Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-10-04
THE BURMESE pLCOIrs.
WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW THEY
PRJsErUTE THEIR NEPARIOUs
CALLING.

To bssin with the question,
sNYhat i a dacoicg'' This Is the
legal definition: when five or more
persons conformity commit or At
tempt to commit robbsry. eicA OF
these peasoas IS s1ii To commit 4 ia
col.y aud becomes a dacoit," whe-
ther he be guilty o. the plumber o.
a village, with the murder and tor
ture Of half Of is inhabitants, OF the
simple IN .ftof 4 little rlcs, - long
as the con liti0n exists that il Is
done by five or more banded To-
se.her. In rlss Or appearances they
DO not dinrr from any other Bar
man, but are recruited from the
ranks Of the villagers.
DAc1lty i 10 many Barmans 4
si1sU0lic form Of mental aiJerrs-
ton, , sJr, % sowing OF wild Oats
with ghich nine-tenths Of thsm AZ
pear 70 be seized nj some period or
other Il their lives, AMI il depends
sImeEh 40 on Cnaace whether tney
end thgir days - outlaws or return
and - tt down Es peaceMl cult
vAtnr- % uie slil.
la tns Tor the BCTmsnsl good OLE
times is-fJTe the Elglssa UcclI alton,
IS, ~ district had -lts gangs u il
cuiiS. auu u waS almost a. neCeE-
shy i1T a mgu 10 establish his frglI-
l1iiJu - a brave" b. having Iar-
uyipai,.I Ia one Or msre nytgsl ia
cuities a. Il was foz thu rel Indian
b have fair snow Of scaip=, ~ The
head hunter Of Aeads, before he
could hope 70 % received Is a suitcr
for the hand Of the Vi j-ct Of his AZ
fections.
Among other contri5ut0ry causes
which have helped 10 swell the
ranks o! the dacJit- may De noted
the natural Dissatisfaction u tie
people FOR Regular work, OF the de-
sire fY= revenge up3a some inli-
vidusl family or village, and among
the young mea q craving for 4 lie
Of freed4m and lnis Yendezcc. No
d0uht IN the DAYS b-fure the "Occu-
patton 4" a dacIit's life vas Infinite
ly plesssnier than IL i tolay.
He ran, ipGrcg. tue risk u being
crucified, in line case OF capture,
should auy village Uiirr an excep-
ti0naliy stubborn resistance, but the
chance Of such au event WAS small
Government viliciS.s could geaer-
ally be bailied, as energy was lot
thei. strong poiDi, OF, II not bafIled,
they could always be bought. Titus
dacJity grew tC be regarded As one
Of the ways in which 4 Burmzn
might spend his early manhood.
The Amusing OF wealth by plumber
was his ambition, but in themean-
time the contributions which were
easily extor:ei from tbs neighboring
Villages afforded him = means OF
livelihood.
q gang Of dacoits, headed by it,
''h1h, +" " chief, may &c likeusc 10 !
hand Of Outlaws in the oiien days,
b Robin Hood ami his merry men,
Maid Marion, 300, At times not be-
ing wanting. To the "hob'' be-
longs the lions share Of the spoil,
and the duty OF distributing IL
among his followers, according 10
their rank ami duty. He always
appoints some members Of the hand
~ his liegtenanls. The distribution
Of arms follows the same nIls n that
u the spoil.
II the gang p0ssssses only limit
Ell nnmber 81 guns, these were
found in the hands Of these who
were most noted for courage; IL some
Of the guns are Of a better descrip-
ton than Others, they are carried by
the elite OF the band, aud 80 on up
u the s'boa," who is sure. 10 be In
possession u any weapon Of special
value, such ~ = doubts harrsioi
fORling piece or an English rife.
In each gang there ara usually sons
who perform quite nlenisl offices,
such ss cooks and baggage carriers.
Most frequently these men are i'm
pressed into the service, and some
gangs have regularly appointed
National Rerss,o.