The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-04
Who COwardIy Shot Commissioner
Rand from Behind and Then Put
Lieut.. Ayerst Out of the Way.
RELIEF NOT WANTED in INDIA
RAPID-FIRING GUNS PREFERRED
RATHER THAN AMERICAN FOOD.
Shameful Treatment Accorded the
WhaIeback Steamer City of Ever
EFT by the officials of Calcutta.

POONAH Bombay Presidency, Nov. s.
The trial of Damodar Chapekar, the Brah-
min lawyer, who was arrested on Oct
last, charged with being connected with the
murder of Lieutenant Averst and Commits
sioner Rand on June % last, by shooting
them from ambush as they were leaving
the reception given by the Governor at
Ganeshkuid in honor of Queen Victoria's
jubilee, and who, the day of his arrest, con-
fessed having murdered Commissioners Rand
with the aid of an acCOmplice, and also ad-
mitted being the author of the tarring of
the Queens statue at Bombay was COM
menced in the courthouse here to-day The
building was strongly guarded in order to
prevent any demonstration upon the part of
the prisoners friends. Chapekar adhered to
his confession, but declined to make any
further statement. A number of incriminat-
ing articles, including antiquated swords,
pistols, arrows, sings and false boards,
were placed on a table beside the presiding
magistrate The latter, after the usual for
NAL proceedings, adjourned the trial until
tomorrow.
Damodar Chapekar is no ordinary criminal,
as the following particulars regarding his
crime and career Will show: The prisoner
is about twenty-eight years of age and is
pronounced to be well educated About two
years ago he established club or reading
room at Poonah and after while, he
proposed that the members should, so Tar
as possible, collect all the arms they could.
When a certain quantity OF arms had been
collected Chapekar began teaching the
members to fence. When questioned as to
his motive in collecting the arms Chapekar
said they would prove useful in event OF
further disturbances with the Moham-
medans or against the MIenchas. But, be-
ing twitted about his valor Chapekar grew
angry, and in the dispute which followed
the club was broken up and all the arms
collected were taken to his house while he
was absent at Bombay. On his return
Chapekar buried the arms and shortly aft
erWards applied to the British military au
thorities at Simla to be enlisted as a SOL
der. But the reply he received was that
his application could not be granted, as 1t
was impossible to enlist a man of his par
ticular caste, the companies being all OF
one caste. Then Chapekar offered to raise
a whole company of Deccani Brahmins,
provided he was given some rank in the
company. This offer was also declined, and
from these facts seem to have arisen
ChapekarS hatred of the British and OF the
Indian government which first led him to
cover with tar the statue of Queen Victoria
at Bombay, which he followed up by going
to Poonah and committing several assaults
on people belonging to the reformed party,
who were opposed to the arthod party.
Later Chapekar returned to Bombay and
there failed to pass an examination which
he had entered. Then he went back to
PoOnah again, to which place the plague
operations had begun. In the midst of ex-
clIemenl winch prGVdlleQ Ln6re Oh account
of alleged harshness of the health measures
adopted, it is claimed that Chapekar re-
marked: so many people are dying or the
plague; is there. none prepared to die put
ting end to the author of all this tyran-
N.Y." The police regard this as having been
direct Indictment to Kill Commissioner
Rand, who was directing the work of pre-
venting the spread of the plague. In any
case, Chapekar and another man began to
procure arms and succeeded in getting more
swords, firearms and sword-sticks.
In his statement made to the police after
his arrest Chapekar admits that from that
time on he began to systematically follow
Commissioner Rand, with the object of kill
ing him jubilee day He went to st.
Mary's Church on that day, saw the com
missioner there but was unable to accom-
pliSh his purpose on account of the crowd
present. Later, during the same day, he
again saw Commissioner Rand in the coun-
Gil hall, but as there was a large force of
police present Chapekar once more post
pOned action.
On jubilee night Chapekar and his accom-
plices went to the Ganeshkind road and loi-
tered there until after II o'clock. He saw
the commissioner drive away from the gov
ernor's reception. and quickly followed the
carriage until 1t came to q spot which he
believed offered him the best opportunity
of escape Chapekar then ran up behind
the carriage and. thrusting a pistol close
to the commissioner side. he shot the man
he had marked as his victim. While Chape-
kar and his accompliceS were still on the
spot they saw Lieutenant AyerSt's carriage
close upon them, and. thinking he had wit
messed their crime, they shot him through
the chest and then made off, leaving their
swords in a neighboring culvert. The next
day fearing that the police might search
his house, Chapekar put all the arms into
a bundle and threw them into the well. He
then escaped to Bombay and remained in
that city until arrested there by the police
After his confession Chapekar took the po-
lice to the well into which the arms had
been thrown. He was then formally. ex-
amined by a magistrate and committed for
trial.