Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-13
ways Right but Right or Wrong Our Country"
PLAcERvu1E co.. CALIFORNIA SATURDAY FEBRUARY
The TIluKs Of India.

| the following curious account Of the
| Thugs--a peculiar tribe. whom he met
on MuhShyr, OF, the Gangcs. Several of
the most notorious characters were there
hot imprisoned, but permitted to move
about, having been parlOncd on cOndi-
ton that tlcy wOul become infWmcrS,
and to II certain extent detectives IL the
Impression Of Thuygcc in the British
doninnnS. He says:
" 1t was curious feeling tn bc In CON
vrrsatinn with men WHO had each com.
miltcd his ninety or hundred muir
dcrs Ito sec the fingers that had stran-
| gIcd so many victims To watch the pro-
cess, for they were good naturcd enough
10 act it. There was til" un>uSpccting
traveller with his bundle; the dccoy
| Thug, who engaged him in conversation;
the two men, who at. tie given signal,
were to seize him the cXccutioncr, stand
ing bcIind with the handkerchief, ready
to stanglc the victim They even went
through the operation of searching the
" deceased, " upon whom they found mo-
| thing in this case but they assured me
this frequently happened inrcnlily. The
rcadcr Is, of course aware that il is n part
Of the Thugs religion not to rob II live
body. The crime Of murder must pre-.
ccdc that Of theft. The pny--thc tragc-
dy--ovor, (to these dulncstIcatcd demons
it was mere farcc,J they laughed at the
solemn expression which, l doubt not,
"a1 htainPted upon my features.
These Thugs were permitted to have
their families ut Momghyr; and one NOR
ming when strollcd down 90 their camp,
the old man made five children, the cid.
est boy not more than eight years old. go
through the business Of otrangling aud
robbing Il victim. In ono respect these
urchins outdid their progcnitors in the
acting They not ony went through
the ccrimony Of searching the dead body,
but, that done, they dragged it by the legs
to II well, and, in dumb show, threw it
down, and then uttered prayer to
Heaven!
WAS that good" said one of the
children, running up to me for applause
and Il reward. scarcely knew what to
reply. Before had time To give any all
Swcr, the chid's father eail--" no; il was
not good. You used the handkerchief
before the signal was given. Go through
it again, and remember, this time, that
you must have patience. y The boys be-
gan again, much III the same spirit that
an actor and actress would go through
the scene in Othcllo, to please iastidi-
Gus manager.
approaching very interesting look
ing woman, Of about two aud twenty
years of agc, | said to hcl--" What do
you think Of this!"
"Shc replied, in II provcrh--" The
mango always lnl! IS beneath the shade OF
the parent tree. "
But the crime ?" said !, "What think
you of that"
"Shc looked up with as lovely pair OF
eyes as ever saw the light, smiled and res
pondcd-" Heaven will hold us ALL Sahib.
was about to reason with her, but
her husband, with an expression Of pride,
intcrirrcd, and informed me that she had
taken eighteen lives
"Twcnty she exclaimed
Eighteen only, "said he
"Twcnty-onc! she persisted, and ran
them over, counting on her fingers the
places and the dates when the murders
wcre committed. Ilcr- husband then ad.
mltt,d that she was in the right, and
turning to me, rcnarkcd--" She is II very
clever woman, Sahib.
"Wcrc your victims men or women p? "
| laid to her.
"All women" she answered me-
"Somc old and some young.
81 was tempted to ask her to show me
how it was done and, after considerable
c"aXng, she complied with my wishes
Tony surprise, she was the only actor in
the scene, except the victim, with whom
She went through the process of stlaug.
ling with II piece Of cord. The victim,
another Thug%csS, was supposed to bc
sleeping when the operation waS perform
ed, and could not help admrng-hor.
rihlc as the sight was-thc accuracy with
which She performed the throcs and ago
mics Of death. TO borrow an idea from
JuniuS, "none hut those who had fire..
qucntly witnessed such awful moments
could describe them 50 we'll "