Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-03-19
THE THUGS OF INDIA.

Very few readers need to to be told
that the Thugs were Il race of banditti
peculiar to India, who make business Of
robbing and numbering, and who. by a
dnt of practicing the art from generation!
TO generation, had attained a very high
degree of skill at the time their career
was happily cut short by the Government
of India.
The origin of l." Thugee" is. like many
better things, hidden in the night of time.
The legend saith that the first Thugs
were Hindoos, and that no one could be-
come member of the holy fraternity I'M
less he was fuu-blooded adherent Of
Brahma. However this be, in modern
times Mahommedans have been found
among the Thugs as well as Hindoos
but all Thugs, whatever their faith, have
Droiessed belief in, and veneration for q
..riain Hindoo goddess, who is believed
70 preside over the polite arts of murder
AID robbery. Piety is q drug, as We see,
IN India.
It was at the close Of the last century
j1 the English conquerors Of India first
gspected the existence of Thuggee.-
They had heard long before, Of the preya
lence of murder and robbery on the high
ways, but entertained no very high opin-
ion of the Hindoo code of morality, and
hearing Of no victims of Thuggee save
Hndoos, they troubled themselves as lit
tie as possible upon the subject. As the
eighteenth century was closing, however,
some Englishmen were put out Of the
way in a mysterious manner, and the
Government began to look into the sub
ject. An English officer of rank and
family had undertakena a journey towards
the head-waters OF the Ganges. On the
way be had fallen in with q very agreea-
ble and polished Hindoo; he had agreed
to travel in company with his new ac-
Quaintance the pair, with their servants,
had departed early one morning from a
small townand neither had been heard Of
since. Another Eaglishman had met on
the road from Allahabad with a Hindoo
lady in an agony Of grief-her husband
had died. her son had been stolen from
her. her purse was lost-she did Tot know
low she was to regain her fathers home
near Delhi. As she was young and beau
tiFul the gallant Englishman offered to be
her escort on the way. Tie last thai
was seen Of him was his appearance
some twenty miles from Allahabad, ri
ding On his horse with his fair protsg er
crouDs behind him.
These and similar incidents attracted
attention to the interior police of India
and for the first time the idea that there
was an organized band Of murderers anl
robbers ii the country dawned upon ii,
government. Inquiry was set on foot
and the leading feature Of Thuggee wa
brought to light. Early in the presen
century the existence Of the fraternir.
and its cardinal principles were known Il
the Indian Government. Yet, notwith
standing their thorough knowledge Of tn
systcm-the fact illustrates the nature @
the Government in India-o7er quartz
OF a century elapsed before steps were ia
ken to put down Thuggee.
1t Was in the early part Of the centur
that s Young Englishnan departed fror
Calcutta for journey into the Norther
regions of Hindoostan (the story IS to b
found in the British Parl;amentry Blu
Books.) He was 2 man of fortune
sprung from high family in England
was travelling solely in order to enlarg
his mind. He left Calcutta with the Be:
letters from the Government, and had, {
Is usual in India, large retinue Of Sc
wants and cattle. He had not been tw
DAYS gone when he fell in with beadt
fal Hindoo girl, travelling alone in th
same direction as himself Oq inqlir
be found that she was much terrified ;
the idea of performing the journey alOr
aud would eternally be grateful ii the Ii
giishman would allow her to follow II ii
wake Of his party. She was so gentl
50 pretty and 50 defenceless, that Il
stranger offered her one Of his horses an
a place at his table. He was struck t
her beauty; her large black eye gaze
a him with such tenderness and melal
chOIy that young John Bull began
wish that she were white or he bronze
She rode beside him ard taught him b,
native tongue. He could not separa
from her. She soon became the virtu
chief Of the caravan.
Only Aim, The body-seryant, We've
the fair stranger with distrust. He war
ed bis master against her, and more