The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-26
TN. THUGS Of INDIA,
Strangers Who Inherit Their
6ioodthirsty Instinct. 7aa.
THEY ARE BORN MURDERERS.
yhey XIII From . Sense os Religious
Duty. and Gvsry corpss TO Their
crsdit 10 . stsppine stoes to Heaven
Methods Of These Vicious Non, ads.

Duty. and Gvsry corpss TO Their
crsdit 10 . stsppi ne stons to Heaven
Mstheds Of These Vicious korsas.
For centuries before the supremacy
Of the III. tish crown in india the en-.
tirc inud. frpm R,ngaI TO BOMBAY an,
from the Himalnyas to Travancore. was
harass,d by heJAls Of tends known ss
thugs (strangiers). .tI.r-I ma ..s
IN 1851, when England dsposed all
rulers and placed the purple upon the
shoulders or her representative. the
vieeroy. cUudltions changed. ard.
among other ousr~ee, the tNwes wers
hunted down and forced TO oowes TN.
der the penalties Of the lnew Laws For
years they were unheard Of. and uien
gradually forgot the terrors they had
learned from the, lips OF their forcfa
thers, who considered Il a prime duty
10 caution th,ir children against The
dangers that wouid b~>s~t them from
crndledom tiii death by tine prevalence
But occasionally even nowadays tn,
thug gets In his deadly work. The
motive Of the thug Is thrrefold. His
forpfathcrs for generations were blood
thirsters. and he comes by his can
Ing through hrredity lie must have
blood or h. viii dic. He uurlers from
the instinct Of pure passion. Akin b.
murder, as II necessarily Is. the rob
bling OF his victim Il n JOY, and he
chuckles 10 himself as hc drops Il drip
ping ear or bloody finger INTO his
grile for the sake NJ the towels. ''t
Iis iast motlvo~-anj here H. stands
IN = class by hinsoir-he is n murderer
from q sense OF religious duty. His
victims are sacrifice ~ the gods, The
more victims, the more propitious III,
sacrifice \ corpse Is his stepping
stone to heaven lie must Nil or he e.
eternany lost F..'.t '..'
He losis no time: no Idle words ar
exchanged He works like the clock
His system varies no more Than th'
pendulum. "l>ill aud gala heaven; fai
and hc damned" Is his slogan Rut h
never fails The nets he lays are In
trichte. his plans complex. Interchange
able Where one falls short another
succeeds. pnI uIE iaiIf a1.Iuf 'df
The thug Is noinad Nowhere b
hA permanent h0rne, and any juneI'
O. mountain cave serves his purpos'
for a shelter or "A place TO vnupt hi'
treasure. Tie IL n perpetual traveller
| Ills victims are likewise travellers. To-
a lonely road nnd a forest path alon'
suit his purpose The city and tn
palace are not for him. .-srlH-immpl
The system. which IL no misnomer
for the mothod that Is used In tn
practice Of thuggee. Is MS unique as
Is terrible. In the history OF the ma
tions no other organiza ton has eve
been known to proceed similarly. tn
whole crime Is committed as thougl
opernted from an electric switchboar'
"a mere passing OF the current an'
the deed Is done The method of pro
cedre Is this: ...... ~. ,.... 49,,
After prayers have been offered Z
the goddess Of death. Kali, the entir
bnnd, usually from ten TO forty men
prepares for the expedition. Ever.
man strips TO the. skin, wearing ohl.
a light leather girdle about the wais'
The girii. is furnished with variou
pockets TO deposit plunder. Stripped
the thugs engage for, n time In nth
letic games, such as wrestling and run
ming, In order TO be physically III.
bath Is then taken, and the whole bod,
from topknot 70 toe nail Is crease
with sweet oil. 4 small, keen blade
clipped into the glrdle, n cord wrappc
around the waist In loose coils. The
are ready TO start.
with the stealth OF the tiger the ban
proceeds through the jungle, Some
times they walk, at others craw
Every tree, every shrub, Is vantag
point. and thIther they seek shelter o.
lhe slightest suspicion. They scarcel
cause fallen twig u crackfe as the
tread, vet -ti,e,r movements ara swii
as "A serpent 5. They glide rather tina
lu.cve nort,s U. nfd the snak y sleuip Q
\ their ewes completes the eAsitnI'it''de. z
I They reach the appointed sIS
1t is along lonely roed, passii'
ntbsugh b. lopeE krsst. no Light
INSIDE save-sthnt frdfn stray Inoor
beams percolatlng through the closa
woven boughs Of trees and overgrps
Il ing sbtublcry, The band asseIphir
4 In secnt Cd a. rrNegS6r few h,t
lmeoA khelCAckraittsrs a few w"rd
In mysterious lingo. Instantly an .bi
four of their number disappear 10Th
forest These have been chosoh.-t
perform tho deed. They confer eagel
ly with each other for few secondi
then depart Ia opposite directon
two each way along the roadside! 4
a given interval each man halts, W
fat ON his stomach on the ground hii
with Suppressed breathing awaits p
unsuspecting victim. -
The wait IL n hong and tedtusyeu'
But that matters little. I..sg scHa