Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-25
INDIAN RIVER PIRATES.
How They Disguise Their Real Pur-
pose-Make Some Big Hauls.
From the Madras Mail.

There is little doubt that the gentry re-
sponsible for the long series of crimes and
offenses against river bound trade in
every sense Of the word pirates. There
several gangs. whose methods are known
to the police. and of these four stand out
prominently. The first is known the
Bunphur gang. otherwise Umllas, who hail
from Gya and Benares.
These men are all Hindus. They swoop
down from the upper reaches OF the river
and hire purchase a large passenger
dinghy, generally a green boat. Eight,
sometimes ten. OF the gang pose as oarsmen.
and In addition a considerable number travel
inside the deckhouse to personate passen-
gers. license is procured and the ar
rangements complete. The spots select
ed for operation are generally lonely places
in the river.
When coming into Calcutta from a dis
tance loaded cargo boats frequently have
to anchor for the night or to wait the
change of the tide No watch is kept ex-
cept perhaps, in rare instances. and the pt
rates range alongside and demand their
booty This is frequently delivered up
without struggle. But even when resist
ance is offered the victims are invariably
taken unawares and are not In a position
to withstand for any length of time their
powerful and always numerous assailants.
The latter, moreover, are always armed
the peapons being anything fom a lathi to a
dao; and in some cases guns have been
known to have been used.
The Bunphur gang sometimes imperso-
mates a police patrol One OF their num-
Der sits on deckhouse, and when lively
looking boat is encountered halls the crew
and demands certain information, and be-
fore the boa tmen know quite what is hap
peninE they are overpowered and terroriZed
into giving up whatever Is demanded Of
them.
gang. and these ruff1ans conduct their OPP
erations in a fishing boat complete with
nets and fishing appliances AS they really
engage In fishing they could easily deceive
ANYBODY. They wait for nightfall and then
go alongside and anchor boat and make
some request generally for fire. II they find
the crew awake and on the alert. they sheer
off but If the boatmen are asleep they COM
NIT the dacoity This crowd, as rule, go
about unarmed and do not show fight. Sim
liar to these are the members of the Dome
gang so called because they are composed
of low bred Mohammedans, Domes and low
caste H,ndus. The fourth lot are the Bum
boat gang and these men represent them
selves to be river hawkers of provisions
fruit. vegetables, etc. They include Hin
dus and Mohammedans, and are like the
Runphurs, inclined to do violence when re-
sisted.
The Bunphurs are recognized as being the
most dangerous of these river pirates
They have a completely and efficiently or
eanZed intelligence branch. an elaborate
system for disposing of stolen property, and
when pressed do not hesitate at actually
taking life Detection is an extremely diff
ficult matter, as in most cases before IN
telligence Is received that they are on the
move they have actually swooped down on
their prey and retired with their spoifs into
some lonely creek backwater In the
river, or, as they have been known 10 90
in some cases abandon their boat and taken
to cover on shore.