New-York daily tribune., 1859-06-04
THE EXECUTION OF TANTIA T0PEE.
Cones pondenee Of The London Daily Ne~a

THE EXECUTION OF TANTA T0PEE.
CORES poDdenee Of The London Daily Ne~s-
BoNBsr, April 20. 1859.
The event Of the fortnight in India has been the
trial ard execution Of the far-iamed Taotia Topee.
lie was hanged at Sepree the afternoon Of the 18th
psS In my last conveyed TO you the information
that he had been captured; that Maun Sing had sur
rendered. and that the forces Of Ferozeshsh and the
Rso Sahib had been nearly destroyed in the Srrorgc
ureles. ] shs eDdeavOr 10 descriDe the train of
circun stances which led to such very desirable results
In the meantime, Maun Sing was
making his peace with Government, and bad taken up
his residence in the camp of Major Meade at Sepree.
While here he offered hls services, and those o his
foil, werr the capture OF Tantia Topee, who,
be stated was lurking "a fugitive in the ueighbOr-
hood Major Meade accepted his aid, and on the 9Th
instant Maun Sing came reeling into camp with the
II tehigeice that he had marked the game down. Ii
appears that he had II ct Tantis Ii adjacent village,
al lad left him under the pretext OF going to
collect his men. Instead, however, Of dong so,
he rode straight to the British camp and gave
the necessary Information. lie then returned To
The village, and lay down with the man he
bad betrayed ia have little sleep. AT given sig
nal the ~ poys Of the 9th Native I0fanty rushed In
and seized anita almost before he was thoroughly
awake. No resistance offered, and the PlGdafee
leader carried in irons into Sepree On bis arrival
here, be was at once placed IN charge OF strong
guard, and every precautOn taken to prevent either
escape or rescue. On the 18th inst he was brought O
cout-mariial. The charges upon which he Wa, ar
ragned we've confoed To rebellion and opposing the
British Government by force of arms. The court did
no, lorc deliberate and il soon becaue known ali
the camp that he was to perish on the scahold AZ >
p. m. ON the evening of the 18th inst he was con,
yeyed the place Of execution in a dhOo!y, guarded
by a company of the 30 Bengal Ibfantry lEuropeansl
After q delay of about twenty minutes, the charges,
6ndirg and sentence were read In English, native
tradslalon having been previously read to the prs,
oner. When requested 10 mount the platform, he did
so without assist arce eviuciug neither hesitation nor
al prehepsion lie died without struggle, and AL /
no been for is oruses aud his crimes, his stoicisn
might have been sdmi,ed,
1aula Topee was a Brahmin of the Dekkan, bay-
II 2 been III the zillab of the Ahmednnggar lie
attached himself at early age to the Court OF the
late Peishws, Brjee Rao, aud was from bis boyhood
tie constant con panOu Of DhuardOO Punt Oh Bdho"r
commonly called the Mana Sahib. lie wss well skilled
in military tactics and had made the old predatory
system Of Mahrata warfare his study His age had
been varOusly estimated but his general appeaia ance
did not bel, ken to be THAI forty year. From
tie hour of his capture 10 that OF hs death he betrayed
symptoms Of either trepdatiOn or OF dependency
lie seemed to feel that the end was come; ana was
apparently easy to perceive IN his general deneanor
and department that be quite prepared 70 yield up
the life be had hsZarded upon the est vi The Jie
Revo oir bis crimes, he attempted neither pal
linton nor eIteuua'on. He gave no mercy, and ne
sued for stern and relentless to the last, he
yielded up his life without nu1nuI or struggle, be-
ayiug little symptoms of nature or humanity on the
scsfrold al Sepree a. he had done by the well Ct
CawBlore. lie denied having taken any part IN the
n assacre but il is well known that he commanded on
the occasion of the divisions Of the Mana Sahib
ainV. HIS exploits numerous aud dsshing
than those OF any other rebel leaders. lie lei tue
Gwalor Contingent in persOn when Wyndhams canip
was bI mt In November, lo5'. Sustaining however,
a severe repuse at the hands of Sir Colin CamPoel
and losing 10 Of his guns be crossed the Juuna aud
fell back upon Calpee. But here he did not retnai
long Intelligence of the victorious entry OF Sir HnGh
RGse into Cent? al India the relief Ut Saugor, the ia o
Gauakoia ana the penlOus position OF toe Rance OF
sr.4u ID him. IN
southwark. On the LIT Of April lsJS he hrSt crossed
swurGs with Sir Henry Rose the banks OF the Bet"a
and bis troops driven IN disorder by only hahd
fol Of Of the Central lnds Field Force from under te
very baiiements Of the beleaguered city. tie also
con n anded at Agra and sustained severe repui-e
a. he hands of Brigaaier-GeIera Gresthead Ia the
course o twelve months he fought twenty pitched BAT
ties viz: the Betwa, kconch, engagements beivre
Calpee CIV ahoT, Rot. ke-Serai, Ssnganeer Bud"sfra,
kotsrIs iroor GUwle, Sndwa, hural kslpovr, Ood-y.
poor Peftanlburg DhOosa, Burache, Zeerapecr, hoor
hama and Seronge. In every one OF these engage en
be was defeated with the loss Of gus nnumerable and
hundreds Of his followers. DUNG the whole period
he had only two snccessesone at GvshOr, and obe al
Esangurgh; and on both occasions they were over
rstye troops who instead Of OF posing him, ranged
themselves under his banners. Setting aside MS skr
mshes be encountered IN successive engagements
more than dozen Of our best British general officers
ard brigadiers His fret vsnGusher was Grea;head
snd he was succeeded by Rcse, Napier, Michel,
Roberts, Smith, Parker, De Sali-, Showers, B1Lson
leader wherever they encountered him. lis success
Law in the ceery of his marches his knowledge OF the
couI tfy sld the feebootiug manner he sdoptei 10
obtain supplies. He carried along with him neither
bsgesge Dor -ommisssriat, compelling the countries
through which he passed TO provide him with every
thing ihs. his army required
III, BomBag Gazette gives the following more de-
tailed sccoun, of the execution:
THE execution was announced as about 10 take
place st p. NJ, proceeded TO where the scafoio
wa. erected The ground was kept by some men OF
the al;b aud 95h Native Infartry, ard some men OF
Mesde.s Hone Taniia brought from his tent u
the fr by an escort Of the 80 Bengal Eurupesns ani
tlen a considerable square wss formed, with The ga,
lows In the center. The companies Of the 2lth and
9th \ |. Infantry formed one side; tie men OF 'ne
liih Drseoous ard 18th Lsncers, who hsd cone lhlo
the station that ornng and the previous day were
drawn I'D on another side: the detachment OF 81 Ben
gals and Nea6es Hor-e in coutersbie strength formed
the two remaining sides. considerable NUMBER Yi
nsiives were scattered al the plain and ary te
elevation andng view OF the scAfod was theAy
studded with whie-elsd spectators. Iarus nsd et
pressed anxiety to know his fate and 70 nave
e1pediiiously executed. Consequently al /! lno9n u
was inma,ed 10 him that be was 10 Dc execniea .ns
evening. He again feehngly expressed wish tn1, ~
they were about take his fe the Government wena
ace 10 biz hsba Gwalicr. Ms Meade rest the charge
ha: he being resident of Bfhcor, in British e'foy,
wss guilty 0. rebellion in waging war Against inc