The Opelousas courier., 1884-09-27
A TRAGEDY AND A HEROINE.

w u y AkA
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
situated in the Bay of Bengal a few
days sail from Calcutta. are the great
penal settlement Of India, especially the
former, where more than ten thousand
native conviets, many of them belong
ing to the most desperate class of Grim
inals, are kept In Ter restraint, or en-
ployed in out-of-door labor under yigi-
liant supervision. A branch convict
settlement exists at Camorta, the capi-
tai of the Nicobar Islands, where there
are at present 200 convicts, guarded by
thirty men of the second Madras native
infantry and a like number of police
under a native chief constable. The
officer in charge of the station was
MIR. de Roepsterff, a Danish gentleman
belonging to the Indian civil uncover
anted service. A h%avildar, or native
sergeant of the Madras infantry, a
man of thirty years service, had been
accused by a native Waterman of APP
propriating eocoanuts, and had in re-
turn struck the Waterman and put him
for a short, time under a sentry. The
next day Nj. de Roepsterf commenced
the investigation of the case, and
having taken the evidence for the
prosecution, adjourned the hearing till
the following day, when the havildar
was ordered to bring up his witness.
Shortly afterward he was riding past
the native infantry barracks, about
thirty yards of, when the havildar
fired at him from his room and hit him
between the shoulders, the bullet
coming out at the breast. I'll fell from
his horse, and the orderly and groom
who were with him went instantly to
his assistance, and he was only able to
say: "Do not be confused; take care of
the 'mem-sahib' This wife) or she will
be shot too" Mrs. de Roepsterf, who
was riding a little behind, came up.
but her husband was unable to speak
further, and he died in a few minutes.
The havildar Immediately afterward
reloaded his rifle and blew his own
brains out. The position of the poor
lady was deplorable-her husband
killed before her eyes, not a soul who
could speak a word of English nearer
than three hundred miles off by sea,
two hundred convicts to keep in order,
without a prison to con6ne them in,
and bad feeling existing to a danger
GUS extent between the Sikh police
and the Madras native infantry. In
these trying circumstances the lady
evinced q force of character amounting
to heroism. She had her husbands
body carried at once to the bungalow
and afterward buried. She dispatched
a native craft. which happened to be
in the harbor at Port Blair, the seat Oh
government in the Andamans, with
two constables to report what had
taken place. In the meantime she
assumed command OF the station,
ordering all reports to be made to her.
self, and managed with perfect success
an illustration Of how naturally Orien.
tails submit to and rely on a European
mind when exercised with frmness and
discretion. In six or seven days Mai
Protheroe, the acting commandant al
Port Blair. arrived, accompanied By
some other officers and the chaplain
and relieved her of her terrible respon.
sibilities. Then, on the chaplain read
iTlg the funeral service over her hus
bands grave, she broke down, threw
herself on the grave, and had to be re
tnoTed By force.
Il appears that Mr.. Dc RoepsEerfl
til his wife's assistance, had near,
mpleted . dictionary Of the Nico
,arese language, ard had also mad,
considerable progress III b translation
of the Bible. His widow desires Il
remain for sons time IL Port Blair i,
AniaA q NarLosdon Times