Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1862-01-23
Cum MisrsHan
The Thugs of India


!. Words, 2 tdescribinghis wandering
in India, gives the following cr
:.rious account of the Thugs
peculiar tribe, whom he met a
tMonghyr, ON the Ganges. Sever
al of the most notorious, charac
tiers Were there-not imprisoned
but permitted tomoye about, hav
ing been pardoned on condition
that they would become informers
and to a certain extent detectives
inthe suppression of Thusseeiir
the British dominions.E He says
''It was a curious feeling to be
in conversation with men who
had each, committed his ninety ror
a hundred murders-to see the
fingers that had strangled so many
victins-to watch the process, for
they were good-natured enough to
act it. There was the uhsuspect.
ing traveller with the bundle; the
decoy Thug, who engaged him in
conversation; the two men, who,
at the given signal, were to seize
him; the executioner, standing be-
hind with the handkerchief, ready
to strangle the victim. They ey-
en- went through the operation of
searching the deceased upon
whom they found nothing in this
case; but they assured me tins
frequently'happened in reality
The reader is of course aware that
it is part of the Thug $ religion
not to rob a live body, The crime
Of murder must precede that Of
theft. The play-the tragedy
over, {to9 these domesticated de-
mons it. was a mere farce they
laughed at the solemn expression
which, | doubt not, was stamped
upon my features.
"These Thugs were permitted
to have their families at Monghyr;
and one morning, when / strolled
down to their camp, an old man
made five children, the eldest boy.
not more than eight years old, go
through the business of strangling
and robbing a victim. In one
respect these urchins outdid their
progenitors in the acting. They
not only went through the ceremo-
ny of searching the dead body,
but that done, they dragged it by,
the legs to a well, and, in dumb
show, threw it down, and hen ut
tered a prayer to Heaven. |
%, sWas that good?' said one of |
the children, running up to me
for applause and reward. i
scarcely knew what to reply. Be-
fore ] had tihe to give any an
swer, the child's father said-'No;
itjwas not good You used the
handkerchief before the signal was
given. Go through it again, and
remember, this time, that you
must have patience The boys
began again, much in the same
spirit that an actor and actress
would go through the .strangling
scene in IOthello,'' to please fas-
tidious manager.
Approaching a very interesting
looking woman, of about two and |
twenty years of age, / said to her
What do you think of thisa'
"She replied, in a proverb--.
The mango always falls beneath
the shade of the parent tree
=" But the crime? said /. What
think you of that7' ~ aiiiad
'''jShe looked up with as lovely4
q pair of eyes as ever saw the
light, smiled, and responded: |
Heaven viii hold US all, Sahibp
"I was about to reason with !
her, but her husband, with an
expression of pride, interfered, and |
informed me that she had taken
eighteen lives. - e
/" 'Twenty-oner she exclaimed. |
Eighteen only said he.
"'Twenty-oner she persisted,
and ran them over, counting on |
her fingers the places and the |
dates when the murders were
committed. Her husband then
admitted that she was In the right, |