The secrecy and adroitness with which the Thugs conducted their murders
are well illustrated by the narrative of the assassination of a native
official or pleader at Lakhnadon in Seoni as given by one of the gang:
[684] "We fell in with the Munshi and his family at Chhapara between
Nagpur and Jubbulpore; and they came on with us to Lakhnadon, where
we found that some companies of a native regiment under European
officers were expected the next morning. It was determined to put
them all to death that evening as the Munshi seemed likely to join
the soldiers. The encampment was near the village and the Munshi's
tent was pitched close to us. In the afternoon some of the officers'
tents came on in advance and were pitched on the other side, leaving us
between them and the village. The _khalasis_ were all busily occupied
in pitching them. Nur Khan and his son Sadi Khan and a few others went
as soon as it became dark to the Munshi's tent, and began to play and
sing upon a _sitar_ as they had been accustomed to do. During this
time some of them took up the Munshi's sword on pretence of wishing
to look at it. His wife and children were inside listening to the
music. The _jhirni_ or signal was given, but at this moment the Munshi
saw his danger, called out murder, and attempted to rush through,
but was seized and strangled. His wife hearing him ran out with the
infant in her arms, but was seized by Ghabbu Khan, who strangled
her and took the infant. The other daughter was strangled in the
tent. The _saises_ (grooms) were at the time cleaning their horses,
and one of them seeing his danger ran under the belly of his horse
and called murder; but he was soon seized and strangled as well as
all the rest. In order to prevent the party pitching the officers'
tents from hearing the disturbance, as soon as the signal was given
those of the gang who were idle began to play and sing as loud as they
could; and two vicious horses were let loose, and many ran after them
calling out as loud as they could; so that the calls of the Munshi and
his party were drowned." They thought at first of keeping the infant,
but decided that it was too risky, and threw it alive into the grave
in which the other bodies had been placed. It is surprising to realise
that in the above case about half a dozen people, awake and conscious,
were killed forcibly in broad daylight within a few paces of a number
of men occupied in pitching tents, without their noticing anything of
the matter; and this may certainly be characterised as an instance of
murder as a fine art to show the absolute callousness of the Thugs
towards their victims and the complete absence of any feelings of
compassion, the story of the following murder by the same gang may be
recorded. [685] The Thugs were travelling from Nagpur toward Jubbulpore
with a party consisting of Newal Singh, a Jemadar (petty officer)
in the Nizam's army, his brother, his two daughters, one thirteen and
the other eleven years old, his son about seven years old, two young
men who were to marry the daughters, and four servants. At Dhurna the
house in which the Thugs lodged took fire, and the greater number
of them were seized by the police, but were released at the urgent
request of Newal Singh and his two daughters, who had taken a great
fancy to Khimoli, the principal leader of the gang, and some of the
others. Newal Singh was related to a native officer of the British
detachment at Seoni and obtained his assistance for the release of
the Thugs. At this time the gang had with them two bags of silk, the
property of three carriers whom they had murdered in the great temple
of Kamptee, and if they had been searched by the police these must have
been discovered. On reaching Jubbulpore the Thugs found a lodging in
the town with Newal Singh and his family. But the merchants who were
expecting the silk from Nagpur and found that it had not arrived,
induced the Kotwal to search the lodging of the Thugs. Hearing of the
approach of the police, the leader Khimoli again availed himself of
the attachment of Newal Singh and his daughters, and the girls were
made to sit each upon one of the two bags of silk while the police
searched the place. Nothing was found and the party again set out;
and five days afterwards Newal Singh and his whole family were murdered
at Biseni by the Thugs whom they had twice preserved from arrest.