A Popular Account of Thugs and Dacoits, the Hereditary Garotters and Gang-Robbers of IndiaHutton, James
History
A Popular Account of Thugs and Dacoits, the Hereditary Garotters and Gang-Robbers of India
Hutton, James
Dacoits; Thugs (Indic criminal group)
From Nadgow the band proceeded to Kuragow, and soon afterwards in
passing through a small dry ravine fell in with four men driving two
bullocks laden with copper pice. The men were instantly put to death,
and their bodies slightly covered with stones and rubbish. After this
affair two of their leaders with their respective followers returned
home, while the others strolled onwards through Burhanpore to Indore,
where they received an accession of strength by the junction of three
leaders with sixty Thugs.
Three Marwarees being here inveigled into a house occupied by a part
of the gang, never again went forth into the road. They remained at
Indore a whole day, but were not idle, for Feringeea prevailed upon
four more Marwarees to accompany him to the encampment of the remainder
of the gang, and they likewise were dismissed to Hades. Soon after
leaving Indore they fell in with four travellers, whom they murdered
in camp that evening. Feringeea's party then diverged from the main
body and passed through Saugor to Chutterpore, where intelligence
was received that a body of armed men were in pursuit of them. They,
therefore, doubled back and came to Kondee, a short distance from which
they murdered two travellers. At Raghooghur they were reinforced by
twelve of their fraternity, and on the following day by thirty more
under Sheikh Inaent: and at Dubohee, near Bhilsa, they were joined by
two more leaders with twenty Thugs. Here they murdered two sepoys.
After this affair fifty of them under Sheik Inaent went on to Baroda,
where they all fell sick and were glad to return to Bheelpore. Their
convalescence was celebrated by the murder of two Bearers. Encouraged
by this success they journeyed to Oodeypore in the Dhar Pergunnah.
Three sepoys and another man were strangled next morning about two
miles from the town. A little further on they overtook an elephant
driver, in the service of the Oodeypore Rajah, and him they murdered
at night at a village called Amjhera. Passing through Mhow, to a
village on the side of Raghooghur, they fell in with three Bearers,
whom they strangled next morning. They then held on through Ashta till
they encountered a Havildar (non-commissioned native officer), a sepoy,
and another, of whom they disposed the following morning. Shortly
afterwards a large portion of this gang returned home, whereon the
Sheikh went off and rejoined Feringeea. Their junction had scarcely
been effected before it was announced that the police were close upon
their track. Many more of the Thugs then started off homewards, and
others retreated to a stream near Peepala, where, notwithstanding their
fears, they made away with two sepoys, another man, and a woman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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