The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-09-13
THE THUGS OF INDIA,
Strangers VINO inherit Their
Bloodthirsty Instinct.
THEY ARE BORN MURDERERs.

Methods Of These Vicious Nomads.
For centuries before the supremacy
of the British crown In India the en-
tire land, from Bengal to Bombay and
from the Himalayas to Travancore, was
harassed by bands of hends known as
thugs (stranglers).
In 1857, when England deposed all
rulers and placed the purple upon the
shoulders of her representative, the
vlceroy, conditions changed, and.
among other Outrages, the thugs were
hunted down and forced to cover nm
der the penalties of the new laws For
years they were unheard of, and men
gradually forgot the terrors they had
learned from the lips of their forefa-
theirs, who considered it a prime duty
to caution their children against the
dangers that would beset them from
cradIedom till death by the prevalence
Of thuggee.
But occasionally even nowadays the
thug gets in his deadly work. The
motive Of the thug is threefold. His
sforefathers for generations We're blood
thirSters, and he comes by his call
hing through heredity, He must have
blood or he will die He murders from
ahe instinct Of pure passion. Akin to
#nur1cr, as 1t necessarily is, the rob
#bng If his victim is a Joy, and he
chuckes to himself as he drops drip
Iriug ear or a bloody finger into his
q rdle for the sake of the jewels
His last motive-and here he stands
Nh class by himself-he is a murderer
from a sense of religious duty. His
victims are sacrifice to the gods. The
more victims, the more propitious the
sacrifice \ corpse is his stepping
stone to heaven. He must kill or he is
externally lost
He loses no time; no idle words are
exchanged. He works like the clock.
His system varies no more than the
pendulum XIII and gain heaven; fail
and be damned" is his slogan. But he
never fails. The nets he lays are in
|tricate his plans complex, interchange
liable Where one falls short another
succeeds.
The thug is nomad. Nowhere is
bis permanent home, and any jungle
|or mountain cave serves his purpose
for a shelter or a place to vaunt his
treasure. He is a perpetual traveller.
His victims are likewise travellers, for
h lonely road and a forest path alone
suit his purpose. The city and the
palace are not for him.
The system, which is no misnomer,
FOR the method that is used in the
practice of thuggee, is as unique as it
Is terrible. In the history of the ma
lions no other organization has ever
been known to proceed similarly. The
whole crime Is committed as though
operated from an electric switchboard
"a, mere passing of the current and
he deed is done. The method of pro-
eedure is this:
After prayers have been offered to
the goddess of death, KALI the entire
band, usually from ten to forty men,
prepares for the expedition. Every
man strips to the skin. wearing only
, light leather girile about the waist
The girdle Is furnished with various
pockets to deposit plumber. Stripped,
the thugs engage for a time In ath-
letie games. such as wrestling and rum
hing, In order to be physically at. A
bath Is then taken, and the whole body
IrOm topknot to toe nail il creased
With sweet oil. A small, k0an blade 10
dipped into the girdle, cord wrapped
lrOund the waist In loose coils. They
lre ready TO start.
With the stealth Of the tiger the band
Proceeds through the jungle. Some
lines they walk, at others crawl.
Every tree, every shrub. Is q vantage
lOint. and thither they seek shelter on
be slightest suspicion. They scarcely
ause a fallen twig to crackle as they
bead, yet their movements are swift
y serpent's. They glide rather than
Dove normally, and the snalLy CLEAN Of
heir eyes completes the slmllitude.
They reach the appointed spot
L is along a lonely road. passing
through a lonely forest No light Ia
'tsible save that from stray moon
'eams percolating through the closely
Foven boughs Of trees and overgrow-
0bbSAJs 4ho boI0 SScGAAbAC1
p silent conference for a few mo-
nents. The leader uttsrs few words
P mysterious lingo. Instantly all but
Our Of their number disappear In the
orSst These have been chosen to
erform the deed They confer eager
Z with each other for q few seconds.
hen depart in opposite directions,
70 each way along the roadside. At
given interval each man halts, lies
at on his stomach on the ground and
nth suppressed breathing awaits his
nsuspecting victim.
The wait Is q long and tedious one.
hut that matters little. Long school
ag In the art has taught the thug the
irtue of patience. and he lies as I'm
lovable as a statue OF bronze.
Suddenly long laugh Is heard above
bend In the road. following a chorus
laughter. The travellers are having
good time. Wine Il lowing freely,