The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-21
BRAVE HAWKINS.
How He Narrowly Escaped a
Fearful Death
BY the Order of Mana Sahib-A Scene
That Occurred in the Horri-
bic Sepoy Revolt.

few weeks ago the Telegram published
the interesting story of Robert Anderson. of
this city, q soldier of the Crimean campaign.
Since then the story of another worthy citizen
OF Providence has been cleaned, the story of a
good man who has stared death in the face I'M
hincingly.
Plain, orderly, everyday sort of death may
not have any great attractions for Mr.. Stephen
Hawkins, but it certainly has no terrors for
him after his experience with the so-caled
pale reaper. Mr. Hawkins is mill operative
and lives at 81 Eddy street, Johnston. His
first encounter with death occurred during the
great Indian mutiny, or Sepoy revolt among
her majeSty's native troops of India.
lie was corporal in tho
Thirty-eighth Foot, and with some twenty
others, was captured by the mutineers in an
engagement forced by that arch-iend Mana
Sahib, son of the Pershwa of Poona. Those
who fell into the hands of that cruel, treach-
erous and relentless monster could hope for no
mercy, for Mana Sahib knew no mercy. The
day before the engagement the small force to
which Mr.. Hawkins belonged had done exc
cution on some three-score Sepoys, captured
red-handed, their weapons still dripping with
the blood of helpless women and children.
Courtsmartial for such were dispensed with
by General Sir Hugh Rose, afterwards Lord
Strathnairn, and the mutineers had been
placed al the muZZleS of field pieces and blown
away. No worse death could be given to a Sc
poy, although 1t is a painless end, but the ma
tiveS objected to it because of the wide spread
ing scattering of the remains, and the imposSi-
bility, as they thought, of collecting fragments
to make a decent exhibit on resurrection
day. The summary execution of these
men had so maddened the mutineers
that when reinforced they made q sortie, re-
sulting in the capture of Corporal Hawkins
and section of his company, In their thirst
for revenge, the SepoyS began cutting and
slaShlng the prisoners to death at once, until
halted by the dread Mana, who wished to re-
serve them for less expeditions ending.
Hawkins was one of those who had not yet
been cut down. and he was at once reserved for
spectacular DEATH 1t was at Shajehanpoor,
in the presidency of Bengal, the most disaf-
fected district, and little chance was there of
q rescue, for the few British troops were be-
leagUered in the small barracks Mr.. Haw-
kins was ordered in the presence of the Mana,
who received him with a smile and offered
him cigar
No savage in form or manner was this great
| head of the mutiny, for he was well educated
had been lionized in London by the elite, and
| had brought back q European polish to his ma
| tive subtlety. He spoke English 1luentiy.
How many troopsThave you over there,
corporal?" he asked, pointing toward the
spot where the small English garrison was in
| arms.
Enough to avenge Cawnpore," was the in
| trepld reply
The Mana smiled and motoned the natives
| who had approached to bayonet him TO fall
back.
II want that information, corporal!"
"See you id tirst!"
Mana Sahib gave sign, and the next in
| slant hawkins S cigar was knocked out of his
mouth and he was in the grasp of half dozen
| Sepoys. An order i'll Hindoostanee was given
| which Hawkins understood for he had &C
| CURED knowledge of the "bat," as it is
called, and had successfully passed military
| examination OF the lower grade The order was
| to seat him in the muzzle of loaded 13-inch
| mortar. The mortar was elevated to an angle
of ninety degrees. and Mr.. Hawkins was
| placed upon it. The three men, two women
ami four children, unslain, were brought out
to suffer in his sigat, and life and liberty were
| promised to the one who would execute the
others, but there was no taker of the offer.
| In the first place, no British soldier would
| have accepted life on such terms, and in the
| second place they knew the treacherous Mana
would keep no promise.
| Hawkins, however, saw way to save the
| poor women and children from a prolonged
| death, and in a Lancashire dialect which the
| Nana'S English could not fathom he babe one
| of his comrades to accept for the purpose of
| killing the women and children quickly. A
| private named Panurn caught the idea and
| volunteered to do executioner's duty. A cav
! airy sword was put into his hand and he was
| instructed to quarter a little girl that was
| clasped to the breast of her mother.
| This the man could not do. He was ready
to kill the poor creatures with thrust through
| the heart to save them from lingering DEATH
| but to hack q babe, limb from limb in the
| presence of its mother he could not do, and so
! he flung his sword at the head of the Mana
| and took his place with his comrades to die
| with them. The scene that followed was one
| that was frequently repeated during that fear
| full period of rapine and murder. The women's
! breasts were cut Off, their tongues were pulled
| out by the roots, their eyeballS driven into
| the head, and their limbs hacked off. The
children were tossed in the air and sashed in
| twain before they reached the ground. One
| child, tired by the fatigues it had under
gone was able to sleep all through the fearful
carnage and when the nlutineers would have
tossed her i'll the air with the others the cruel
Mana stopped them. lie wished to spare the
little one for something humorous but linger-
ing"
All this time Stephen Hawkins was bound
| down in a sitting posture to the muzzle of the
great mortar. The butchery of his comrades
and the women and children had been done
| before his eyes, and a rivulet of their blood
| was running at his feet.
'Ahout how many have they got up there,
| corporal?' The soft, feminine voice was flat
of the Mana. but Hawkins made 10 answer
| He was thinking of little cottage home near
| Manchester, III the mill district where he
knew those at home were thinking of him.
| and hoping that he would soon return to
| join the depot companies and get his fur
| lOUgh.
| Mana Sahb gave little, low laugh. and
babe his men adjust the lanyard 50 lightly that
| a Child could fire the mortar. They did 50,
and lie then had the line engthencd and one
| end fastened to the leg of the sleeping child
| The purpose of Mana Sahib was now evident
When the child aN-okc it would rm away in
fright at the sight OF the mutilated bodies
| lying around, and i'll running would pull the
lanyard and fire the mortar.
Tie humor Of the situation was not appre-
! ciatcd 30 much by Mr.. Hawkins as by the
deyi,i5h designer Of his death. who laughed
again that soft musical ripple which always
preceded his atrocities.
The child slept on calmly until the hot rays
Of the sun, TO which She was now exposed,
began to make her uncomfortable. First She
moved a hand, then foot and then shifted
her position. To Hawkins every movement of
the little girl had peculiar interest. When
she moved and moaned he quickly commended
his soul 10 God, expecting to be blown to atoms
the next instant, but instead Of sprnging up
as he expected, the innocent little tot turned
Overland resumed her sumbcr.
Tie continual strain on his nerves through
nearly two hours Of this sort Of watching and
/ waiting. was worse than hundred instant
deaths and then to put an end TO it Corporal
Hawkins cried out the little ones name for