St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-13
4 MOST HORRIBLE DEATH.
The Desperate Resort Of a Young Brit
ish Lieutenant.
PIERCED BY 100 DAGGERS
For Attempting to Steal the Jewels
from Juggernaut In East
India.

1Ho true anu Tragic taie winch i am
about to relate was told to me many
years ago by distinguished officer of
the Madras army. The facts have never
appeared in any newspaper, nor are
they to be found in any of the police
records of the presidency. For obvious
reasons the names have been altered,
but to this day by the camp fires of the
great festival held every year is told
with bated breath and listened to with
rapt attention the terrible tale of the.
jewels of Juggernaut and of the ven.
geance of the great god.
MANY years ago." said my friend, 81
was quartered at Fuzarabad, an impor-
tant military station about $50 miles
from the Madras coast. There were
large number of troops there of all de-
scriptions, and certainly for half the year
the life we all led was gay and high
enough.
unfortunately, at the time I was
there, gambling and betting were much
III vogue, and many men plunged and
came to grief over their debts of honor.
VI all that gay company nobody was
men and women than young Fitzroy;
but, unfortunately, he lost money at the
races, tried to recover himself at the
whist table, but failed; got into the
hands Of the Marwarees, and got deeper
and deeper into the mire of debt. You
could see by his careworn and troubled
expression of face that the poor young
fellow was in real bad way. was
not surprised, then, when one day he
came to me and said: Major, Pm done
for. Pm utterly broke. / can't get any
more money in the bazaar, and they'll
run me in unless / can get away for a
bit. must get to England aud see if /
can raise the wind there: but goodness
knows said the young fellow bitterly.
how can dare ask my poor old gov
ernor. Major continued he, i must
get away; it's simply killing me. You
were a great friend of my father and
promised to help me. l wish l had
stuck to your advice, but it's too late
now. Will you come away with me?
Give out that we have taken ten days
leave for some shooting, and see me
down to the coast. Il ! go off alone l
shall be stopped by those cursed Mar
Warees.'
''After some hesitation agreed. He
sent in his application for leave to go to
Europe on private affairs, and l gave
out that / was going OH ten days.
shooting expedition. A week later, with
couple of tongaS, we had started Oh
our long and wearying journey to the
coast, where my poor young friend
hoped to pick up steamer to take him
to Europe. On the second day out we
met crowds of people tramping along
men, women and children-andth the next
day still greater crowds. In reply to
our Inquiries we were told that they
were returning from the great festival
of Juggernaut, held at Puri, now only
some three days journey from where
we were. The tOngawallah kept us in
tereSted with graphic description of
the festival and OF the great god, which
was especially remarkable for the won
derful jewels it possessed-two emerald
eyes Of ineStimable value, its lips
formed of the finest rubies in the world,
and necklace of priceless pearls.
"The sun was sinking as at last we
neared the town of Puri, and we could
see the pinnaeles of the temples rise
place. Half mile the other side of the
town stood the Travellers Bungalow,
where he intended putting up for the
night. During the last twenty-four
hours my Young companion had kept
silence, and was moody and almost
suilen whenever / tried to rouse him.
A more uncomfortable meal never ate
than the dinner which was served up to
us that evening, and was quite thank
full when the poor lad said he was dead
beat and would go off to bed. MY own
room was on the other side of the bunga.
low, and took my pipe and sat smok-
ing in the veranda. The moon was
just rising when l thought saw the
figure OF a European stealing along the
wall of the compound. Strange, l
thought, and wondered what other
European could be here at the same
time. An idea struck me, and went
across to my companions room. There
was nOb0d; in it, the bed was undis-
turbed. L threw down my pipe and
rushed out into the moonlight.
IA few seconds later was out in the
road. and turned instinctively in the
direction of the town. Running down
which went outside the village. walls in
the direction of the temples, their pin
nacles standing out clear and distinct
in the moonlight. In the distance 1
thought l saw the figure Of my poor lad,
but soon the turnings and tWistings of
the lane, with its thick cactus hedges
on each side, shut him out from my
view. In few minutes was alone by
the big temple compound. Running
up to the wall / looked over, and this is
what l saw: An enormous court yard
of paved stone, on which were
lying number of priests, their
white garments wrapped round their
heads and bodies. In the background
was placed temple after temple. but in
the center stood one solitary shrine
raised Oh three separate flights of steps,
and inside l could see the great black
god raised OH three other smaller flights
Of colored marble steps. The moon
beams shone directly ON the god and lit
up the emerald eyes and ruby lips, while
the pearl necklace glowed on his huge
black bosom. Not sound was to be
heard except some distant tom-toming
ON the other end of the town. The
festival was over and Puri had lapsed
into solemn silence. To my unutterable
horror l saw my companion walking
right across the court yard.
mot living creature moved nntiI a