The Washington herald., 1908-03-08

London March 7.-During the past few
days the splendid services of a civilian
during the Indian mutiny fifty-one years
ago have been recognized The India
Office has informed f. J. Churcher that
he has been awarded pension OF $500
per annum, from January l. 1908. Mr..
Churcher is indebted TO the direct inter-
vention of the King. through his majes-
ty's private secretary. Lord Knollys, for
this recognition OF a romantic deed.
Mr.. Chureher now seventy-six years
old, is a tail. commanding figure. His
tread is still elastic his manner dignihed.
and his speech quiet, but full of force.
Two Of his sons are officers in the British
army Two of his brothers We're killed
in the mutiny.
In July. 1857. when the mutiny was at
its height and Agra deluged with blood,
J. Russell Colvin, the hapless lieutenant
governor of the united provinces, sent
Mr.. Chureher. a young civilian. TO at
tempt TO restore British authority IN
Etah, town and fort seventy miles
away from Agra. on the high road from
Delhi to Cawnpore. An order for 5000
rupees. the e4eater part uncashed. is one
of Mr.. Churcher's treasured possessions.
With this he was to raise force and do
his work.
British Force Defied.
How his ragged force marched from
Agra. how they caught and fogged
rajah twenty miles away, who, three
months before, had robbed Mr.. Churchers s
father and mother; how they came
through at last to Etah. are incidents
which. would provide absorbing narra-
tives. But the great incident was the
taking of Etah.
Il came to Etsh in August, 1851. with
100 horsemen and 80 foot" said Mr.
Churcher yesterday. "and called upon the
rajah to allow me to occupy the fort for
the British. He planted a green flag on
the wall proclaimed himself a vicegerent
Of the King Of Delhi, and refused admis-
sion. That evening. camped in the mango
grove near the fort, / heard that twenty
Sikhs who had mutinied from a regiment
at Benares were approaching.
Knowing the daredevil character of
these men, sent for their chief and Of
fered him and his men 100 rupees each for
a nights work. They agreed. With heel
ropes and branches Of the mango trees
they made storming ladders, which they
carried in the dead of night and placed
against the walls of the fort. Tn they
went. and 1 followed, while my men went
round 10 the gate of the fort. It was a
foriorn hope. but il succeeded.
Il remember well running along the
ramparts with a spy. who knew the fort
fr,a
ness for the Tajah. We found him sitting
in his room. with attendants on either
side. He was fat man and slow to
move. Through the glass doors we. be
ing in the darkness. could see him well.
Tnkcn by surprise
My Sikh raised his musket and smash
ed in the doors. rushed in. pistol in
one hand sword IN the other. The at
tendants drew their swords I threatened
10 shoot the rajah first and them after
ward. whereupon they fed, and I secured
my prisoner.
Meanwhile, the rajah's soldiers had at
tempted to fly by the gate of the fort, and
later we counted forty dead in one spot.
Next morning the fort was surrounded
by the people OF the town. took the
rajah TO the gate and announced from the
wall above II that ] would hang him on
the spot and turn the ten guns which
were captured on the ramparts. upon the
town IL they did not disperse"
Thus was Etah taken. For six months.
until the end Of the mutiny. Mr.. Churcher
maintained authority, collected revenue.
which he sent TO the relief of Agra. and
kept the trunk road clear of rebels.
Wounded and sick. he came to England
when the mutiny was suppressed. Re-
turning again, he found that a native
clerk. whose loyalty he had commended.
had been made rajah of Etah. receiving
in place of his clerks salary Of rupees
per month a fortune of s150.000.
For nearly half a century following the
mutiny Mr. Churcher. who Is a barrister,
acted as unpaid special magistrate in the
United Provinces. He is now living in a
quiet fiat in West London