The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-20
THEY HAVE 70 STEAL.
EAST INDIAN NATIVE THIEVES ARE
THE DOLDEsr on EARTH.
Are Bern q PlunAeP-Cosry or Heavy
Steam EnS1nes for the run se
Stsa1lag-Ose Expert VIE CaPteA
Away UnaiaeA . l76-Pouna safe.
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1 y

m in my belief that in no
u Ia other country on the face
OF the globe has thieving
been brought to such a point Of per-
lection. No matter what province the
native halls from. whether high caste
| or low. the taint Is in his blood.
| and has descended to him through gener-
atoms. Now and then j have met a Hin
| doc who would speak the truth by accident.
blu; never In all those years did meet one
| in whose honor ] could put implicit trust.
There was punishment for thieves before
the English came and the punishment has
been increased from time to time. but
were II a hanging offense to steal. the thief
would still continue TO do 30. ] have fg-
ured II out that he can't help 1t, and have
had a hundred experiences in proof.
As q civil engineer I was brought into
direct contact with the masses. and passed
weeks and months In their villagea For
several years I was on the land survey
and had my gang Of assistants and serv-
ants. The thieving began with my body
servant. He would steal my clothing. my
money and my toilet articles. No matter
whether we were In q village or away out
in the Jungle. he would steal. At first I
used to reason with him, but found that
ne was liar and hypocrite. Then re-
sorted to personal violence. had one man
with me for I'VE years. and never q week
After sizing him up used TO have a reg
ular programme When found anything
missing called him up and stated the fact
and gave him Ave minutes in which to re-
turn the article. He would weep and pro-
| test. and l would take him by the neck
and slam him around. When he had been
half killed he would agree to restore the
property. To threaten him with discharge
or the law had not the slightest effect. The
cook and the boy came next. They would
steal and sell the provisions. the cooking
utensils or whatever else they could pick
up. I had three or four cooks sent to jail
and discharged three or four others but
the last one was as big thief as the first.
The only way 10 deal with them was TO use
a whip. Then came my gang. There was
nothing for them to steal except the field
outfit. but they stole that about twenty
times a year. No matter II We were out
In the jungle. and no matter that no ma
tive fence In India dared to buy the loot,
they would steal just the same. and bury
the instruments in the ground.
Useless Thefts Of Heavy Material.
III the little thieves annoy you. the big
ones. who. perhaps should be called rob-
bers. excite your admiration For some
months I had bungalow In Allahabad
while completing my field notes. Not far
away was a storage yard. and among the
etufY was a steam boiler TO go with
Ave horsepower engine. One night this
boiler was stolen. You may figure II out
that Il would take a big truck. two horses.
and five or six men TO load and move that
boiler on what may be called the European
plan. How many men the native gang
numbered 1 never knew, but what they
did was to work beams under that boiler
and pick II up and walk of with IL. and
It was found In yard a mile away. II had
not beer sold and could not be. but the idea
was 10 steal II. and plan was made ana
carried out. At foundry In the same city
some iron Orders weighing l,eoo pounds
each had been constructed. Native thieves
stole one and carried 1t four miles into the
country and buried ~. The gang numbered
ten and the police arrested the suspected
leader. He was firm In HE innocence until
a whip was applied TO his naked back.
When asked why he stole thing which he
could not possibly sell he replied that he
couldn't help II. On one Of the branches
Of the Gauges. In the province OF Dude,
European built a sawm:ll 10 get out con-
tract lumber He tried to run things with
native help and made a funny mess OF II.
The natives began by stealing his lumber
as they ffoated II down the stream. They
could NOT sell IT, but they hid II In the
Jungle and left l: TO rot Then they stole
nuts, bolts. shafting. puileys. and saws.
and the day before I arrived at the mill
they actually stole his waterwheel. In
about six hours one night they lugged OF
the log carriage. two circular saws. and
ton OF shafting. The stun was loaded on a
aathoa. and the boat was hidden away In
a creek Thirty or forty men worked like
Trotans for Ave six hours. without the
slightest hope OF reward simply TO steal!
Their plumber could no, have been sold
for cent; and they knew IL. While the
owner OF the mill was away "a invoke the
aid OF the law the same gang stole the
waterwheel and carried IL two miles into
the jungle.
Operations Of Professional Thieves.
"As for slick thieves. india has 'em by
the thousands No white man can APP
rrnach a Hindoo in poke. picking. and
all the bolts and bars won't keep burglar
out. For time I had quarters at Jyrur
with a government, agent The bungalow
had inst been erected. and special precau-
tons had been taken against thieves. There
were times when the agent had good'y
sums In his possession. and on a dozen
different occasions attempts had been
made 20 rob him In the new bungalow
every door ard window could be locked
The strong room was In the middle OF Tho
horse The walls were h-icked up on The
inside ana the door was OF ;ron. Chained
"a the soor was an iron chest. and, IT
course the chest had lock With this
room between the sitting room and dining
room e appeared 10 he perfectly ssfe. es-
recfaIiy as sur servants were Europeans.
The house was never alone by day. and n,
night there were f5ur ~ VS. In IL One
morning II was discovered that an attempt
had been made 10 enter the strong room
hv cutting hol. through the aoor. The
bungalow was clear O. the ground. and
hu; for the brick and cement floor ;he fsi
low would have got AT tire box. What Tuz-
glei ue Was how ne hst or the srot ~
exactly lie couldn't have done better with
a ispeIna ard faB liberty 20 u%e 81
The hole he made was repaired AMI lutte
said anou, the matter. JuSt q week later
30 returned fsy rltm hing 'res be got
,fror the roof o. the houss ana working
h.s way along. ne struck the sSac; sIsn,
from, above. II was matched roof and
With his knifs ne euf out a square hole
The Interior ~ the bungalow rss cellei. or
AZ least the ratters were He ca, hase
through this WOODEN ceiling without noise,
ana Vas then anie 20 drop down into che
strong room He frs ;rtsa 20 pick the
sas-k 81 the chest hat failing IN that he
s.k n. 10 "A