The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08
Nadhoo a Curiosity.


Nadhoo. so he was called. had been so
long a prisoner that he was rather cared
for as a curiosity a museum specimen,
than treated criminal. He had be-
come an expert in weaving. and when the
looms were idle was by no means unWll
ing to talk OF his experiences as a Thug.
He had been born in the caste and de-
voted early to the service of Kali. His
father led him to secret place i'm the
Jungle and there initiated him. by the
weird rite of the corpse and the dagger.
into the freemasonrv of the brotherhood.
He learned their signs. how to interpret
the omen of the owl. the patter of the
'ramaNsi the secret language Of the
craft. Being a precocous youth as he
said. he was selected to play the part of
"talker,' or confidence man. He was os-
tensibly a traveller on the Delhi road.
where the Indian Midland railway now
runs, for his brother, who dealt in silks
and cotton goods In q Deeean city. OF
his exploits as talker for the band of Tulsi
Ram, a notorious Thug executed long
ago for his crimes he told this tale:
"Tulsi Ram was The right arm of Wall.
and J was the right arm of fnls Ram. 1t
was | who decoyed Nasur Khan. the rich
jeweler. with coaxng words. as men take
carp from a pond by tickling their sides.
"Nasur was journeying to Delhi with
gems from Mysore and caravan laden
with silks in bales and rich brocsdes.
came before him poor trader begging
for permission to join his train for the
sake of protection against thieves
twinkle in the old mans eye betrayed
his relish of the irony of the situation.
"Nasur was as hard as the
stones he dealt in" he continued, land
the price he demanded for his protection
was high. Then told him that the Rajah
of Mulwa had news Of the approach of his
caravan, and Nasur's heart became as
water, for he feared the horsemen of
Mulwa and the toll they take. And I. sup
ping my tongue with the oil of persua-
sion. harped on his fears and drew him
on to take a safer way-where Tulsi and
his band were waiting and where our
brethren of the pickaxe had dug long
trenches in the jungle grass.
Signal Was Owls Hoot.
"Nasur's heart was glad within him
when he rode aside from Mulwa, and
when he met Tulsi Ram merry was his
greeting. Quiet merchants all, they seem
ed-my brothers-and Nasur's men chat
ted with them. as travellers will. of the
price of grain. And as they conversed
/ together they made a jest about the
Thugs. So my brethren gathered round
Nasur Khan and his men, two to a
traveller, and, when all were listening
oren-mouthed to story or Hatim Iais
an owl hooted twice from the jungle.
That was the signal"
The old man illustrated with wrist and
knuckle the act of tightening the rumai,
or handkerchief. round the neck of the
victim. He told how the travellers were
buried while warm in the graves that had
been prepared for them. For himself 1t
was his destiny to be a Thug. ut is our
custom" he said. THE potter's son takes
the potters wheel; the coppersmith' TO
the tinkling hammer
Strangely enough the veteran became
himself a sacrifice 10 the goddess of his
vows For Kali Dew is also the patroness
of that seourge of India cholera morbus.
and next hot weather the old Thug passed
away during an epidemic. Kali had