The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-25
He OWNED THE KoH-LNooR.
England's Implacable Foe at Last
Accepts a Pardon.

Accepts a Pardon.
From the Neu York sun
LONDON, Aug. 21.-Duleep Singh has
been pardoned on the condition that he
renounce his claims to Lahore His family
have for long time been urging him to
repent and to seek pardon for his past con-
duct.
When the princes of the Punjab were in
formed that pardon had been granted,
they refused to concur unless they were
subsidized
Duleep Singh expects to have a part of
his dominion returned TO him. He will re-
main in Europa.
Duleep Singh, when little boy, was the
Maharajah of Lahore, aud the owner of the
Koh-i-noor, or Mountain Of Light, now the
chief among the crown jewels of England,
Duleep was not vet in his teens when the
great Sikh dynasty, of which he was the
last representative, fell before the arms of
England, and the little boy lost his throne
and his wonderful diamond. The third
clause of the treaty of peace provided that
1.-THE gem called the Koh-i-noor shall h.
surrendered by the Maharaja of Lahore to
the Queen of England"
1t IS doubtful if the English ever spent so
much money on any other fallen foe as on
the ex-Maharajah of Lahore. He was
taken to England along with the Koh-i-noor
and no English prince was ever more care
fully reared and educated. As he grew to
manhood parliament voted him money to
buy magnificent estate and S125, 900
year to keep the wolf from the door. He
became extremely lavish in his expen-
dltures, supported a f1rst-class shooting box
aud stable, on grand occasions outshoue
everybody in the splendor of his diamonds
and IN fact became one Of the most stunning
young men in England. He was now ana
then guest at the palace and was favorite
In aristocratic society.
III should like" he said one day, ito place
the koh-i-noor ia the queens hand, now
that am a man. | was only a child when
l surrendered 1t to her by the treaty, but
now | am old enough TO understand.
The very next day he was summoned to
the palace. The jewel was placed in his
hand, and for some time he toyed with it.
linen the descendant of eastern kings handed
back the rich prize of many conquests and
formally remarked that it gave him much
pleasure to place the jewel in the hand Of
his sovereign.
But not a great while after Dueep Singh
ceased to hold the queen in such high re-
gard. He begged to inquire how many
millions she was making out of his old
| country, the Punjab, while he was almost
starving on the bsggarly pittance of $l25,-
QUO year In fact, $l25, 900 was small
SUN OF money when compared with tee
| almost fabulous income of his predecessors
on the throne Of Lahore. He appealed to
the government to give him larger allow
ance, but the request was refused So
DuleeD Singh said if he couldn't have
enough money. to properly support his
! dignity he would not take a penny. He
therefore betook himself and his gorgeous
diamonds to foreign parts. His gems, like
| the Koh-i-nosr, were derived from his
fathers, and were worth good fortune.
His departure moved the British to con-
temptation. They really did not know how
much mischief the ex-Maharaiah might stir
up among the disaffectsd elements In India
He had hardly crossed over to France before
| the British offered him oil he had asked to
come back. But he would not stir a peg.
He was the Sikh chief again, robbed of his
rights, his people and his splendor by
brutal invader. From that position he has
never swerved until now. Nearly every
court on the continent has harbored him.
and he has ever been ready to tell the story
OF his wrongs to ell who would listen. For
years he has periodically issued addresses to
tne Sikh people urging them to revolt, and
! promising to appear among them sool to
restore the old regime. In the proclamation
he issued two years ago to the princes and
| people of India he signed himself:
''Sov ereign of the Sikh nations aud i'm
plicable foe Of the British government
Some OF his friends IN India have always
managed to have bis prJclamations mYsteri-
ously placarded on the billboards OF late
years, however, these effusions have been
hardly more than objects of derislon.
Last year ne wrote letter to Queen
Victoria telling her it was high time she
restored the Koh-i-noor to its rlghtful
owner.
OF late years Duleep Singh has lived
mostly in Russia. He attended the Paris
exposition last year, and an English news
paper said he was looking rather seedy and
"out of luck" AS far as is known, he has had
no means Of support for many years except
the gems he has occasionally sold He is
now getting old, and it is certain that his
old spirit is broken, or ne would never re-
nounce jot or little of his regal claims
upon the Puniab for all the wealth and
honor England could give him. For many
years he had but to speak the word and a
princely income would have flowed to him
from British Golfers. But he never spoke
the word.
Duleep Singh has son who is an officer
In the Brlsh army, has been station in Can
ada, and is known in New York society.
|