Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-12-23

province of Dckkan. 1t was there that
+ band OF professional thugs, numbering
Ihrty-two men, was captured and exc
Euted in 1860. The vigorous search
tsltcr and prompt punishment of crimi:
lnals was having due effect, and not n
ease oil poisoning or strangling had
been known about Hyderabad for sew.
!eral months. In fact these two classes
Iof mnrdcrcrs were supposed to have be-
come extinct in that province. One
morning ryot, or farmer, was found
Head on the public square, and it was
speedily discovered that he had been
Ehoked to death. The imprints proved
nc to be the work Of stranger. The
thug used cord, while the stranrler
used his fingers. His marks could not
be mistaken. lie brought his thumbs
together on the "Adam's apple" while
the ends of the fingers got their pur-
chase just below the victims cars.
Sometimes the fingers clutchcd his ears
or hair. The 'mark" was always plain
TO be seen on the neck. Now and then
n victim was attacked from behind. In
such cases the strangers thumbs were
brought together on the back of the
neck, aud his fingers were locked to-
gether over the "applc"
Several suspects were arrested. Int
nothing came of 1t. About twenty davs
after the first case woman was found
dead within three blocks of the public
square, and she had also fallen victim
to the stranger. Not only had she been
choked to death, but her neck was
broken. The police were again aroused.
and bodies of cavalry secured the country
and brought in dozens of suspicious
characters, but as in the other case notb-
ing could be proved, and all had to be
released. At the investigation almost
every suspect made the same reply as
follows:
''Nc, sahib, am ashamed to admit
that am not guilty of this crime. We
ARE no longer men, but slaves. 1 no
longer have courage, but am a coward
ana dare not lift my hand"
Ten days later the strangler counted
his third victim, and this time it was n
European. Only at rare intervals before
the mutiny had European fallen a vic
tim to the professionals of any class. 1t
seemed to be an understood thing with
all not to meddle with them in any man.
ner. The victim in this case was clerk
In the civil service department attached
to the Tax Collectors office, l believe.
lie had been ill for week or two, and
was occupying room in bungalow in
the heart OF the town. Ten OF a dozen
clerks kept bachelors hall" together,
and there were half a dozen native ser.
wants to take care of tho place. This
clerk, whose name was Adams, had a
native man for a nurse, but was almost
convalcscent. One night at 10 o'clock
he sent his nurse with q note to bun
galow half a mile distant. The nurse
was absent about three-quarters of An
hour, and upon his return he found
Adams dead. There was the mark on
his throat. and there was no question
about his having been the victim of a
professional, and probably of the same
mend who had strangled the other two.
The police and the military now quite
lost their heads. During the following
week there were about 700 arrests
some of them being made 200 miles
away. Nothing like detective work was
l'teu' anu rs consequence every
suspect had to be discharged for want of
any evidence against him. The autbori.
Ties seemed to go on tie idea that if n
huiiicient number of people were ar
rested the guilty party would somehow
oetTay himself. Strong efforts were made
IN tiiree or four cases TO convict on shady
testimony, but after a few weeks every
person who had been arrested was set at
hoery' Beng new to the country, and
having taken great interest in the wor,,
Oh extermlnating the professionals. I
asked ior information ON every hand.