The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-31 00:00:00

THE CAPTURE OF NANA SAHIB.

The Times of Monday published the following tele-
gram from their own correspondent
BOMBAY, October 25.
The Times of frulia states that Rio. Sahib wrote to
Seindla as follows ,--
" Since the events of 1857 I have been a miserable wan-
derer. My strength is now exhausted. I come to you a
suppliant for protecti, n. You can kill me or save me."
The Nana and his brother Bala were disguised as religious
mendicants. They were brought to the Palace and con
fronted with the Resident The one confessed to being the
Nana, but denied any complicity with the massacres, and
stated that he was hidden in the vicinity of Cawnpore for
three months after the arrival of Havelock, and that thence
he proceeded to Ithootati and remained in the jungles for
seven years. Ile was never ill Nonni, but lived for one year
in General Jenkins's compound at tiowhatty and in Asson,
disguised In appearance Thence he went to 13-tiredly, where
he remained for one year, and then went to Gwallor last
Tuesday.
• •

&India asked that the Nana's life might be spared, but
eventually surrendered him unconditionally.

Ile has been sent to Morse in irons, and now withdraws his
confession, alleging that it was wade under the influence of
bhang.
- • - - • - • • •

The surgeons differ respecting his identity, some thinking
him to be under SO, while others detect signs of more nature
age..

'Seimlia says that he can swear to the man's identity.

Referring to the reported capture of Nana Sahib, The
Times, in a leader, gives the following outline of his
career—

- --
The NanaSahibwasthe adoptedsonof the Peishwah,
but on his father's death the government of India re-
fused to recognise his right to the succession. The
merits of that decision it would be useless now to '
canvass. They would be in any case inappreciable in
reference to the story of treachery and cruelty which
followed. The Nana still remained rich and powerful, 1
and was so far from seeming to resent his not having
been recognised that he distinguished himself by his
apparent friendliness to the English. He was, '
to all appearances, not merely an ally, but
an imitator of English customs, and when the
mutiny broke out he was trusted absolutely by our
officers. They even applied to him for • body of '
soldiers to guard the Treasury at Cawnpore, and
he at once granted the request. But no sooner did
the native troops at that place actually rise in insurrec-
tion than he placed himself at their head, and besieged 'II
General Wheeler in the feeble entrenchments within
which he had concentrated a hacdful of European '
soldiers, with the women and children of the garrison.
From the 7th to the 24th of June, 1857, the Europeans
were worn out by the incessant fire of an enemy vastly
superior in force, and by the disease which their con-
finements and their labours created among them. Still
they held out, and on that day Nana Sahib sent to
offer them a safe retreat to Allahabad, on condition of
their abandoning the intrenchment, with the treasures
and stores it contained. The offer was accepted;
and on the morning of the 27th the whole party, the
survivors of about 900 Europeans, of whom two-
thirds were women and children, marched down to '
the river to embark in boats prepared for them.
But other preparations had been made, and our party
were no sooner defenceless in the boats than a fire '
was opened upon them from both sides of the bank,
and in a very short time one-half of them were either !
killed or wounded. The remainder were seized and
carried back to Cawnpore. There the men were at
once murdered, and the women and children impri-
soned in • building which bad been the Assembly
Boom. What were their sufferings in this terrible
confinement none lived to telL On the 15th of the
following month the Nana found that Havelock was
forcing his way to Cawnpore, and that retreat was in-
evitable. Orders were at once issued to slay the whole
of the prisoners, five executioners were sent into the
building, and there completed the terrible tragedy of
the Massacre of Cawnpore. When the massacre
was over, or nearly over, the mutilated bodies
were thrown into a well, a few little chil-
dren who had escaped the sword being thrown down
last of all —whether dead or alive, none knew.
When Havelock's troops arrived ten days afterwards
they found the floors of the Assembly Room thick with
blood, the whole building strewed with women's
dresses, ornaments, and books, and the walls bearing
many a mark of sabre cuts which had carried long ,
tresses with them in their cruel work. It was no
wonder, after such a sight that Havelock's force was
nerved to incredible endurance. The brutal slaughter
of the women and children excited the deadliest rage in
our soldiers, and more than one of the perpetrators of
hose deeds who escaped at the time ham since been
discovered and punished. But the Nana himself con-
trived to elude us. He kept the field for some time;
but when the mutiny was repressed he disappeared,
and no sure information of him had been received
from that day to this.

The Times has also the following leader on the capture of
Nana Sahib :

DR. JOWETT ON SCIENCE AND
THEOLOGY.

The Master of Balliol College presehed before the
Oxford University on Sunday morning. The Vice-
Chancellor and nearly all the Heads of Houses were
in their places, and the undergradwites' gallery was
tilled to overflowing.
The preacher selected for his text a part of the 15th
verse of the first chapter of Colossians—" Who is the
image of the nixie fide God?" He remarked that first
principles of r, ligion often seemed to retire from us
when lesser questions and lesser ties were unfolded
on the mind, arid every man, or at least every
Christian man, was thought to know them by intni-
Lien whatever be the igu•rance of them which for
nierly prevailed in the Gentile world. This was
especially the case with the truths which related to
the nature of God. They were buried underground,
and one considered whether this fou.alation of our
religious life was straw or stubble ingeniously hidden
in the depths of the earth, or the Divine rock on
which the temple wee ti stand for eternal ages. They
were regarded as truisms about which little remained
to be said, and of small importance in comparison with
the religious topics of the (lay; yet it was quite clear
that without them we could never really attain to the
knowledge of God. The superstitions of religion,
Catholic or Protestant, Pagan, Jew or Gentile, differed
more in name than reality. The lowest things which
directly affect the human soul are far more costly and
precious than the highest refinement in decorations and
art. He pointed out the nature of God and his dealings
with man in the physical world, and how we might rise
out of that to the moral and spiritual, and the different
aspects in which God had revealed himself to us as a
God of Nature, and also how we °tight to worship God
and hold communion with him. In the first place,
we must acknowledge that God governed the world by
peculiar laws and did not alt3r them at man's wish or
request. The natural philosopher was capable of
seeing creation not with our modern notions and hazy
fancies, but with a really scientific insight into the
world in which we live. The light which was shown
us by natural sciences was regarded with suspicion, es-
pecially by religious men, who seemed to be afraid
that the wit of nian was devising a plan of shutting
out/the world which God had made. They wished there
might be exceptions to the rule expressly for them, as
if God could be seen through chinks or nught be peeped
at with a candle in a corner, and seen visibly in the
light of day. If, however, such men were not bound
fast with chains, they would no longer repel the ad.
monitions of the law. Was there anything in the con-
trolling power of law which prevented their coming
between right and wrong, or which hindered their
holding communion with God! If they looked upon
the world as a scene of law of laws, upon which count-
less multitudes were walking along the highway of
God's providence and did not break their ranks, but
were obedient to the will of God, they would, instead
of shutting out God from the world, be restoring the
world to him. Mankind was divided into two camps
—the scientific and religious; and now for the first
time in the 19th century man might be said to have a
mastery over life; he knew where he was and recognized
in himself more and more the power of controlling. Was
It not obvious that as their power increased their re-
sponsibility towards other menalso increased? Did they
not rather seem to want, he would not say anew religion,
but a new application of religion, which should teach
them that they were answerable for the consequences
of their actions to which they had hitherto seemed in-
different ; answerable for the good they neglected as
well as for the evil which they did. If another gener-
ation grew up in this country similar to the last, in
the same state of poverty and misery, who would be
I responsible for it If A small portion of the energy and
industry which was shown in the accumulation of
wealth would suffice in a few years to change the moral
aspect of this nation. Might they not regard the
physical well-being of their fellow-creatures as the
direct service of Gel, and even ass sort of worship quite
as much as that in churches? There have been some
in this world win seemed to have reacned the utmost
height of religious devotion, and who might be said
to have been burnt up with the fire of Divine love, but
their conception f d the character of God had been
narrow and meagre, and they never thought of asking
who governed the world or how they were to co-operate
in it. Their religion had been the principle of separa-
tion quite as much as of union, and they imagined that
all that was contained in the Scriptures or taught by
the Church was alien and antagonistic to them. There
were others who had been animated by a sincere love
of truth, who had calmly surveyed the world and set
' out all that could be known of nature and man; but
to them the Gosple of Christ had been a dead letter.
Both had done a part of the work of God on earth,
and both had lived in mutual distrust of one another.
But if ever there was a time when the spirit of perfect
love and knowledge met together in the same person or
in any persons, it was the present, and they now saw
in the Improvement and condition of the poor and
labouring classes greater harmony of different ranks
and in the renewal of their own lives.

. . . There is something singularly dramatic in this
capture by a Native Prince A the Native who ren-
dered hinaself the most notorious embodiment of hatred A "GREAT UNKNOWN" WRESTLER.
to our rule. The career of the Nana, if it could be
fully told, would be a strange chapter even in the
vicissitudes of Eastern history. In his birth he WAS An interesting incident has justoccurred at limbered,
destitute of any claim to the distinction to which he and has created a profound sensation in theatrical
afterwards succeeded. The son of a Brahmin of the circles in that place Mays the Pall Mall Gazet(e.) It
Deccan, he was as an infant adopted by the Peshwah seems that the proprietor of the Suhr Circus, anxious
in 1827. The principle of adoption, however, is so to provide amusement for the public, lately published
strong among the natives of India that in their eyeehe an announcement that a challenge given by Jules
succeeded completely to the rights and dignities of Rigel, a wrestler attached to the circus, had been
his adoptive father. But the system was so liable to accepted by a gentleman who, wishing to preserve a
abuse that the Government of India were compelled, strict incognito, would appear before the public in a
where Princely rights were in Question, to place some week. The amateur athlete, who, it was stated, was
restrictions on it, and the claim of the Nana to a person occupying a high social position, was rumoured
succeed in all respects to the position of the Pelishwah to be no other than Prince Stourdja, a Moldavian
was consequently refused. Still, he lii ea in the noble who has the reputation of possessing herculean
State of a Native Chieftain, and was allowed troops of strength. On the evening when "tire great unknown"
his own. He sent an agent to England, after the made his first appearance in the circus the stalls were
custom of Indian Princes, to advocate his claims, filled with eager spectators long before the commence-
:del this person, a roan of considerable address, was area of the pertormance. Rigel and his mariked
eaid to have been afterwards his evil adviser. How- opponent having made their bow to the audience, at
ever, he was for years the constant associate of once commenced the struggle, which was, however,
English officers, and in his little Court at Birthor of short duration, for the distinguished unknown
held a position of considerable distinction. Nothing in a few minutee, amid frantic applause floored his
was more characteristic of the instinctive feeling of the professional antagonist. So great was the success of
people than the manner in which, as soon as our rule the spectacle that the manager announced to the
was shaken, they at once rallied round their Native admiring audience that the nobleman wrestler had
leaders. Nana Sahib became at once the head, not condescended to appear again, before them on the
merely of the revolted Sepoys, but of the people in his !"11"wing evening, when the performance was accord-
neighbourhood. Notwithstanding his successive defeats ingly repemed, mei was continued for several donee-
by Havelock. Neill, and Lord Clyde, he continued to sive nights, until one evening an indiscreet member of
maintain a harassing warfare ; and when Gwalior was the tr.i4e unfortunately divulged the fact that the
occupiedly the rebels in June, 1858, he was chosen masked wrestler was not a distinguished nobleman, but
Peishwah'of the Mahrattas. But his dream of real I only one of the clowns attachedto the circus. This led to
power was s. on dispelled. He was driven towards I a disturbance, the "great unknown" narrowly escaped
the North, and in the Autumn of 1859 he was believed being torn to pieces by his late admirers, the manager
to have escaped across our border into the pestilen- and his troupe had to fly for their lives, and the circus
tial jungle of the Terai. A British force was its- building would probably have been dismantled and
tioned on the frontier of Nepaul to watch for him destroyed but for the exertions of the police, who,
and his exhausted body-guard ; and the spies with great difficulty, succeeded in repressing what
employed by the General received at length from promised to be a serious riot.
these followers the most circumstantial reports of
their leader's death. It must now be concluded that
all these reports were invented in order to cover the
Nana'it escape. The rumours of his capture, indeed,
which, as we have said, have so often been in circula-
tion are sufficient proof that the allegati iris of his fol-
lowers were deemed no sufficient evidence of his death.
Since that time he must have been living in per-
petual apprehension of being discovered, and in his
degradation and obsecurity must have suffered a '
long foretaste of the penalty of his crime. It can
hardly be doubted that he owes his prolonged im-
minity to the connivance of many of his countrymen.
But it is by the hand of a Native Prince that he is at
last brought to his doom. At Gwalior, where for a
brief interval he resumed the honour of Peishwah of
the Mahrattee, a Mahratta Prince arrests him, and his
career .4 rebellion is closed, not merely by the superior
force of the British 1111103, but by the loyalty to the
Queen of one of his own race.
Scindia's conduct in the affair is thus peculiarly ap-
propriate, when regarded as the last scene of the great
al utiny ; but the British nation will not forget in this
general view of the incident the conspicuous display
id good faith and of friendship whieh the Maharajah
has exhibited. It is in every way honourable to him,
while it is most welcome to ourselves. Scindia is one
the most powerful of those Native feudatories whom
it is now onr settled policy to maintain in their
sovereignty, and through whom we hope to gain in
time not merely the submission of the people of India,
led a greater degree of confidence and sympathy than
we often command. Could we once make it under-
stood that we have no wish to extinguish any Natise
rights or dignities so long as they are exercised for
the good of the country, and in conformity with
the obligations which our own position imposes on
us, we may hope that the secret distrust and almost
terror of which the Mutiny was such a fearful ex-
hibition will gradually subside. A Native Prince
exercising an independent sovereignty, but heartily
in alliance w ith us, is the best possible evidence of the 1
genuinenewe of ouch a policy on our part, and Scindia I
has already given us every encouragement in adopting
this attitude of confidence towards him. The part
played by his Government in the Mutiny was of the
highest importance to us, and in the future his cordial
support may help to solve many difficulties of admi-
nintration. His loyalty or his wisdom is the more to
be commended because there are immunities which he
will be glad to win from us. Our Correspondent's Tele-
gram the other day, for instance, was addressed trim
bear. The place s a post for our troops within a very
short distance of the Maharajah's Palace' and the pre-
sence of a British force so near as almost to menace his
eitadel has long been a somewhat sore point with
him. Lord Elgin, it is believed, was inclined to yield to
his remonstrances on the subject and to withdraw the
force • but Lord Lawrence, more imbued, perhaps,
with it-editions and reminiscences of past days, deemed
it unwire to abandon such a position. It must still
be a matter trim determined by political and strategical
considerations, but Seindia has certainly now placed
us under an additional obligation to consult his feelings
on the subject, and to consider whether we cannot
obtain an equal security without so visibly over-
retadowing his authority. Scindia and sitnilar'Princes
irt97lrit. LW the Nana was once, a mere artificial shadow
of au 0m....-ient name. They hold a genuine dignity and
exerelee great authority, and they have shown in
several Instances that they are capable ef turning their
position to the best m•count. If they finally and
heartily throw in their lot with that of our own Em-
pire, and at once learn from us and lend us their aid,
a brighter period will have opened upon the country. ,
Scindia could hardly have expressed this intention
Inn more marked manner than by his capture of Nana
Sahib. That one of their own Princes should thus
s banded over to us our treacherous foe will make
rl r surrender of the Nana far more impressive in the
....v. of the natives than his capture by ourselves. As
Nana himself, he will, of course, have the
benefit .4 the strictest justice. lie will be put upon
his trial ru•Sil allowed the most ample opportunities of
defence. Of
his guilt as a rebel the, can he no ques-
tion; and he win'. he put on his trial also for the atroci-
ties of Cawnpore. Ha will have an opportunitg of
insuring a complete Inveetigatinn of that frightful
episode if the Mutiny, and the trial may be the means
of clearing up some points sgepecting it which have
always been eft in doubt. Every plea that eau be
alleged will be heard, for the first necessity of a wise
vengeance is that it should be not merely substantially,
but conspicuously just. But the penalty for such
crimes, if brought home to the Nana, must be exacted
to the uttermost.

A fire has occurred at George T, we 'Massachusetts
gaming damage to the extent of 50,0170 dollars