The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-06-04

half forgotten 1t. 'T III
Several million AXNL
dusky Orientals MANA SAi1t6
secretly or openly hailed Mana sahib
as q .deliverer and q true patriot. A
still larger number Of white people
declared him . nend. He was the fore
most figure in the sepoy Mutiny. His
terrible work ended. he apparently
vanished from the face Of the earth.
His name was not Mana Sahib. That
was merely his title. (His name was
Dhundo Punt. He was the son OF q
high caste Hindoo and was born about
1926. When he was a baby he was
adopted by Bhajee Rou, prince Of tho
Maharattas; and In 1851 he succeeded
his adopted father as prince. Bhajee
had been lord OF wide estates and had
received q yearly pension OF $450.000
from the British government. At his
death the pension was stopped and
the government seized much Of his
land.
This angered Mana Sahib, who had
hoped to inherit all Of Bhajae's wealth.
He sent an agent to England to urge
his rights. But all he could secure
from the British was permission to
hold the barren title OF prince and to
rule the fortress town OF Bithoor, near
Cawnpore.
II Mana felt resentment at this lop-
ping off of his power he showed NO out
ward sign of 1t. He came Of race
that knew how to hide its feelings and
to await the right moment for re-
venge.
So, instead of sulking in his fortress
or joining in the thousand foolish,
hopeless native plots that were for
ever stirred up against the white men,
he became as English" as he could.
He spoke the language and tried to
follow the customs Of the British. He
mingled as much as he was allowed
to In English society at the India gar.
rison towns. When callow English
youths turned up their noses at his
pretensions or sneered at him as a
mere native, he bore all such sights
patiently and redoubled his efforts to
copy the ways of his white masters.
He succeeded. Every one believed
him devoted to England.
Then, in 1857, came the Sepoy Mu-
tiny. Most of Englands white regi-
ments had been summoned away from
India to the Crimean War, leaving the
country chiefly garrisoned by Sepoy,
or native troops. The religious fanati-
cism OF these native soldiers was so
cleverly worked upon by Mana and
other secret agents that they rose in
body against the English.
Mana, when the mutiny broke out,
declared himself ready to die In the
defense of his British friends. They
trusted him absolutely. But as soon
as the uprising showed signs Of sue.
cess he cast aside the mask of 10y
atty, placed himself at the head OF
Sepoy army, and proceeded to wreak
horrible vengeance for his real or fan
cied wrongs.
He slew every white man, woman or
child that fell into his hands. Then
he marched against the plucky little
British garrison at Cawnpore. The
garrison held out as long as 1t could,
then on Nana's promise TO spare them
all and to send them to place of
safety, the starving white men at
length surrendered. This was on June
81, 1857. Mana ordered the garrison
to march out Of the city and to board
a line of boats awaiting them at the
rivers edge. No sooner were the boats
afloat than by Nana's orders the help
les occupants were fired upon. Nearly
every one of them was shot or drown
ed. Those who reached land alive suf.
fered the worst fate of all. The women
and children had been herded sepa-
rately in an enclosed space. They
were now killed and their bodies
thrown into a great we'll.
Battle after battle Mana fought with
the white troops during the next few
months, almost always being beaten In
fair fight, but continuing to massacre
any small detachments of English he
could find. His willy brain and heart
less cruelty made him scourge to the
British until the whole Mutiny was
stamped out.
Then England wreaked fearful ven-
geance on her crushed foes. Native
leaders were tied to the cannon's
mouth and blown to pieces. Other cru
elites were inflicted that could be part.
ly excused only when one remember
ed that the avengers were mad with
anguish over the brutal murders of
their wives and children.
But, while other and lesser consplra-
tors suffered punishment, Mana Sahib
escaped. To this day no Englishman
knows what became of him. whether
he died years ago or Is still living in
luxurious safety in some Oriental land.