The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-26 00:00:00

COMMITTAL OF THE WINDSOR CASTLE
INTRUDER.

The individual who was discovered in Windsor Castle on
Monday night, under circumstances of great suspicion, was
brought to the Home-office, on Thursday, for further exami-
nation. His real name, it appears, is Thomas Quested, aged
40, and a native of Maidstone.
The prisoner was brought to the Home-office shortly before
two o'clock in a cab, accompanied by Mr. Gilsbv and one of
the warders of Tothill-fields prison. He jumped out of the
cab on its arrival at Whitehall, and appeared in excellent
spirits, holding up his bundle, which is composed of some
old things tied up in a blue cotton pocket-handkerchief, and
exhibiting it in a manner as if he supposed that he had
obtained a triumph.
Since the prisoner's committal to Tothill-fields prison, he
has behaved remarkably well, quite calm and collected,
except when his title to the peerage is disputed, and then he
most clamorously asserts his supposed right.
Mr. Hall, chief magistrate at Bow-street, arrived at the
Home-office before ten o'clock, arid after a short delay the
examination commenced. Application was made to the
worthy magistrate for those belonging to the public press to
be admitted to the inquiry, but Mr. Hall in the most polite
and courteous manner informed them that it would be con-
trary to the established rules of the office if he was to comply
with the request; consequently it was not granted. The
following, however, is the substance of what has taken
place :

The prisoner was visited at Tothill-fields prison by Mr
Davies,, surgeon, of King-street, and Mr. Wakefield, sur
geon to Coldbath-fields prison, and closely examined as to
the state of his mind. He appeared perfectly cool and col-
lected on every subject but one—viz., that he had a title to
the peerage. The medical gentlemen inquired what title it
was that he thought he had a right to, when he replied, with
an air of dignity, " I am Lord Godolphin D'Arcy, and every
one knows it."

On being questioned at the Home-office, by Mr. Hall, the
unfortunate individual persisted in stating that he was Lord
Godolphin D'Arcy, that he was unjustly kept out of his
rights, and that his visit to Windsor was merely to obtain
those rights from the Queen ; and went on to state that all
the way down the road to Windsor the people saw as he
passed that he was a lord, and knew well that he had a right
to the title which he claimed.

An uncle of the prisoner, who resides in the neighbourhood
of London, and holds a situation in the dockyard, at Wool-
wich, was in attendance at the Home-office during the in-
quiry. This person, who is a respectable man, informed the
magistrate that the prisoner unfortunately was not the only
one of his family who was suffering under an aberration of
intellect. He had a sister who was insane; that the prisoner
was an agricultural labourer, but for a length of time had
entertained the strange delusion that he was entitled to the
peerage—that he was, in fact, Lord Godolphin D'Arcy.
When the prisoner was observed in the Castle he was fast
asleep on a couch in the footmen's waiting-room ; and when
asked how he obtained admittance, he said that he followed
a " potboy," which statement he repeated.
It appears that the unfortunate man left Maidstone, or the
neighbourhood, on Friday, and walked to Woolwich, where
he stopped a short time, and then proceeded to Windsor,
going direct to the Castle, when, from fatigue, he fell into a
sleep in one of the out-offices, and was ordered off. He then
went back to Woolwich, but on arriving there he felt so con-
vinced of his rights that he retraced his steps, and obtained
in a most extraordinary manner an entrance into the Castle
to the footmen's waiting-room, where he was apprehended.
There was no further evidence adduced as to the facts at-
tending the prisoner being found in the Castle. The inquiry
related solely to his state of mind. When he was asked if
he did not think that he was labouring under a delusion in
thinking himself a lord, he replied, " No, certainly not; I
am a lord." He was then asked if the medical gentleman
told him that he was labouring under a delusion on the sub-
ject, whether he would not believe them and give up his
claim to the title he supposed himself to be heir to. The
prisoner replied that he would not give up his claim ; the
gentlemen did not know so much on the subject as he did;
he was Lord Godolphin D'Arcy.
After a lengthened examination, no doubt remained but
that the unfortunate individual was insane, and the medical
gentlemen signed a certificate to that effect.
He was then conveyed in a cab to Tothill-fields prison,
and an order made out for his committal to Bethlern Hos-
pital, and as soon as it received the signature of the Home
Secretary, the prisoner was removed to that place of con-
finement, there to remain during her Majesty's pleasure.

A WORD TO SWIMMERS.—When you come in contact
with those who are drowning, act promptly in the following
manner, viz. :—Take off as much of your apparel as you can,
if circumstances will permit; tie your handkerchief round
the cuff of your coat—spring in, and throw the coat to the
party, keeping the end of the handkerchief between your
teeth ; the person will immediately lay hold, and you can use
your imbs to swim, without the danger of being caught hold
of. But if the individual drowning be so exhausted as not
to be able to take hold of the coat, then you may pull the
body ashore, for you are in no danger of being grasped. By
attending to this the rescuer's safety is rendered secure, and
many lives may be preserved.

The Chinese mourner is habited in course sack-cloth, the
universal mourning apparel in China. The shoes are white,
the hair and beard arc permitted to grow unshaven, and an
odd species of head-gear surmounts the cranium. He is at-
tended by a servant, or " heel attendant," the word being
derived from" kaw,” " the heel of the foot," which they
call the root of the foot. In this person's hand is carried a
mourning lamp, and of which the Chinese exhibit an abun-
dance in their funeral processions ; and they are distinguished
from all others by the presence of the emblematic white.
The full period of mourning for a parent is threey
twenty-seven
but
'
this is commonly reduced in practice
months; a shorter period is allotted fqatoother
tr
Three years must elapse after the deati? of
period is showed
beleaftioroensa.
child is permitted to marry, and a similar Pen
as a sensation from bolding office.