Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-05-05
WAYS OF INDIAN CRIMINALS.
Robbery By the Use of Drugs Reduced
to q Fine Art.

=
Judging from passage in an inter
esting report on the police administra-
ton of the central provinces. which has
just been issued, it would appear that
while introducing western methods OF
government into Asia we have also
brought into the east some OF the
choicest growths of western crime. 1t
is recorded that at Khandwa guileless
coolie employed on the waterworks was
accosted by friendly fakir, who ex-
pressed a desire to see what govern
ment rupees were like. The unsuspect-
ing innocent handed over a couple OF
specimens to the fakir, who dexterous-
ly substituted two false coins for them
when handing them back. Surely this
is an oriental version of the old IA
miliar confidence trick" which is
PLAYED in various forms in the purlieus
of London every dayl But in this in
stance the coolie was able to turn the
tables on his deceiver. He did not dis
cover the fraud for some time after,
and when he found he had been duped
he .'lay low and said muffin" One day he
again met the falSir, who this time
asked for change for rupee. He
promptly seized the holy man and gave
him into custody, and false rupee be-
ing found in the fal1ir's possession he
was deprived of his liberty for the space
of two years.
But the pages of the criminal records
of the central provinces also contain ex-
amples of numerous crimes which are
peculiar to the east. For instance, at
Jubbulpore recently a man felt highly
indignant at the severe treatment he
had received at the hands of his land
lord. Accordingly he seized his own
child by the legs and dashed it on the
ground. killing it instantly. in the be-
lief. it is supposed, that its blood would
be on the head OF his prosecutor. Such
appalling attempts to secure revenge
by vicarious sacrifice are, happily, I'M
known to the western world nowadays.
Dacoities, of course, form a prom
inent feature in the report, and in at
least two instances clever captures of
dangerous gangs were effected by the
police. Robberies after administering
drugs, though by no means unknown
in Europe, are practiced in far more
systematic manner in India. One par
ticularly daring offender was brought
TO Justice in the central provinces last
wear. He wandered about the dis
trict poisoning people right and left
and afterward relieving them of their
belongings. His usual method was TO
strike up an acquaintance with tray-
eler, and surreptitiously to introduce
drugs into the food. His most bare
faced exploit was carried out right in
the center of the market place at Hin
ganghat. where he drugged the men
with dhatura and got clear away with
their yaluables.
The Hinganghat outrage, however,
was his last, for his career as pris-
oner came to an end directly afterward
in a remarkable manner. In his dis
guise of respectable traveller he had
driven around the Wardha district in
cart drawn by pair of bullocks.
After the robbery in the market place
he appears to have concluded that he
had accumulated enough spoils TO war
rant him in retiring into private life
and he disappeared, leaving his cart be-
hind him. A constable drove the con-
vevance round the district seeking the
owner. While on his wanderings he
came to place called Khapri. and as he
was passing through it woman rushed
out of house and declared that the
bullocks belonged TO her husband. The
constable discreetly retorted that they
now belonged TO his uncle, and quietly
went TO an adjacent railway station and
telegraphed to his inspector, who came
by the next train. By singular coin
cidence the poisoner Joined the same
train at wayside station and on alight-
ing at the point nearest his native vii
lage he was recognized by the inspector
owing TO a curious bracelet he wore.
He had the proceeds OF the robberies in
bis possession and his wife's innocent
exclamation will cost him IA years i'm
prisonment.
1t was only TO be expected that. as
result of the widespread distress in
the central provinces. there should have
been a great increase in grain rob
berries. The reports show that the
many cases of grain looting which oc-
Cured were not the work of dangerous
criminals, but of starving people.
driven to break the law by their des-
perate condition. One proof of this
is that. as rule, very little personal
violence was offered by the hooters. In
view of the exceptional nature of the
situation the great bulk of the offend
ers were, by the order of the chief COM
missioner. summarily dealt with upon
charges of unlawful assembly or com
mon theft, only ringleaders being
placed upon their trial on graver
obarres Times of India