Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-08
szHlTAN1 APES REVENGE.

inspection, and put them through a thor
ough drill. The evolutions of the battalion
were performed with promptness and pre-
cision; and the manual of arms was nearly
equal to that of the best drilled European
troops. L had heard that these Sepoys
were not so welfdisciplined as the English
soldiers; but Lanseer assured me that their
discipline, was well nigh perfect. In size
they are smaller than the English, but they
readily adapt themselves to the light uni
form, and are very hardy. -. -
Our second evening at Pudser was spent
at Captain Lanseer's quarters, and after
supper we worked our way into story
telling.
Gentlemen" said Lanseer, as we filled
our pipes the second time, II can tell you
a very curious story of circumstances that
have trsnspired in this place within a
month. If you can think of nothing bet
ter. will give it to yous" ."
p OF course we could think of nothing
better, and the vote was unanimous that he
should proceed. i.-s-.a fs.s1 81
About four weeks ago, commences the
Captain, wealthy zelnindar, named HOos.
ian Kahn .aa..-c
"Zemindar," interrupted Ben Gilroy,
swhat's that? -e.7. "a ----t,.ls ..r .
a zemindar is simply land owner, re-
piled Lanseer. As was saying, the zem-
indar HoOSian Kahn was found one MORN
ing dead in his bed, with his throat cut in
most shocking manner. 1t was not cut
clean across, as suicide would have done
1t, but it was hacked frightfully. Upon the
floor. close by the bedside, was found ra-
zor, covered with blood, its stout horn han
die broken, and the shank bent. The zem-
indar had been an excellent man, respected
by the people, both high and low, and his
shocking death was the cause of much eX-
citement. And first it was thought the
murder had been committed for the pur-
. III 11,,e Il n.
been stolen from I'll e house. The English
watch, the Jewels, the purse, the leathern
pocket-book, which, with the clothing in
the room, were undisturbed. l was called
to the S :ene of the murder as soon as it
was discovered, aud, with other officers,
did my best to uprayel the mystery. There
had been some struggling on the part of
Hoosian, as was evident from the condition
of the bed !; hut he had not struggled much.
We found large bunch of hair upon the
pillow, where the murderer had held the
head back while the fatal work was being
done; and this, together with the broken
handle and bent shank of the razor, signal
ed to US that the assassin must have been
fellow of immense physical power.
WhilesI was gathering up his hair, one
of my companions called attention to some
marks upon the floor. A quantity of blood
had run down upon grass mat at the side
of the bed, and not far from this, upon the
floor, ere several bloody prints, which
appeared to me to have been made by
mans hand. They were certainly not the
print of a human foot. l could only ac-
count for them upon the supposition that
the murderer had slipped and fallen, or had
been pushed over by the struggling zemin-
dar, and that here was where his bloody
hands had struck. The window was open,
and we found stains of blood upon the
stool very much in the shape of those on
the floor. This sleeping room was all our
chamber, and the murderer had made his
of which drooped toward the house.
The first person whom we called as wit
ness was an old woman who had been en-
ployed for some years in the family. The
wife was just then too deeply
affected to give us any coherent informa-
ton. The old woman, whose name, L
think, was Zaloa, recognized the razor as
having belonged to her master, and she also
showed us the little closet where it had
been kept. The closet door had been OPEN
ed, and the razor had been taken from the
dressing case, and that, too, in the dark,
from all which it appeared that the deed had
been done by some one familiar with the
premises. There had been no robbery, so
we were led to the further conclusion that
the murder had been an act of vengeance.
And who could have entertained such feel
toned Zaloa, but she shook her head. She
did not reply with that promptness which
might have been expected from one who
had no suspicious; but she seemed rather
to avoid the subject. L questioned her
closely, but she was not inclined to speak.
"Do you know" said l, B" if any of the
servants in the house had any feelings of
ill-will against your master? ?"
she begged me to ask her mistress. The
mistress had just then entered the room,
and, as she heard the remark, she spoke.
She said there was servant who had such
enmity against her husband !; and she named
the khidmutger Gholam.
Khidmutger," interrupted Ben. Gilroy,
taking his pipe from his mouth, ''what's
that?"
"a khidmutger is table servant" eX-
claimed the Captain. This khidmutger's
name was Gholam, and he was the most
powerful fellow on the place. l knew him
well. He was high tempered and bold,
but had never thought him vindictive.
1t seems that two or three days before the
zemindar had punished Gohlam for some
slight misdemeaner, and the latter had de-
clared that he would have vengeance. FL
nallv the woman Zaloa confessed that she
heard the man make such a threat; and she
had hesitated telling it because Gholam
was good-hearted man, and had been
kind to her.
he was accused of the murder. At first he
pretended to think we were not in earnest;
but when he found that we meant what we
said. he protested his innocence in the
most vehement manner. We knew the su-
perstitious nature of the caste to which he
belonged, and we expected that he would
betray his guilt when he beheld the bloody
corpse of his victim-but it was not so. He
was horror-stricken at the sight, but quick
ly recovering himself he walked directly
to the bed, and placing his hand upon the
cold brow of his old master, he called on
the avenging God to witness that he was
CT the crime. My belief in the
guilt of Gholam was staggered, and yet
were strongly against him.
We knew that the murderer must have
been not only we'll acquainted in the house,
but also acquainted with the zemindar's
private affairs; and we were furthermore
confident that the deed had been one of re-
venge.
Gholam was arrested and confined, and
two days afterward he was tried and con-
demned. = Still he was notimmediately ex-
ecuted, as is generally the manner in cap
ital cases in this country. His protesta-
tions of innocence were so strong and con-
sistent, and his previous character so well
known, that the Judge sent him back to
prison, there to remain awhile previous to
his execution. -I
HOOs1an Kahn mad furnlshed considerable
provisions and forage for our regiment, and
after his funeral went to his house to look
over his account, which he had kept with
his own hand. l was accompanied by Mr..
Cranston, one of my lieutenants. Itwas i'll
the evening when we reached the house,
and as all the zemindar's papers and books
were in the room where he had slept, we
were conducted, thither, the woman Zaloa
leading the way and bearing candles. The
bod uas still i'm IFS old nlace but the CLOTH
ing had been exchanged, and the blood
stains had been washed from the floor
Zaloa set the candles upon the table, and
then withdrew and shortly afterwards we