Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-06-26
A THUGS
CONSCIENCE,

"You lads have a fine time OF 1t now
adays with your machine-guns and al
Xcommissariat that knows canned meat}
n from castor oil"
g 1t was an Indian veteran who spoke
S-Col. Carrill-to whom Myers and IL
Sreturning from Dacoit-hunting In Bur-
q ma, had been relating our exploits.
Fifty years ago fighting was fight
Hlpg." he went on, "but now"
u We smiled the smile Of the youngs
and up-to-date. What did he know of
= the vagaries of the modern savage; of
: Che Dacoit who came in the night;
5quietly and parted life and death with;
4 an ugly and unnecessarily large stab
Kin the breast.
3 The colonel read our thoughts.
s "Dacoits may be a stealthier foe,"l
IS he said, "but for undiluted vaga-:
S bondism and downright villainy glvel
3me the Thugs"
s ''They must have been bad" ven.I
xtured.
3 cat the very best, and yet found al
q little grain Of virtue in one," said the
&veteran. "Shall tell you a yarn? 1T
~ Will be like a page Of ancient history
= now, but don't think it has been told,
q before: and really Hosein Ali was a.
& picturesque scoundrel who deserved
s record-and hanging.
& at was in the autumn Of '34," pro-
Eceeded the colonel. 81 went out from
3 Hyderabad under Major Groves north
ward across the Godavery after Thugs.
a The authorities were getting their
q eyes wide open at last, and great eff
q fort was being made to exterminate
Is the villains. Groves sent me Off on my
own account with n troop Of about 30
II Sepo7s and n couple of non-coms. We
h had no success until Hosein Ali fell
into our hands. He was taken, not ex-
q actly red-handed, but Just after the
g act, with the proof of guilt thick upon
him and the spoil in his possession.
s. Yet he denied with all the stubborn
ness of innocence.
81 "T know nothing of what you say,
Ssahib. 1 am from beyond the Kristna.'
81 looked long and fixedly at the
81 man He was a fine specimen of fine
race. Tall, and straight as a bam-
q boo; comely Of feature and limb, with
b a handsome and wcll-kept beard and
'x mustache, and bl ok eyes which
/. B glowed with Indignation and a hint of
u defiance, he looked anything but the
3 scoundrel he was. If / had not been
so absolutely certain of his guilt, 1
: must have doubted that one OF so gal
q liant bearing could be that worst of
Z all criminals, Thug.
"'What are you doing here, then,'
Easked him. What is your trade, your
occupation7 How did you come by
Ethese pearlsP
"Tf I answer the sahib at ALL he
Ereplied, 'it is that he may be satisfied
= and let me go on my journey IN peace.
i II / am on travel honestly to my sisters
wedding, and the stones are wedding
kgift.'
!, "The words came glibIy off bis
tongue; but just as my eyes left his
I saw the defiant expression change
for a second to a furtive glance, which
seemed to say, is he fool enough tc
believe itr
3 "T don't believe a word OF It, said
!, n /. replying to his glance; you are 9
: Thug and murderer, and deserve
q 4 hanging n hundred times; but-makC
Hyourself useful; tell me your compan
81 ions, show me their haunts, take me
|, & to the graves of your victims, and
0Fyour life may be spared
n at know nothing OF what you say
sahib,' he repeated doggedly.
""Take him away 1 commanded
e 'and in 10 minutes time hang him.
"Of course, this was pure bounce
but he knew no better. l uttered tn,
sentence sharply and rose to leave tn,
g d hut. AS / turned my back heard ;
/ y scuffie, and looking quickly around
e was Just In time to ward the prison
s. er's hands from my throat. Takin.
!. q the Sepoys by surprise, he had witt
d great energy dashed them aside ant
4 sprung at me.
u "In another moment the men ha,
4 q him down, and, though he struggle,
VI desperately. he was bound and dragge,
81 to his feet as resumed my seat.
=. Il "'None but the guilty would hav
n 4 behaved So said sternly-I knew
no better in those days. You hav
sealed your DOOM
81 "The man took n deep breaAh--h
n was still painting from the struggle
"a and shouted with an excess ofstrengt
1t and enthusiasm:
~ "'Jey BhowaneeP
att was the warcry OF Thuggee-th
& Invocation to the goddess. If any
.sY thing more was needed to convict hin
J. 4 IL was provided in the extraordinar
& change in his appearance. All tn
~ signs of vice and cupidity which ha
- looked for in vain at first were nov
!, most prominent in the angry, passion
~ distorted face.
e "After a short consideration I ser
g. him back to confinement. 1t was plat
q that we had made capture of tn
s-F first Importance. The circumstance
lg under which he had been taken tn
D. demeanor and bearing Of the man, hi
q strength of will and virility, marke
him as more than ordinarily DANCE
Gus. Such a man would, withoT
" y doubt, be the leader, or at least a yer
a. prominent member, of any gang wit
= 4 which he was connected, and woul
- possess just the sort Of informatio
- we wanted. On the other hand, jul
- these qualities In virtue OF which h
=; Information would be so valuab
So would in all probability prevent. I
Ii from acquiring it. Informers are su
&c posed to be built of different materia
However, I determined to try hiT
s. and as first step had him informe
e that unless he consented to give us Il
n Information we wal ted, he would &c
q tainly be hanged in the morning.
n an extra argument we built gallov
q Opposite the windows of his cell.
AT first this only excited his
E rision. For an hour or more he Ike