The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-12 00:00:00

THE MURDER OF SIR NORMAN LESLIE.

The following is an extract of a letter written by
Major Macdonald, commanding the sth Bengal
Irregular Cavalry, after the attack upon him and his
brother officers, in which it will be remembered Sir
Norman Leslie was murdered !

Two days after my native officer said he had found out
the murderers, and that they were three men of my own
regiment. I had them in irons in a crack, held a drum-
head court•mattial, convicted, and sentenced them to be
hanged the next morning. I took on my own shoulders
the responsibility of hanging them first, and asking leave
to do so afterwards. That day was an awful one of sus-
pense and anxiety. One of the prisoners was of very
high caste and influence, and this man I determined to
treat with the greatest ignominy, by getting the lowest
caste man to hang him. To tell the truth, I never for a
moment expected to leave the hanging scene alive, but I
was determined to do my duty, and well knew the effect
that pluck ail decision had on the natives. The regiment
was drawn out; wounded cruelly as I was, I had to see
everything done myself, even to the adjusting of the ropes,
and saw them looped to run easy. Two of the culprits
were paralysed with fear and astonishment, never dreaming
that I sho ill dare to hang them without an order from
tiovernment. The third said he would not be hanged,
and called on the Prophet and on his comrades to rescue
him. This was an awful moment; an instant's hesitation
on my part and probably I should have had a dozen of
balls through me; so I seized a pistol, clapped it to the
man's ear, and said, with a look there was no
mistake about, " Another word out of your mouth, and
your brains shall be scattered on the ground." He
trembled, and held his tongue. The elephant came up,
he was put on his back, the rope adjusted, the elephant
moved, and he was left dangling. I then had the others
up, and off in the same way. And after some time, when
I had dismissed the men of the regiment to their lines,
and still found my head on my shoulders, I really could
scarcely believe it.

A young lady of nineteen, writing from Murree in
the Punjanb, gives some details of great interest.
The remark upon the battle before Delhi of the fith
June confirms what has already been stated :

To-day we have beard that the whole Gwalior Contingent
has mutinied ; it consists of 16,000 men and thirty guns.
They are on their way to Delhi. Our men are quite
exhausted, and how can they fight these new men who
pour in'o Delhi *very day ? Unless you send us help soon
we are done for. There has been a frightful massacre at
Shajehanpore. We have not yet received the particulars
—it happened on a Sunday. At Bareilly the brigadier's
sentry shot him in his own drawing-room. At Nusseerabad
the two native infantry regiments mutinied, and seized
thirteen guns. The Bombay Lancers endeavonred to
recover the guns, but failed, and lost four officers. Nee-
much
has been burnt and several people killed, also all
the bungalows at Lncknow have been burnt. Uncle H.'s
military secretary and brigadier have been killed, and uncle
has fortified Lucknow, and put in three months' provisions,
and he will hold out. I hope, by God's help, till we can
relieve him. Uncle J— says if it goes on much longer
he must send us down to the fort at Lahore.
The Mahomedans are much the worst. At Jullundur
the three native infantry regiments mutinied, and killed
their officers. Mrs. Fagan was living there alone, her
husband having gone to Delhi as engineer; the treasury
was in her verandah, and a havildar (native officer) and
some sepoys guarding it. She heard firing in the night,
got up, and asked the havildar what it was. He said,
" They are firing in the lines." She said, " Will you
protect me and my children ?" He said he would, and
presently she heard the mutineers coming into the com-
pound and beginning firing. One bullet came into her
room (she is going to keep it in remembrance of that
night). The havildar called out to them to stop, and said
there was no one in the hoose ; then they came and
carried off the treasure chest out of the verandah and took
it into the gsrden and divided it, after which the havildar
came in and made his salaam to her, and said he had
pi otected her as long as he could and now he must go off
%Jth the rest. Then she ordered her carriage and went
Li the European lines, where she was safe.