The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-21 00:00:00

AIL

THE CAPTURE OF NANA SAHIB.

The overland summary-of the Times of Jodia, dated
Oct. 26, contains reports from several correspondents
relative to the capture of Nana Sahib, though it
appears from these that from the outset opinion
differed as to his identity. The Nana was captured
in Gwalior on the 21st of October by Maharajah
Scindiah, to whom he wrote, claiming protection.
He was lodged in the Cameronian Guard.
Telegraphing on the 2.trd of October, a Morar corre-
spondent says : " Ole subsequently confessed to the
Political Agent the part he took in the mutiny, but he
denied any participation in the massacres. He
acknowledged himself to be the Nana Sahib. His
Highness bcindiab wished the prisoner's life spared,
but eventually yielded him unconditionally to the
British authorities. The prisoner now states that his
confession was false, and that he made it under the
influence of bhang. He looks 40 years of age, not
more."

The Delhi Gazette of the same day gives the fol-
lowing account of the capture :—" Great excitement
prevails in the city of Gwalior. At one time there
was great anxiety, as all the horrors of 1857 came
to memory. At nine p.m. on the 214, shortly after
his return from the Duaserah review, the Maharajah
Scindiah was informed by a Goosain that Nana Sahib
and Bala Sahib, the notorious rebels, with a large
number of followers, had entered the city. Nana and
Bala were disguised as nairciees. There were various
rumours of their intentions. Some said they had come
to assassinate the Maharajah, others that to create a
disturbance was their object. These tales spread far
and wide. The true story is, however, that a
letter was addressed to Scindiah by the Nana, craving
his protection (sharun). The communication said :
' Since the events of 1857 I have been a miserable
wanderer. My strength is now exhausted. I come to
you a supplicant for protection. You can kill me or
save me.' Scindiah at once mounted his horse, and
rode over to to call out his Bowan, and gave him the
information and the necessary instructions there-
upon. He then put himself at the head of a regi-
ment of cavalry, one of infantry, and a battery of
artillery, and went to the place where the descendants
ot the old masters of his ancestors were. He paid his
respects to them, and then placed them in palkees.
The precoiacerted signal of success, three guns in
rapid succession, was given, and immediately the
captives followersdispersed. The captives were brought
to the Maharajah's Palace. In the meanwhile, the
Dewan and Ebaan AU, Vakeel, waited on the resident,
Colonel Osborne, and about eleven pin, brought him
to the palace and confronted him with the Nana. The
excitement in the city continued all night, but ample
measures to prevent a tumult and to reassure the
people had been taken. The main roads and chief
streets were occupied by the military, and large bodies
of all arms stood to attention all night. The
Maharajah himself visited the poets frequebtly during
the night. On the morning of thettlnd the prisoners
were formally made over to the Morar authorities, and
were immediately placed in irons under a strong
European guard." _ .

The next day the Morar correspondent supplied the
following additional particulars : Nana Sahib states
that he hid within ten miles of Cawnpore for three
months alter he was defeated by Havelock on the
16th of July, 1857. Thence he went to the Bhoo-
tan jungles, where he remained in hiding for seven
years. He lived in General Jenkins's compound at
Gowhatty, in Assam, for one year, in disguise. Then he
went to Bareilly, and lived there for one year, still in
the same disguise. He left Bareilly for Gwalicr a
short time since, and arrived at Seindiah's capital on
Tuesday last. The doctors who have examined him
differ as to his probable age. Some think it cannot
exceed forty, and others are of opinion that his body
shows signs of age. No orders hate yet been received
here regarding the trial, or where the prisoner is to be
conveyed. Dr. Tressidder is coming here to-morrow
to examine the prisoner. He was civil surgeon of
Cawnpore at the time of the mutiny."
Dr. Tressidder examined the prisoner on the morn.
ing of the 25th, and could not identify him. The re-
port of this examination states :—" In his opinion the
prisoner is too short for Nana. He thinks him too
young and spare to be the right man. He also lacks
certain surgical marks by which he could be identified.
The scar from a carbuncle and a peculiarity of nail
growing into flesh absent. Voice not the same.
Figure different. Colonel Mowbray Thompson will
also be here in a day or two to see and, if possible,
identify the prisoner. Colonel Thompson (at the time
of the siege of Cawnpore by the Nana, lieutenant) to-
gether with Delafuese, who belonged to the 53rd, and
two privates, were the only Europeans who escaped
after the capitulation."
On the other hand the Maharajah Scindiah was
positive as to the identity of the captive. The Gwalior
correspondent gives the following information :—On
the 21st October the Nana Sahib of Cawnpore was
captured by Maharajah Scindiah in person. His
brother was with him. They were both disguised as
gossains. They were taken in the Chottee Sheila of
Gunge Dose, situated under the walls of the Phool-
, baugh. They were brought to Kumpoo Kotee, and
I were put in irons by the order of the Maharajah.
Afterwards they were made over to the Resident by
the Dewan. Everybody believes he is Nana. He
I stated that he lived in Bhootan for seven years after
the mutiny, but that he never went to Nepaul as
everybody thought. He also said that lie afterwards
went to Assam. Maharajah Scindiah states that he is
quite cons inced that the man is Nana Sahib."
A Calcutta correspondent adds the statement that
the Government had been on the look out for the
Nana for twelve months pad.

The following is from The Times of Tuesday :--

Some time during the evening of the 21st ult. a
letter was brought to Maharajah Scindiah, written by
a moonshi in the service of the Nana a Bithor. This
letter stated that the Nana wrote to beindiah as one
brother to anothwr ; that, having wandered maay years
in the jungles, he now returned to Hindostan to die;
that he threw himself on Scindiah's protection
(literally laid his head in Scindlah's lap), and would
do whatever he was bidden.

On receiving this letter the Maharajah at once
ordered out 200 of his troops, and proceeded with
them to the outskirts of the Lushkar, where the Nana
Was living. Scindiah seized the Nana with his own
hand, and took him to his palace a prisoner. It ap-
pears that the two men had been brcught up together
as boys, though the Nana is some 10 or 11 years older
than the Maharajah. Scindiah recognised his former
companion instantly, and was still further assured of
his identity by the mention of little incidents which
had occurred when they were boys, and which could
not have been known to this man where he not the
person he represented himself to be. On arrival at
the palace Scindiah at once surrounded it with 3,000
men, and sent off for the Political Agent, who went
immediately (11 p.m.) to the Lushkar, and took down
the prisoner's deposition.

It was to the effect that he was the son of Bajee
Rao, the Peishwa, and was known as the " Nana
Sahib" of Bithoor ; that he commanded the rebel
Sepoys at Cawnpore because he was compellediby them
to do so ; that he bad nothing whatever to do with the
massacre at the ghats, nor with the murder of the
women and children afterwards ; that he remained for
three months within ten miles of Cavrnpore after its
recapture by Havelock force, and then made his
way to the jungles of 'Nepal and Bhootan, where he
hid for seven yearn; that he afterwards lived, disguised
as a fakir, in the compound of General Jenkins, at
Assam, for a year—that thence he went to Bareilly,
and so down to Gwalior, where he had arrived only the
day before. •
" • • •

The moonshi, who was captured with him, states
that he u.et the Nana at Bareilly ten months ago, and
having nothing to do, entered his service, that he
wrote the letter to Scindiah at the Nana 's dictation,
but that until then he had no idea who the fakir really
. .

Scindiah, it seems, was unwilling to give up to
certain death the man who had thrown himself upon
his protection, and who is a Mahratta like himself.
He wished, therefore, to receive a guarantee that the
Nana's life should be spared. Ultimately he yielded
to persuasion, and delivered his prisoner over to the
British authorities unconditionally.
- - -

The Nana was escorted on the 22nd ult, by about
200 of Scindiah's cavalry to Morar Cantonments, and
after being received in due form by the general officer
commanding the district, and ironed, was lodged in the
cells of the 26th (Cameronian) Regiment, under an
officer's guard, his moonshi being confined in a separate
cell. The supposed Nana now states that he is only a
simple fakir, and that he can prove this if allowea;
He says that the letter he caused to be written to
Scindiah is false throughout, as also the statement he
made to the Political Agent, and that at the time the
one was dictated and the other made he was under the
influence of " bhang."
- • -

The prisoner is a man of apparently 10 years of age.
He wears a long black bearl and long hair, in neither of
which is there a tinge of grey. It has been stated
that his hair and beard are dyed, but this has not yet
been proved. He is about Oft. 9in. in height, and of
spare figure ; his face is marked with smallpox. Ac.
cording to Kaye, the Nana should be now about 50
years old, but the prisoner does not look more than
40 in the opinion of most persons who have seen him.
Hance doubts are expressed as to his being the Nana,
even in tio face of the strong evidence brought against