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

Ou COuGitl0u Lu8t you OuH
your promise to the letter, I VIII do
my best to save it,
"a table was brought, my native
clerk prepared his writing materials.
and there, within q yard OF the glib
bet, the prisoner told tale CT murder
and robbery appalling In it's extent,
sickening In It's celd-bloodedness and
deliberation TIE this he added a list
OF some 80 or 40 accompiices, and,
described the positions OF the rude
graves OF over 100 victims.
"The same day we set out to inyes-
.tigate, and the following evening
reached one OF the indicated spots.
lThere we found buried proof of the
Ireality of one part of the Thugs con-
'fession, and In that a guarantee for
the truth Of the rest.
ga couple OF weeks of activity
!passed. Thanks to Hosein, who had
been shaved and otherwise disguised,
I'VE not only collected ample proof OF
the crimes committed, but succeeded
lin securing many OF the culprits, who
were taken to the nearest court and
tried. By a judicious setting of caste
against caste, we managed to cause
determinations aud retaliations among
1.-THE prisoners, which led to their con-
lvictiHg each other, and so avoided the
necessity OF producing Hosein All as
Z witness--a course which would have
sbeen fatal to his usefulness.
$50 far the informer had amply full
zfilled his contract. He had, indeed,
sdisplayed q zeal which made me at
ltimes very doubtful of his sincerity.
( No government officer could have been
Emore anxious to run the culprits to
earth, no one more fruitful In devices
= TO entrap them. I found out at last
! that his thoroughness was charateris~
1tic Of the man in all things.
zone day 1 told him that I thought
she might count on getting Off cheap.
his services had been so valuable and
ESQ willingly given. added a hope
Sthat he might lead different life when
: the business was over.
s "'What business, sahibT he asked.
s. "When Thuggee is suppressed
Ereplied.
n "'Thuggeer He made a wide ges.
Sture with his arms, as though to indI-
Ecate all India, and added, with q little
Esmile, that had a grain OF pride In It:
1--WE shall be old men, sahib.'
"I was but % then, and incredulous;
3 but he was right. 1 was gray when
scame home, and I left Thugs behind
Eme.
q "well, the further the work Of sup.
Spression advanced, the more difficult
Elt became. The Thugs had enjoyed
s Immunity so long that many Of the
bands had become careless and wera
taken with comparative ease; but as
the news OF their capture spread, and
i the fate which met them became
&known, the villains grew more wary
ERnd difficult Of approach.
1--WE had, OF course, spies and scouts
sout in all directions. The inhabitants
Eof the villages were even too eager to
Egive us Information. and often the ac-
Ecounts were so conflicting that 1 was
loss. In these difficulties Hoseiu
xwas invaluable. He smelt out the
Strue and reliable. and knew exactly
kwhat the Thugs In this or that dilen.
Ema would do or attempt.
& About q month after Hosein's cap
Sture we got on the heels OF a band
(which, by the signs, numbered about
E40 members Instead OF following
Sthem up, we crossed the river along
the banks OF which they were march
Eing, and, hurrying on, got in advance
Eof them. We knew that they would
have to cross later and hoped to am
bush them. The bank on our side OF
II the river was covered with a thick
and broad belt OF Jungle. beyond which
Swas a chain OF hills whose lower
Eslopes were well wooded. In the shade
OF these trees we rested for the noon-
tin the early afternoon one Of our
ascouts came In with news. About a.
mile in front OF us he had seen a party
aof natives, whose manner seemed to
him suspicious, entering a grove OF
Ftrees. The possibility that this was a.
Adetachment OF the band we were after
at once occurred to me. We were on
our feet at once and pushing forward
Ewith all circumspecion, almost suc-
Eceeded in surrounding the grove with
Sout detection. At the last moment we
Ewere seen. We charged in, but, to our
Esurprise, met no resistance. Instead,
alndeed, OF a band OF determined and
Sdefiant robbers, we broke In on what
Eseemed to be party of travelling mer-
'schants In the deepest distress. The
air was full of low lamentations. Push
cling my way into the group 1 saw the
Ecause OF the trouble. A body lay
Estretched out in the unmistakabie at
Etitude Of death, covered .reverently
kwith a linen cloak. Catching sight OF
Eme one OF the mourners spoke:
"'Shookr Khoda! Now shall the
sSwicked suffer-
"FWhat is wrong?' / inquired.
II "'ThugsP was the reply. Our
Ebrother left us this morning in a fit
Eof anger to continue his journey
Malone. Here we overtake him at noon,
Edead, and the villains are gone
81 piled the men with questions asst
ekthe direction taken by the robbers.
"a Eastward they said. They had not
4seen them but from various signs,
SsXwere confident. This was contrary to
kall our ideas as to their route, and /
.Ewas considering how to rearrange our
tEplans when I heard Hosein Airs voice
y&whispering behind me: My lord must
. Enot look around or show surprise. This
body is still warm. The man is but
N Just dead, and they who mourn have
t&killed him. They are Thugs he add
sEed.
eN ST was too bewildered at first to
s|speak, but, pulling myself together,
|, Epartly grasped the situation.
& Turning to the spokesman OF the
,Eparty, 1 did my best to convince him
oHthat I was completely taken in; and
Measuring him that we should most GER