The Sun. — 1861-10-11 (London, England)

SINGULAR PROCEEDINGS OF A CONVICT.  Among the prisoners who have just been removed from the gaol of Newgate to the Penitentiary at Millbank, to undergo their sentences of penal servitude, was a man named Thomas Quilter, whose career appears to have been of a somewhat extraordinary character. It seems that this prisoner was formerly in the Irish constabulary, and served in the same district with Mullins, who was executed for the murder of Mrs. Emsley, and he left that force of his own accord, and came to London, where he obtained an appointment in the General Postoffice. He had not been very long so engaged when suspicions were aroused regarding his honesty, and the usual steps were taken to test his conduct, which resulted in his detection, and he was committed to the Central Criminal Court to take his trial upon a charge of letter-stealing. At this time he appeared perfectly healthy in mind and body,but very soon after he had been in Newgate he refused his food and exhibited apparent symptoms of unsound mind. He was of course closely watched by Mr. Gibson, the surgeon of the prison, and also by the warders who had the charge of him, and the result they arrived at was that he was shamming -madness, in the hope, probably, that his trial might be postponed, and with some vague hope of ultimately escaping the consequences of his crime. When the time arrivedfor the prisoner to be tried he was twice placed at the bar to plead, but on each occasion ho refused to do so, or rather stood mute, and made no reply when called upon to plead. The facts of the case having been communicated to the Court, together with the strong opinion entertained by Mr. Gibson, the surgeon, and Mr. Jonas, the governor of the prison that the conduct of the prisoner was assumed, directions were given that a jury should be empanelled to tr, the question, according to the ancient form pre• scribed by the law, whether the prisoner, when called upon to plead, was mute of malice or by the visitation of God, and upon the evidence laid before them the jury at once found a verdict that the prisoner was mute of malice. Upon this finding the Court directed a plea of not guilty to be entered, and the trial of the prisoner proceeded, and he was convicted and sentenced to four years' renal servitude. During the trial the prisoner did not utter a word, or take any part in the proceedings, and after his conviction and sentence, for a considerable time, he continued to endeavour to make it appear that he was mad ; but at length, finding that the authorities of the prison were not to be imposed upon, and that he had no chance of succeeding, the prisoner resumed his ordinary demeanour, and admitted that the whole of his conduct had been a sham. In order to prevent any chance of the prisoner doing himself any mischief, he was strictly watched, but it appears that, not withstanding the surveillance to which he was subjected, he upon one occasion attempted to suffocate himself by placing his head in the pan of the watercloset in his cell, and it appears he held it in that position until he became insensible and rolled to the ground, and when the warder entered the cell he had only partially recovered his consciousness. It is stated that since the prisoner has been at Millbank ho has conducted himself very well, and ap-. pears resigned to the inevitable result of serving out his sentence.  00UN7RY