THE SUPPOSED CAPTURE OF NANA SAHIB.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1998, 2 January 1875, Page 2

THE SUPPOSED CAPTURE OF NANA SAHIB.

Our London correspondent, writing on 30th October, remarks : — There was a time when the capture of Nana Sahib would have sent a thrill "of satisfaction throughout England. The few words of the telegraph last week were received in calmer mood, and instead of the indignant cry that hurries a great criminal to his doom, we have been chiefly occupied with the question of identity, or with the tragic recollections that his name revives. The whole of that terrible history is now wrapped in a halo of heroic or pathetic memories. The stirring words of the brave Havelock still ring in our ear :—" With God's .help, men, we will save them, or every man die in the attempt;" ; .but other more tender associations now crowd round that fatal well. No one desires more than that justice should take its course freed from the excitements of that awful time. Our latest Indian intelligence but strengthens the doubt from the first entertained in this country as to the identity of the prisoner captured by the Maharajah Scindia. It seemed improbable that Nana Sahib should have survived the risks of the last 17 years, and most people imagined that if ho more violent end had overtaken him he must have succumbed under his lot. The circumstances of his capture, however, were succinctly told. He had appealed, as a miserable wanderer whose strength was exhausted, to the Maharajah — "You can kill me, or save me," he wrote. He was afterwards arrested at Gwalior, in company with his brother Bala, both being disguised as religious mendicants. Scindia asked that his life should be spared, but eventually surrendered him unconditionally. When confronted with the Resident, the Nana denied any complicity in She massacres, but stated that for three months he had remained hidden in the vicinity of Cawnpore, that thence he had gone to Bhootan, and for seven years found refuge in the jungles, that for some time he was in Assam, and afterwards for one year in Bareilly. Thia confession the prisoner has since withdrawn, alleging that it was made under the influence of bhaug. The final result of the examination will probably have reached you before this letter. It will be borne in mind that this is, not the first time the Nana has been supposed to be captured.- -<3di6nel Moubray Thompson, one "of the few survivors of Cawnpore, is said to have recognised a general likeness, and a scar corresponding on the forehead, but cannot positively identify him. Dr Tressider, who was the Nana's doctor, also hesitates, yet should know him, if within the knowledge of any man ; for, as one of the former magistrates of Cawnpore writes to the "Times," he once performed an operation upoD his foot which would leave an idelible mark. Mr Archibald Forbes, the energetic Famine Commissioner of the "Daily News," who' has just returned fr6m India, ventures also a strong opinion, "Ibased upon information received in India from various sources," that the prisoner will turn out not to be the Nana. I ; quote the statement , he received for what it may prove to be worth, , as; illustrating the romantic side of Indian history : — : . • . ." The general belief throughout India ia that Doondoo Punth (that is the Nana) died in Nepaul (where this man, arrested in Gwalior, declares he never went.); The had assurance that this fact definitely known at Khatmandoo (the capital of , Nepaul), from Sir Jung Bahadoor's son, a colonel in the Nepaulese army. A, statement in detail was made to him by a native of high caste in Cawnpore, who claimed, with a justice confirmed, by white men, to have good opportunity for knowing/ the truth. This person stated that the Nana had three brothers who fled from Cawnpore along with him. One made his -way to Jansi, where he formed a liason with the famous Began of Jansi, and when she was speared by an English lancer, he, ( although he had got clear off, turned back, raised up the dying woman, and allowed himself to be taken .prisoner rather than leave her. He was brought to Cawnpore and hanged in front of the gaol there. Of the remaining three brothers, the following story, says the the writer's informwas communicated by one of the Nana'a chief retainers, who came^down to Cawnpore about six years ago. After many vicissitudes they had fled into the Nepaul Terai. When traversing the swampy foreßts there, a heavy rainfall set in, and one of the brothers fell ill of Terai fever and died. Bis brotheis stopped to burn him, and the pyre built and lighted. The rain extinguished the flames, and the brothers remained exposed to the rain and miasma all day in' attempting to accomplish the cremation. The Nana caught a fever and died in a few days ; bbut before he died h6 despatched Aziraoolah (his .' dew'an) and his surviving brother down to the plains, their errand being to fan the embers of the insurrection. Azimoolah died soon, but the brother lived,, was undetected, and was known to have been among the Brahmins of Bena^ res lately. If there ia any truth in this atory, it may be thiß younger brother of the Nana whom Scindia apprehended. The same informant stated that Jung Bahadoor { absorbed ' into his own harem the women of the Nana." ■ The accounts which we have received from India speak of the'eonduct of the Maharajah Scindia aa highly creditable, and contrary to the traditions of his people. A correspondent of the "Pall Mall Ga~ zette" suggests that interested motives' may have swayed him to the too ready, acceptance of an imposture, seeing that he ia anxioua for some modification in the distribution of British troops near his capital, and jealously watohful of any op-

pdrtunity of ingratiating himself with tjujfl .dominant power. It is not credibfl^f however, that, a powerful " chieftain lu^^| him would fall back on the far-fetcb<^H idea of inventing a Nana Sahib for politic^^H purposes. .;■ In a graphic acconnt of the capture of^B Nana S<hib,.the "Delhi Gazette" states : ■ — " Great excitement prevails in the^ity '■ of Gwalior. 9 p.m. on the 21 at of ■ October, shortly after his return from 'the fl Dnsserah review, the Maharajah; Scindia 9 was informed by a Gobaain that .NanajJß Sahib and Bala Sahib, the notqru^^H rebels, wiih a large number of follow^^^H had entered the city. Nana audj^^^| were disguised as Bairogees. Ther«^^^^| various rumors of their intentions. i^^^^H said they had come to assassinat^^^^f Maharajah, others, that to create a^^^H turbance was their' object. These i^^H apread far and The true storj^^H however, that a^Kter was addressed^^H Scindia by the Nana, craving his pr^^H tection (shdrm). The communicatii^H .said :—' Since the events of 185^ I hai|^| been a miserable wanderer. My strengt^H is now exhausted. I come to you a sup^H pliant for protection. You can Mil me or save me.' Scindia at once mounted his J horse and rode over to call hi? Dew^HH and gave him the information and tW|BI necessary instructions thereupon. ' HeVj then put himself at the head of a regimental of cavalry, one of infantry, and a battery ■ of artillery, and went to the place where J the descendants of the old masters of hisH ancestors were. He paid his respects to ■ them, and then placed them in palkees. S! The preconcerted signal of success— three \' guna in rapid auccesßion— was given, and \ immediately thje. captives' followers dispersed. The captives were brought to the Maharajah's palace. Iv the meanwhiiej the Dewan and Ebsan Ali, Vakeel, waited on the resident; 'Colonel Osborne,xfand about 11 p.m. brdught'him to the palace '. and confronted him with the Nana. The excitement in the city continued all night, but ample . measures to prevent a tumult, and to reassure the people had been taken? The main roads and chief streets -Were 1 ; occupied by the military, and. large bodies '„'': of all arms .stood to attention all , night. ','. The Maharajah himself visited the 'posts frequently during the night. On the. - morning of the 22nd, the prisoners formally made over to the Morar author!- ij ties, and were immediately placed in irons ' under a strong European -guard. Bala ;j Sahib, or Bala Rao, referred to in the J ; foregoing telegram, is the brother of Nana Sahib. He took, part under^tbe. , latter in the military operations; to. rjßsiat;. 1 the march of General Havelock t!ppn - Cawnpore after the first outbreak. ' ! 6ii the 15th July, 1857; at the river.P-an-£ r doonudee, while Bala Roa was trying fo; 5 . blow up the bridge— the destruction of 7. which would have disastrously ¥etardied c ' Havelock's progresa— that general made ? a ■" ; forced march from the village . of Aon^I; ; and, suddenly attacking the rebelsyrde- *>c feated them. Bala Rao was wounded. • J in^ r ,- <: the shoulder, and himself carried tbeinW^^ to his brother of failure fn the attempt to blow up the hjufec, and .of Havelppk's_: „ advance. Afte^ tne decisive battle' tne'fi next. day,. Jn which th& Nana's troops'uader his own command were utterly- -. routed, the two brothers fled together: .." The Morar correspphdeat of -'the ; ' " Times^^ of India" gives the following demription of the prisoner :— -ViHe is a man of -apparently 40 years of age. /He we^ra a long black beard and long hairpin neither of which is there a tinge of grey. ' It : has been stated that hisr hair; vand; beard are dyed, but this has not yet been_ . proved. He is about sft 9iri in height,' i and of spare figure ; his face is raaiked " with small-pox, and ia that of a villain. According to Eaye, the Nana should-.now be ! about 50 years old,: but the prisoner; , does not look more than 40 in the opinion of; most people who have seen him.. Hence doubts are expressed being the Nana, even in "thfe face ofitlra strong evidence against him . In the opinion of Dr Tressidder, civil surgeon at Cawnpore at the time of the mutinyV *her 7 prisoner is too short for the Nana. Dr — Tressidder thinks him too young and spare to be the right, man. He also &cks certain surgical marks by which he jCQuld ] be identified, The scar from a carbu^ple and a peculiarity of tKe nail growing into the flesh are absent. The voice is notjhe r - same, and the figure is different. : bitthe other hand, the prisoner was positively . identified as: Nana of Bithoor: ;by : "33>aba' .., • Saheb Aptey, whose son married Bajee ; / Rao's daughter. He has also been recognised by Unna, the Nana's own ; riephewy >' son of Baba . Bhut, the Nana's brother. " T '. Colonel Moubray-Thomson^ saw^'the^pri- ■ sober; He could not identify, him J posi- : '-: tiyely, but traced a strong rese]n]tiilancj3r .t? inj the prisoner to Nana. The pn^one|r : . r was then shaved and dressed as"a Mafc ratta, when all the witnesses confirmed ""r their previously expressed opinions." lAfter the removal of the" prisoner to Cawnpore he waa i s^trbnglynfettOTed^raiid. _ . 1, no one was allowed to see /him. One of *'j ' the latest Indian papers, the "Madras'* Athenaeum," of November 11, says_ ; i-T-- ; , "The belief that the captured individual *".. .. is really. Nana Sahib is gaining; gr6jap.di .].[. and the latest information to hand regard- .■ r ing him favors this conclusion." . 3 ;,, : r .