The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-06-30
BANDITS OF BURMA!I.
RoGUES WHO ANotNT THEMSELVES
WITH cocoANUT OIL.

Some Exciting Adventures with the "Da.
coit,'-lIow the Bands Oper,tc-Slip-
perry and Dangerous Customers-Inst.
| dents of II Night-Rclirious Traits
Burmah resembles Italy and GreeS. IN one
respect. 1t is a land of brigands. These
robbers are called "Dacoits.n and, like their
European brethren, work in bands or COM
| panicS having a chief with absolute authority.
licutcllants and other subordinate officers.
| They are daring, rapacious and cruel, setting
no value on human life and exposing their
own fearlessly They resemble the European
sandItli in their wise policy of keeping good
friends with the peasantry and toiling people.
They thus insure supplies, for which they
l'aN literally, and gain the earliest inteli-
gene" of any pursuit by the government
TROOPS. The Dacoits do not take any prisoners
70 their fastnesses to be ransomed: they
simply lay their hands upon all the valuables
they can carry away with them, and move
OFF with great rapidity. One band operating
i'll the country near Tounghoo numbered
about 800 men, under the leadership of Ming
!oung, II cool, cunning and brave chief. He
had some royal blood in his veins. being re-
lated to the king rcigning at the time ut
| Mandalay.
| They so upon these expeditions in per-
iectly nude state, having previously rubbed
| themselves we'll over with cocoanut or Sc
same OIL They proceed with their wholesale
| robbery III perfect silence, the only light they
carry beng the inevitable cigar or large
| cigarette, which each one smokes As they
enter II house they puff away, and hold the
| lighted end to ascertain the exact where
ahouts of any article they desire to carry Off.
| Should any ono awaken and attempt to re-
| 'st NJ raise an alarm, he or she is speedily
| dispatched with the Eeclr dha, or knife, they
| all carry: but should any general alarm be
| raised and decided resistance made, then a
retreat is ordered, and the party clear Off in
a,quick order as possible There being few
roads, properly SO called in I5urmnh retreat
is in consequence easy for the thieves, who
| know every intricate footpath in the Jungle.
| a numerous band os Dacoits once under
tho leadership Of Mingloung, had the a,l-
| dacity omalsca u raid upon the European can
'"ilnl"nt i'll Pcsu The night of the raid WAS
| 'lar! and stormy, it being the commencement
| of the rainy monsoon, or season. Every
| thing was thus favorable to their design; alb
scnre of proper guards, and pitchy dark
atmosphere, family and fitfully Illuminated
| pended occasionally ut the entrances of the
bungalows Every one had retired to rest
and all was quiet by midnight At about
q. III. the stiffness was broken by the dis
| charge of firearms Several pistol shots rang
| out through tho silence of the night and in
short time shouts, eXccrations, etc, were
| heard putting the whole cantonment in IL
| state of upronr. Some of the young fellows
Started for tho barracks and brought down
detachment of troops, furnished with lam
terms, to make II thorough investigation of
The cause of tho disturbance. Nothing, how
ever, was discovered, nor any persons found
e. be near the cantonment, although several
assorted that Dacoits had paid them II visit
":Ii that ono or moro of them was shot.
After posting a proper guard, nothing fur
tI.er was done until daylight came.
lin the morning, by the side of the road,
i, couple of hundred yards from the canton-
meat, We're found the nude, tattoocd bodies
Of two linrinnns, headlcss, however, fer, ac-
rurClin:, To the invarable habit Of the Dacoits,
they behca'l any Of tho band who may 10
killed during Il foray, or so seriously wounded
ai to be incapable of escaping. BY their
method of mutilntion the individuality Of
The robbers was lost. AS the Dacoits have
agents in the various cities for the disposal
1 WI ii''ll Sl''icH St'JuS, WHO SWOEH Illelll-
hcr.. of the band, and who ostensibIy pursue
honest vocatons in life, such as sbrofIs
| Gn,nkeis), goldsmitlls, merchants, etc., it
would inevitably tend to betray them and
,n.urc their 'busincss' were any of their
killed and wounded left behind them to bo
recognized by their captors. When an ex-
t"nsi:e raid is contemplated every member
ct the band is liable to be called upon to
| serve at the summons Of the chief. These
| ra'!avers therefore gave no clue to the ilen-
tity of tho perpetrators of the outrage, it
n'".ely let US know that party of Dacoits
| had been let loose among us, and not any
ordinary Indian housebreaicrs.
The incidents of the night were as follows:
| a yonng merchant and physician shared u
bungalow between them. The former was
awakened by the doctor, who was shouting:
"W;.kc up! Thieves!' and who at the same
| time made n tremendous cut with slber at
two dusliy forms dimly seen escaping by tho
window The DOCTOR who was an athletic
Scot of some six feet four inches in height,
declared that he split one fellows skull clean
open. On striking light they discovered
| Chat their Shotguns, rifles and ammunition
We're gone; their Colts army rovolvers wcro
cy"n taken from under their pillows. Itwas
| The maladrotness of one of the robbers
| Hilltu tiiuSEl uctGcllDll. lie leu n DlJ
of hot cigar ash fall upon the doctors face as
| IL was tickling that gentleman with feather
TO make him shift his position in the bed. so
as to allow the rascal to take the revolver
| from under tho pillow. The doctor arose at
once, but was too late to save his Colt, for,
before be coild extricate himself from tho
ntisquito bars, the thief was off with it,
Tie young merchant had not been awal,-
cncl until reused by the doctor. The thief
who mad him in hand had performed tho
| tickling with too much adroitneSs and judg-
| incut. Several other bungalows had been
entered and completely sacked Of every
valuable. Arms of all descriptions ailmuni-
| ton, uniforms, money, silver drinking cups,
| rings, brcastpins and other trnkets-all We're
carried of. One of the sufferers said he had
| dreamed he had seen persons smoking in lis
| bedroom, but did not awaken to realize that
il was no dream, but an actual occurrence,
| uiij too late. The houses are easy Of en-
franco, rs the walls prove no obstacle to tho
| Ducoits, armed with their keen, heavy
| l!fs'!ctl dhas, sharpened to a razoriike edge.
III ), simply cut hole in the wooden OF
,ia,lcd l.,inloo walls, near the floor, and
"leyp i'll. Once inside they always open Il
WINDOW i'll case they are compelled to make
Il ll"sty exit The whole cantonment would
| doubtless nave been llluildercu but lof tie
catastrophe which pat them all to flight.
| With all their ferocity and penchant for
u,propri,ti.:s other Peoples goods, Dacoits
tlc extremely religious, a trait not unconl-
mon with sy!I!e civilized thieves. They often
buill !ago,las To proptiate their deity, and
50 obtain II short cut to Neibhan, fully be-
jegns that they can by such acts of piety
gain Il >lec,licr entrance into Gaudalna's
bosom than their questionable acts upon
,alch would cntit!e them to- - Charles
-lubrc;- III Sun Francisco Chronicle
At the Theatre.
Miss Barlowe. who is somewhat short
sight,G-Oll. mamma. look at tt.lt beautiful
MlIl.. hnllii..t on i. tlmilt rnM. Cinter uiSlrH