The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1901-12-23

a very interesting and valuable re-
port was issued several years ago, by
the inspector OF prisons Of the Indian
empire, IN which almost Incredible
accounts are given OF the practice OF
this extraordinary art by the thieves
of lower Bombay. says writer IN
the New Penny Magazine. The
thieves themselves, with better rea-
son. feel doubly secure; for n. in spite
OF his invislbility by some unlocked
for and unlucky chance. one is seized,
his oily body slips away like an eels'
and in the still more unlikely oontin-
gency Of his being held With an IN
breakable grip. he has, slung by
slender cord about his neck, a little
knife with an edge as sharp as that OF
the keenest razor. with which he cuts
the tendons OF the intrudng wrist.
This, however. he considers a last re-
sort. for he prides himself upon doing
his work without INJECTING bodily
harm upon his victims. To enter
zenana. or the women's apartment in
a native house. where all the family
treasures are kept. is the ambition OF
every native thief This, however. %
no easy matter. for the zcnana Is In
the center of the house. surrounded by
other apartments occupied by ever
wakeful sentinels. In order TO reach
"a the thief burrows under the house
until his tunnel reaches a point be-
meath the floor of the room to VII oh
access Is sought But the cautious
native does not at once enter Fun
well he knows that the inmates Of the
house sometimes detect the miner at
work and stand over the hole armed
with deadly weapons, silently await
ing his appearance He has with HIM
a piece Of bamboo. at one end Of VII n
a bunch of grass represents a human
head. and this he thrusts up through
the completed breach. II the vicari-
Gus head does not come TO grief, the
real one takes its place. and the thief,
entering the zenana. secretes himself
or. finding everything already for
able for this purpose. proceeds to at
tempt what seems an impossible IN
dertaking. This. indeed, IS no less
task than to remove from tho ears and
arms and nose the earrings. bracelets.
armlots. bangles and nose rings Of the
sleepers without awakening them. and
90 get safely away with his plumber.
Who but a dacoit would be equal to
so delicate, dangerous and difficult
piece OF work? But the dacoit seldom
fails. These adroit burglars says
my authority. commit the most dar-
ing robberies in the midst OF the Eng
lish army. Knowing the position OF
the tents, they make out one which Is
occupied by an officer OF high rank.
and creep silently toward IT, Arrived
at the tent. their sharp knife makes
them a door in the canvas. and they
glide undiscovered into the interior.
Indeed. so wonderfully sdroit are they
that even the very watchcogs do not
discover them. and a thief has been
known TO actually step over a dog
without disturbing the animal"
But the most marvellous y clever de-
vice practiced BY the thieves OF lower
Bombay is that used by the Mooches
In throwing pursuers on their track.
The Mooch,s come down In gangs.
from the back country. and raid the
settlements; their specially Is poison
ing cattle. They smear plantain leaves
with their own particular brand OF
cattle eKterminstor and scatter them
about among the herds at night. In
the morning. as many OF the cattle as
have partaken are dead, and have been
abandoned by their owners. The
Mooches Gay the dead animals and
sell their hides. Pursued. these hon
est creatures make at full speed for
the Jungle II they reach It. all hope
of capturing them Is at an end. but
even when they discover that they
must be overtaken before they reach
It, they by no means lose heart. and
are measurably sure Of escaping, es-
pecially IL. as is very often the case
IN India. the surface is burned over
and the trees and bushes that have
not been consumed are charred and
blackened and bereft Of their foliage,
and many, perhaps. reduced to little
more than blackened stumps by the
FIRE which the fields are annually burn
ed over II hard pressed in such
country as this. they cease to fly, and
Immediately disappear. For a long
time. the English troops which policed
the district where they made their
raids were completely nonplused;
again and again, on the very point Of
being captured. the Mooches escaped
by tremendously vanishing and officers
as well as soldiers became supersti-
tious. With the power Of maintaining
fixed immoyable pastures. In when
their race seem to excel. these Indians,
grasplng in their hands such black
ened branches as they pick up in their
flight can instantly assume. and re-
tain for long time