THE KOTAH TRAGEDY.

Kumara Times, Issue 619, 21 September 1878, Page 3

THE KOTAH TRAGEDY.

The Thhes of lildia publishes a letter from Lieutenant Ashby, of the 10th N.L.1., giving an account of the part Which ,he, and a brother officer, Mr M'Cudden, took in the tragedy lately enacted in the Kotah State. Lieutenant AfcHby writes' that while in the Gamp in- Eunwas village, Kotah State, Gn the evening of the 6th of May, the thanadar of that village sent word to Lieutenant M'Cudden and himself that & band of daopits bad stolen a camel With a load of 5000 rupees, belonging lo a eoukar of Kotah, ahd had also killed several villagers on their route. He asked for assistance in capturing them. ‘Lieutenants M'Cudden and •Ashby immediately followed the thahadar, and', .after running, about two miles, they found the thanadar’s party and the daboits'firing on each other, and also fighting with tulwars. The' tha*nadar, on their Arrival, requested them to fire bn the dacoits, who were at that lime overcoming the thanadar arid the Kotah sowars, but they declined to do bo. The thanadar then again called bn them td' fire. When liedt. M'Cudden

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called on the dacoits to surrender three times (the thanadar in the meantime moving on in pursuit), instead of doing so, the dacoits attacked the thannndr, who was alone amongst them on horseback, and would have killed him had not the two officers fired on them. Two men dropped to the shots. On this five more dacoits laid . down their arms, while the remaining three attempted to escape, two running to the right and one to the left. Lieut. M‘Cudden and several sowars pursued the two dacoits to the right, while Lieut. Ashby pursued tothe left. The two dacoits to the right were captured, and one was immediately cut down by the sowars, though the officers did everything in their power to prevent it. The second, with great difficulty* they managed to nave, though he was wounded with •eleven tulwat cuts. uThe dacoit to the left was just escaping into thick jungle when Lieut; Ashby fired, and he fell, when he : Was immediately attacked and wounded by the sowars, whom Lieutenant Ashby stopped ; but he died in the course of the night from the effects of his wounds. On their return they found that the five dacoits who had surrendered had been brutally murdered by' the sowars arid villagers while they were in pursuit of the other three dacoits. When the two officers arrived, the dacoits were within fifty yards of an almost impenetrable jungle, and would have escaped almost immediately. The dacoits were armed with matchlocks, tulwars, and long laths about ten feet in length. The number of dacoits was fifteen, ten of whom were covering the retreat of the camel with the booty, and. the remaning five were with the caiuel. The band attacked was the covering party. The camel, ' owing to darkness coming on, escaped, i though the Kotah sowars followed it; ! Lieutenant.Afjiby adda that he. and, his ! brother ‘ riflu&rs' were much horrified at the bruta| manner in which the sur- ; rendered, men. were murdered by the Kotah sojwars and villagers, but as they were in puisuitof the remainirig three dacoits at the time they, were powerless to prevent-this slaughter. ' V