduct regarding the boy ab Worthing, continued Carson, was an instance of hia disgusting audacity. _ He picked up tho boy on bhe pier and introduced him to his family, and dreased him up aa a gentleman. Carson was continuing his terrible denunciation of Oscar Wilde when Sir Edward Clarke and other of the witnesses for tho plaintiff left the courtroom for consultation. They soon returned and Sir Edward asked for permission to interrupt bhe proceedings. Then, amid the mosb oppressive ailence, the leading counsel for tho plaintiff announced tho wibhdrawal of the case on behalf of his client.

The chief concern of Sir Edward Clarke seemed bo be hia desire to justify himself in undertaking tho case for Wilde. He said bhab after conaulting with hia client—who, by tho way, waa in the room to which his counsel-ad adjourned, bub lefb bho building hurriedly when Sir Edward Clarke began hiß statement—he asked to withdraw bhe auib, and on Wilde's behalf counsel said he did thia more especially in view of the extracts which had been read in court from Wilde's novel of modorn social life, "Dorian Gray," and from a magazine, " The Chameleon."

Carson here interposed, saying if there was to bo a verdicb of not guilty it also involved a verdicb of juebificabion, a8 the case of hia clienb musb aucceed upon thab pica. Justice Collins eaid thab as to the jury putting any limib on bheir verdict, the words oh the Marquis' card were either justified or not juabified. If the jury conBentod to the course suggested and were to return a verdicb of nob guilby, they were also to find thab the justification seb up by tHe defence waa true in substance and in fact, and that bhe words complained of were published for the public benefit. The jurymen consulted together for a moment, and then without leaving their seats returned a verdicb aa directed by Judge Collins, namely, thab bhe Marquis of Queensberry waa not guilfcy of libel and that the wordß he had written on a card, which formed the besia of the suit, were published in bho interests of the public. Tho verdicb was received with loud applause in courb, and Justice Collina made no abtempb bo check, ib. * The Marquis of Queensberry w»b bhen discharged from custody and lefb the court triumphant, ?inil_Dg, and surrounded by his frienda. The defence, ib appears, had a long array of wibneasea-on hand, including waifcera employed iv the hotels of Paria, London and other cities which Wilde had visibed.

Later in the day application waa made at the Bo w-streeb Police Court, for a warrant for bhe arrest of Wilde, and tho magistrate granted bhe application. Ho was subsequently arrested ab tho Cadogan Hotel. ". ■ ,Jlho officials of the Treasury Department, under which branch of the Government public prosecutions are directed, visited bhe Bow-6treefc I'olice Courb several times this afternoon previous to granting the warrant for Oscar Wilde's arrest. Upon the laab visit they wore accompanied by a detoctivo and two boyp. After a short consultation between tho Treasury officials and Sir John Brigo, during which aevcral questions wero addressed to tho detectivo and tho boys, the magistrate issued the warrant.

Wilde spent several hours in company with Lord Alfred Douglas ab the Hotel Bolborn. His brougham was waiting in front of the hotel. Early in tho. afternoon Lord Alfred drove to tho bank, cashed a cheque and reburned to tho hotel. Soon after both Wilde and Alfred drove away. ' Wilde, after his arrest ab the Cadogan Hotel, was taken in a cab by two detectives to Scotland Yard.

Wildo wore an ulster and a silk hat. He waa very pale, but cool, when he arrived al Scotland Yard.

Later, Lord Alfred; Douglas went to__the police station and inquired whether Wilde could be admitted to bail. The police inspector explained thab Wilde had been arrested for a criminal offence which did nob allow of bail being accepted until ho had been arraigned in court. Lord Alfred was greatly distressed by th'.B information.