taken anxiety in public officers to gain a not only so, but that Thugghee existed to a good name with the government by making great extent in those districts, at the very time it appear that crime does not exist, occurred that Mr. Elliot was assuring government that in the district of Chupra in 1827. Two men no such crime occurred.-(p. 244 of App. were murdered by a gang of Thugs, who, Many of the English magistrates were almost immediately after, got drunk and actuated by the same feelings. Some would quarrelled. Four of them in consequence not allow that Thugghee could exist in gave information against the others, who their districts, and even within this year were arrested with the property of the mur were excessively indignant at such statedered men in their possession; these were ments being made by the officers employed committed for trial, and the four first allowed in the suppression of this crime: they were to turn King's evidence. The state of the perfectly astounded, when men dispatched case is as follows:---There was, first, the evi- by those officers proceeded to dig up the dence of the approvers: second, the deposi. bodies of persons recently murdered in vation of the wives of the men, who swore to rious places, sometimes within a short disthe property found; and thirdly, the men ac- tance of the police functionary's residence. cused of being Thugs could give no satis. Others admitied that such a thing might factory account of themselves. The defence occur occasionally; while a few boldly and was merely a denial, and an assertion that openly stated what they had discovered, and the property claimed by the widows was gave much valuable information. Our limits their (the prisoners') own. The judgment do not permit us to add extracts from the given will scarce be credited by our readers official papers: we must, therefore, refer The prisoners were released; the approvers our readers to various letters from Mr. and the police were severely punished for Wright, a Madras magistrate.-(See Apperjury and for oppression; government was pendix V. in Captain Sleeman's book.) led to believe that no such crime as Thug. ghee existed in that part of the country; and the magistrate, Mr. Pringle, who had been active in apprehending many Thugs, and had reported the same, received a severe repri

mand.

But even if all the English magistrates in India had been aware of and cordially co-operated with each other, they would have effected little towards the suppression of Thugghee. The ordinary tribunals and modes of proceeding, which answered in One fact yet remains to be mentioned, some degree for the detection and punishwhich will show the difficulties of the case. ment of ordinary offenders, were of little The judge, Mr. Elliot, ordered the property avail against Thugs. Except in the rare which was claimed by the widows to be re-instance of a gang being apprehended with tained in urt, while all the rest of the prop- stolen property in possession, which the erty found on the prisoners was returned to relations of the murdered persons were them. Now, for whom was the above to be there to identify, the only witnesses who retained? It could belong to any third could ever be brought against them were person, but either to the isoners or to the some of their own fraternity; and the evimurdered men. If the judge isbelieved the dence of men whose preliminary step must whole story for the prosecution, and deemed be to confess themselves the most ruthless the prisoners innocent, he should he re- villains in existence, is naturally received stored to them this property along with he with distrust, of which the case commemorest that was found upon them, and which rated by Mr. Pringle is a memorable examthey claimed as their own. If he believed p and doubtless may plead for the judge. the statement of the widows, that those things For ther particulars we refer our readers belonged to their husbands, then must the to pages 200, 221, 257, 262, of the text of prisoners have been punished as the murderers, and the property would have been given to the widows. This little fact is one of those which either show a strange perversion of judgment, or denote a vacillation of mind indicating that the judge himself felt that all was not right in the orders he gave.* The truth of all that was stated on the part of the prosecution has since been fully proved by depositions of other Thug approvers; and

*

*No mention of this order to retain that portion of the property is to be found in Capt. Slee. man's book. We derive it from a statement publicly made by Mr. Pringle.

our author, and to Appendixes K. and L., in some of which they will find that the informers were punished, though not to the same extent as in Mr. Pringle's case.

Such being the English mode of proceed ing, it is no wonder that approvers and informers were slow to come forward; for no sooner did they lose the protection of our functionaries, than they were murdered by their accomplices. The dilatoriness and which the subordinate police and court offiinefficiency of our courts; the great power cers possess to disguise the real merits of a case; the influence which the Thugs

contrived to obtain over these by means of country, some of which were hundreds of bribes; the few instances in which stolen miles asunder. Numbers of them, perhaps property or bodies were discovered; all the greater part, were residents of foreign conspired to increase the difficulty under states over which our magistrates had no which the ordinary magistrates laboured in control; and, although the British governdetecting the perpetrators of this crime. ment might have requested the co-operation But even where the bodies were found in of the different princes, little or no good wells, which was a common way of dispos- would have been effected. Even a system ing of them when in a hurry or likely to of Thug police, such as has now been. be disturbed, in the Doab, Onde, and other established, if confined to our own provin. parts, the owner of the ground and his ces, could have been of no permanent use. neighbours generally burried them as quick- The Thugs would have emigrated for the ly as possible that the police officers might time to the native states, and although the know nothing of the matter; and if these crime might for a while cease in our own did become acquainted with the circum- territories, as soon as the special Thug postance, a bribe would usually prevent their lice was abolished, those miscreants would reporting it to the nragistrate. The farmers all have returned and prosecuted their trade and others had just grounds for what they as vigorously as ever. did, owing to the strange mode in which the English Government conducts its police affairs. In such cases as those now mentioned the common practice is to summon to court the owners of the neighbouring lands, and many of the neighbours;-at a distance, perhaps, from ten to eighty miles, and to fine them severely as a matter of course, if they could not produce the perpetrators of the murders.

Occasionally when a gang, residents of a foreign territory, were arrested, and moral proof against them was strong, but legal proof, according to our own system, failing; if the government made them over to their own native chief in the hope that he would punish them, this usually ended in their being released by paying a sum of moneysometimes without. On the other hand, when our subjects were apprehended on a But even when an insulated gang was Thug expedition in a native state, they actually brought to justice, it was but a drop sometimes contrived, by flattering English in the ocean towards the suppression of prejudices, to obtain the protection of our Thugghee; nor would, nor will any thing functionaries. The established creed of the effect this, but a general system, which government is the superior excellence of shall be in operation all over India. Dif their own administration, and the blessings ferent magistrates might receive informa- enjoyed by their native subjects; and they tion which, if it were combined and com- descant largely on the tyranny and opprespared together, might prove of the greatest sion in all native states. This is well known value, but which becomes useless when to our native dependents and officials, who frittered away among separate officers, who play their part accordingly. With many of have no communication with each other. them the Thugs maintained a good underThe whole business too was so little under-standing, and when any of those wretches, stood, that few could bring themselves to cre- residents of our territories, were arrested dit the extent of such an organized system by a native chief, a pitiable story was pre. of murder. Although sufficient was known, sented to some English functionary of "poor so far back as 1810, to induce the comman- innocent British subjects on a trading expeder-in-chief to issue a general order to the dition," or something of the sort, having native soldiery who went on leave, urging been confined by a tyrannical chief, in order them to take bills on the different treasuries to extort money from them. Of course, a for the amount of their savings, instead of due proportion of compliments and flattery carrying cash for fear of being robbed on the of the English was mixed up with the road, yet year after year passed, and men representation, and this would produce, of did join their corps: but it was always sup- ten without the slightest inquiry, a strong posed they had deserted, and little suspicion letter from the English functionary to the apparently was entertained of their being native chief on the injustice of his proceedmurdered, which however, was since dis-ings, and generally ensured the release of covered to have been the case in almost the Thugs.-(See Appendix, p. 417.) every instance. The scattered residences Things had gone on in this way for of the Thugs was another obstacle, and ren-years, chequered occasionally by the vigordered them much more difficult to deal with ous attempt of some individual functionary than ordinary criminals, who inhabit the to eradicate the evil, but without solid same locality. The members of a single benefit. The most notorious of these efforts gang often came from different parts of the was an attack made by Messrs. Halbed and

any

Stockwell, in the year 1812, on the strong- "These arrests were attended by a combi

hold of a large body of Thugs, in the pro. nation of circumstances, so fortunate, that a vince of Sindouse, in the Gualior territory. man might consider them as providential without exposing himself to the charge of They had formed a large village there, superstition. The feelings of every one whence they issued annually on their ex- whose feelings were of any importance to cursions, and paid a regular tribute to that the cause, from the Governor-General Lord state for their protection. Many were killed; William Bentinck, and Sir Charles Metcalfe, but the greater part, being driven away, Vice-President in Council, to the humblest scattered themselves all over India, joining individual, seemed to be deeply and simulother gangs or forming new ones wherever taneously interested in promoting its success."-See 46.. they went so that the enterprize, from not being followed up on a system of iuformation derived from some of those who were captured, actually in its results produced more evil than good.

"When Feringhea, a Thug leader of some note, for whose arrest government paid five hundred rupees, was brought in to me at SauAnother considerable gang was appre- gor, in December, 1830, he told me, that, if hended in the same territories in 1826 by his life were spared, he could procure the Captain Wardlow, employed there as a civil arrest of several large gangs, who were in Feofficer; a third by Captain Sleeman, in Bho-bruary to rendezvous at Jeypoor, and proceed into Guzerat and Candeish. Seeing me pal, in the beginning of 1830; and a fourth disposed to doubt his authority upon a point by Major Borthwick, political agent of Ma- of so much importance, he requested me to hidpoor :put him to the proof; to take him to the vil

lage of Seloda, which lay two stages from, 1830, Mr. Smith wrote to government, and Saugor on the road to Seronge, and through intimated the necessity of some such plan: which I was to pass in my tour of the but the eyes of the latter had been opened, district, of which I had received the civil and before the receipt of Mr. Smith's discharge, and he would show me his abilities

1st. That an officer, to be termed superintendent of operations against Thugghee, should be appointed, with power to send out parties to apprehend those against whom he might have information in any part of the country.

and inclination to give me correct informa- patch, a letter from government, dated 8th tion. I did so, and my tents were pitched, October, was addressed to him, requesting where tents usually are, in the small mango his opinion on the subject. In reply, he subgrove. I reached them in the evening; and, mitted a plan, of which the following is an when I got up in the morning, he pointed out outline. three places, in which he and his gang had deposited, at different intervals, the bodies of three parties of travellers. A pundit (priest) and six attendants, murdered in 1818, lay among the ropes of my sleeping-tent; a serjeant and four seapoys, murdered in 1824, lay under my horses; and four Brahmin carriers of Ganges-water, and a woman murdered 2d. The superintendent to commit all soon after the pundit, lay within my sleeping- whom he deems guilty for trial, before the tent. The sward had grown over the whole, gevernor-general's agent in the Saugor and and not the slightest sign of its ever having Nerbudda territories. been broken was to be seen. The thing seemed to be incredible; but after examining

4th. The residents at native courts also to give their assistance.

The draught likewise contains several ninor provisions regarding the search for dead bodies; rewards to those who deserve

3d. Lists to be made out against all upon attentively a small brick terrace close by,and whom suspicion rests, and sent to the differthe different trees around, he declared himself ent English functionaries. prepared to stake his life upon the accuracy of his information. My wife was still sleeping over the grave of the water-carriers, unconscious of what was doing or to be done. I assembled the people of the surrounding villages, and the police officer and his men, who resided in the village of Korac, close by, and put the people to work over the grave of the serjeant. They dug down five feet, without perceiving the slightest signs of the bodies or of a grave. All the people seemed delighted tice. to think that I was become weary like them. The suggestions were, however, but pårselves, and satisfied that the man was de- tially adopted by government, for unforturanged; but there was a calm and quiet

confidence about him that made me insist upon their going on: and at last we came upon the bodies of the whole five, laid out precisely as he had described. My wife, still unconscious of our object in digging, had repaired to the breakfast tent, which was pitched at some distance from the grove; and I now had the ropes of the tent removed, and the bodies of the pundit and his six companions in a much greater state of decay were exhumed from about the same depth, and from the exact spot pointed out. The water-carriers were afterwards disinterred, and he offered to point out others in the neighboring groves; but I was sick of the horrid work, and satisfied with what he had already done. The gangs which were concentrating upon Jey poor were pursued, and the greater part of them taken, and Feringhea's life was spared for his services."

The disclosures made by these different approvers, and the information given, threw open so fine a field for a general plan of operations, that the matter was warmly taken up by Mr. Smith, agent to the governorgeneral, and Captain Sleeman, district officer of Nursingpoor, each zealously co-operating with the other. On the 21st September,

such

a mark of approbation; penalties for harbouring Thugs; prevention of abuses by approvers; and other clauses not worth enumerating here, although highly useful in prac.

nately Lord William Bentinck, at that time at the head of affairs, was not in the habit of indulging in a general or comprehensive view of any question; and his mind, while in India, was chiefly occupied in the minor de. tails of government and the consideration of Sleeman was, in January, 1831, removed to petty economical retrenchments. Captain Saugor district authorized to act as superin. tendent, to send out parties for the arrest of Thugs, and proceed as above proposed; but he was still expected to perform all his duties as civil officer of the Saugor district, without any additional pay, such being Lord William Bentinck's system. Still under so able and indefatigable an officer as Captain Sleeman much benefit occurred, and numerous arrests were made; but it soon became evident, from the extensive nature of the Thug operations, that more aid must be granted. Accordingly, in January, 1832, another officer was appointed to take charge of the revenue and civil duties of the Saugor district, over which Captain Sleeman then presided, leaving to the latter only the magistracy department; thus allowing him more leisure to devote to Thug affairs. Three

junior officers were appointed his assistants, | All this is registered in the office of the geneand detached to apprehend such Thugs as ral-superintendent, and lists of those to be apthey could obtain information of.

prehended are sent to the different subordi. Still, the more that was done the more nate officers, who are all provided with apseemed requisite to do. Every arrest brought provers and guards. These officers also to light new combinations and associations of take the depositions in full of all whom they these professed assassins, and discovered may apprehend, copies of which are sent to new scenes in which their dreadful trade was the general-superintendent. It is obvious at work. It was obvious that nothing but a that when depositions, thus taken almost sigeneral system, undertaken by a paramount multaneously from different people hundreds power, strong enough to bear down all oppo. of miles apart, who have had no means of sition by interested native chiefs, could ever collusion, and none of them expecting to be eradicate such well-organized villainy; and apprehended, agree in describing the same the other members of government at length scenes and the same actors, it is obviously succeeded in persuading Lord William Ben- next to impossible to refuse belief. But antinck that it was incumbent upon a govern- other test is applied. When a Thug is ar ment calling itself enlightened to take the rested, he is brought direct to the officers' relead in so good a work; and that a moderate sidence, and placed in a row between unconexpense would be well bestowed in suppress-cerned people. The approvers, who have ing an association which was causing the an- been detained at the stations, are then sent nual murder of some thousands of his fellow for singly, and required to point out any increatures. In prosecution of the extended dividual of the party whom they may know. system of operations, Captain Sleeman was in January, 1835, relieved altogether from ordinary civil duties, and appointed superintendent; and several additional officers were nominated to act under him in various parts of the country.

If they all fix upon the same individual, and their statements also agree with those previously made by others, it is impossible that better evidence can be had.

We mention this, because we are aware that a prejudice has gone forth against the mode of conducting both the previous investigations and the sessions part of the business in Thug trials. That a man who has only seen or heard the latter should have some

Jubulpoor, the residence of the agent to the governor-general in the Saugor and Ner. budda territories, was appointed Captain Sleeman's head-quarters. All Thugs apprehended within those territories Jeypoor, suspicions is not surprising; for the whole Hyderabad, Nagpoor, and other contiguous evidence of events long past is given so glib. native states are tried by the agent at Jubul- ly, that it appears to bear strong marks of poor. Those of Oude and Indore by the fabrication. But in fact the sessions part of residents of those courts; and such as have the business is the least to be relied on: if committed crimes in what are called our re- that were all a man had before him to enable gulation provinces, are tried by the officers him to form his judgment, few Thugs would who are there. stationed. Operations have have been punished: before the trials come lately extended into Bombay, Madras, the on, the approvers have all been brought toeastern parts of Bengal, and the north gether; have had opportunities of seeing the westernmost parts of the Indian continent; and there is no doubt that, to ensure complete success it will be necessary to nominate ad. ditional superintendents as well as subordinate officers for each of these divisions: to which should be added functionaries specially appointed for the trial of those committed. all has been correctly conducted; and that The success of the combined operations has been beyond hope; and if properly followed up, it will be almost impossible for a Thug to remain at large. The mode of proceeding is, to take the deposition of those who turn approvers, wherever this may happen to be. These men are then required to give, to the best of their recollection, a full account of every expedition on which they have been, mentioning the dates of every one, and the detail of every murder; together with the names of those who had formed the gangs, their residence, caste, &c., &c.

prisoners, and of fabricating what tales they please. But this they dare not do; they know well that what passes in the sessions, though the actual trial, yet serves chiefly to inspect the papers and operations of the subordinate officers, in order to ascertain that

in reality, the previous proceedings form the evidence mainly relied upon. The whole association of Thugs is, in fact, different from that of any other known villains in existence. Their system is such, that they are beyond the reach of the ordinary tribunals of the country, and a special system must be put in force against thein. That some petty abuses have been committed, we allow. Money has occasionally been extorted from people, under threat of accusing them of being Thugs; and others, though innocent, have suffered a temporary imprisonment. But there is no