Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-05-25
METHODS OF INDIAN CRIMINALS.
Robbery by the Use of Erugs Re.
| duced to u Fine Art.


duced to Fine Art.
J Judging from a passage in an inter
eStlng report on the police admnlstra-
tlon OF the central provinces. which has
Just been issued, 1t 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 cline. 1t
Is recorded that at khandwa guileless
cody employed on the waterworks was
accosted by II friendly fakir, who ex-
pressed desire to see what govern
ment rupees were like. The unsuspect-
Ing Innocent handed over a couple of
specimens To the fakir, who deXterlous-
~ substituted false coins for them
when handing them back. Surely this
is an Oriental version of the old famil-
lar confidence trick which is played
In various forms In the purlieus of Lon
don every day. But In this instance the
cody was able to turn the tables on his
deceiver He did not discover the fraud
Tor some time after, and when he found
he had been duped he 'lay low and said
nutfin." One day he again met the
fakir, who this time asked for change
for a rupee. He promptly seized the
holy man and gave him into custody.
and n false rupee being found In the
takir'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
examples of numerous crimes which
are peculiar to the East. For instance.
at Jubbulpore recently n man felt high
ly 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 II on tho
ground, killing 1t Instantly, in the be-
lief, II Is supposed, that Its blood would
be on the head of his prosecutor. Such
appalling attempts TO secure revenge
by yicarlous sacrifice are happily. un-
known TO the Western world nova
days.
Dacoities, OF course, form a promln-
ent feature in the report, and in at least
two instances clever captures OF dan
gerous gangs were effected by the po-
lice. Robberles after administering
drugs, though by no means unknown in
Europe, are practlced in far more sys-
tematic manner in India. One partlcu-
larly daring offender was brought to
justice in the central provinces last
year He wandered about the district
poisoning people right and left" and
afterward relieving them of their be-
longings. His usual method was to
strike up an acquaintance with trav-
eler, and surreptitlously 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 three men
with dhatura and got clear away with
their valuables.
The Hlnganghat outrage, however,
was his last, for his career as poisoner
came to an end directly afterward in a
remarkable manner. In his disguise Of
respectable traveller he had driven
around the Wardha district in a cart
drawn by pair of bullocks. After the
robbery In the market place he appears
TO have concluded that he had accumu-
lated enough spoils to warrant him in
retiring Into private life, and he disap-
peared, leaving his cart behind him. A
constable drove the conveyance round
the district seeking the owner. While
on his wanderings he came to n place
called Khapri, and as he was passing
through 1t woman rushed out of
house and declared that the bullocks
belonged to her husband. The consta-
Bile discreetly retorted that they now
belonged to his uncle, and quietly went
to an adjacent railway station and tel
| egraphed to his inspector, who came by
the next train. BY a singular coinci-
dence the poisoner joined the same
| train at a wayside station and on
alighting at the point nearest his ma
! tive village he was recognized by the
inspector owing to curious bracelet
he wore. He had the proceeds of the
robberies Ia his possession and his
wlfes innocent exclamation will cost
him fourteen years Imprisonment
Times of India.