Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-08-22
BLOWN FROM A CANNON.
THE HORRIBLE EXECUTION OF TWO
MUTINOUs sEPOYS.

MUTINoUs sEPoYs.
A Reminiscence of the Early Days Of
England's Rule in the Indian Empire.
Tho Method Was Substituted for Hang
ing Because of the Brahmin.
In the spring of 1857 was quartered with
my troop at Sealkote, in the Punjaub, with
in sight of the snow capped Himalayan
mountains, lying beyond the fortress of
Jumrood The garrison at Sealkote con-
sisted of troop of horse artillery, a bat
terry of field artillery belonging to the East
India company's service, the Fifty second
foot and the Sixth dragon guards of her
Britannia majesty's forces, and two regi-
ments of Sepoys
In the early part of June the European
portion of the Sealkote garrison was or
dered to join a force that had been organ
lied under the command Of Brig. Gen.
Chamberlain, to be called 'The Punjaub
Movable Column" its object being to hold
in check the large force of Sepoys quartered
in the Punjaub and prevent them from
marching to Delhi. We joined that column
at Annurkullee, the old cantonment Of the
Khalsa army under Runjeet Singh.
AuSIc were i've TcS1iu6uCS VI OGpOyS ttuu
two of native cavalry then quartered there,
and shortly after our arrival some Sikhs
who had been enlisted in one of the Sepoy
regiments gave information that the native
officers were melting the men to mutiny and
to march to Delhi. An investigation was
ordered, and it was found that two of the
officers had deserted They were captured
by some of Hodson's Guide corps and
brought back to the cantonment, and Gen.
Chamberlain ordered drum head court
martial to assemble for their trial. They
were convicted of melting to mutiny and
desertion and sentenced to be hanged.
It was conclusively proved before the
court by men from their own regiment
both Hindoos, Mussulmans and Sikhs-
that they had assembled the men and
urged them to murder their officers and
march to Delhi.
FINDING OF THE COURT MARTIAL.
The finding and sentence of the court
were approved by Gen. Chamberlain, who
issued an order, the reading Of which was
about as follows: 1.-THE findings and SEN
tence of the court martial, of which Lieut.
Col. Campbell is president, are approved,
but to show to the natives of India that
the British government has no intention
or desire to interfere with the prejudices
from that of being hung to being blown
from the mouth of cannon, and the SEN
tence as modified will be carried out at sun
rise tomorrow morning under the orders
of the officer commanding the garrison.
The Pun aub movable column and the
garrison will be paraded an hour before
sunrise to see the sentence carried into
effect"
The officer commanding the garrison di-
rected the officer commanding the artillery
to detail two guns to execute the sentence,
and the two right guns of my troop were
detailed for that duty. The troops were
paraded as directed, and formed in three
sides of a hollow square, the two guns
from which the culprits were to be blown
being at the base of the square; on the left
came the remaining four guns Of the troop,
the battery Of field artillery, the guns being
placed in echelon, so that if necessary they
could sweep the right hand side of the
square. Next came the Sixth Carbineers,
her majesty's Fifty-second foot, and
squadron Of Hodson's horse; on the right
were stationed the native troops, two regi-
ments of cavalry, and five Of infantry, and
as it was not known but that there might
be some attempt at rescue, the guns of
the artillery were loaded, double shotted
with grape, and the cavalry and infantry
had their carbines and muskets loaded.
Soon was heard band playing the dead
March," and the procession appeared. The
prisoners marched up to the front Of the
two guns at the base of the square, their
irons were struck from them, and the pro-
ceedings, findings and sentence of the
court, together with the approval and
change of sentence by the commanding
general, were read by the interpreter of
one of the native regiments, in English and
Persian. The interpreter was an English
officer, one being attached to each Sepoy
regiment
THE SENTENCE CARRIED OUT.
The commanding officer then gave the
order to the lieutenant commanding the
two guns to carry out the sentence. He
directed the prisoners to place themselves
with their backs to the muzzle of the guns.
Standing up against each was thin plank,
about six feet long, against which they
placed themselves, the guns having pre-
viously been loaded with the usual service
blank charge of powder. A rope was then
passed around their bodies, the gunners
having been cautioned that it was to be
done without in any manner touching
their bodies, as to be touched by the hands
of an infdel was, in their eyes, worse than
death. The culprits were attended by lot
of Brahmin priests, who kept on chanting
something, in which the prisoners joined,
until the fastening was finished, when they
were told to withdraw, and the officer gave
the command to light port fires, and then
the command to fire. Both flashes were
simultaneous, and when the smoke cleared
away nothing was left but mass of flesh
and bones, unacceptable as the remains
of two human beings. A cry ran along
the lines of the native troops, in Persian,
"God is great" The parade was then dis
missed, the native troops marching back
to their environments.
Gen. Chamberlain was severely criticised
at the time by the European press for
having changed the method of execution
from hanging. He was influenced to make
the change by soldiers and civilian servants
of the company, men who understood the
native character well, and also by many
prominent natives, on the ground that it
was generally believed that the mutiny
was brought about by an impression which
seemed to prevail among the Sepoys that
the government intended in some way to
destroy caste prejudice. Had they been
hung either some low caste native or a
European soldier would have had to do it,
and would necessarily have had to lay
hands on the culprits. Their caste would
have been destroyed, and this would have
lost them all hopes of their paradise, and
would have left the impression on the
minds of their friends that they were ire
vocably lost.-New Orleans Times-Demo-
GRAFT.
A New Method of Melting Iron.
A German inventor proposes a new
method of melting iron, the advantages
claimed for which are economy in fuel,
greater facility for making sharp, strong
castings and purer description of metal
The cupola is supplied with blasts through
two tuyeres, one above the other, there be-
ing eighteen in each set, the tuyeres being
ports, with the form of a vertical slat, and
directly connected with tuyere ring. The
snecial feature of the cunola Is that the