A HINDOO VENDETTA.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9344, 13 January 1909, Page 7

A HINDOO VENDETTA.

THE SBYENOAKS’ TRAGEDY RECALLED. An explanation is given in ”the New York American of the mysterious Sevenoaks tragedy. It is, as the paper admits, almost incredible, but it is very circumstantial. This is the story of the London correspondent of the American A remarkable and almost incredible istory of love, revenge, and Indian vengeance lies behind the Luard 'mystery which embraced the double tragedy of the murder of Mrs General Luard anl the suicide of the •General. No crime for years has excited so much discussion and public interest. Mrs Luard was found shot in the lonely woods adjoining their ■country mansion at Sevenoaks. Robbery was not the motive, but among the few articles of jewellery missing when the crime was discovered was a peculiar ring of Oriental workmanship, of a very unusnal design. It was a matter of much ‘Comment at the time that many days elapsed before Scotland Yard was called in to assist in unravelling the mystery, it was intimated in the .papers that the General was fully conversant with the perpetrator o. the crime, but was withholding that ‘information from the police. Hundreds of anonymous letters in this ; strain were sent to him, and the prevailed in , many •quarters that when he took his own life, by throwing himself under an express train, this opinion was justified. The true story of the double tragedy is now said ,tc be this— Eony years ago a British officer was stationed at Rawal Pindi, India. He was a dashing, dare-devil young man, engaging in all the pursuits inseparably associated with an Indian frontier station. This was Lieutenant Luard. He had influential con'neotions in high circles, and could look forward to certain advancement. One day at some military

sports he met a beautiful native girl. She was the daughter of an old . Indian money-lender, and through ■out the district was famed for her beauty and fascinating figure. Young Luard soon succumbed to the witchery of the girl, and before long had persuaded her to join him. A ring said to possess mysterious charms was given to the lieutenant by the girl as a love token, but he eventually sent her away. The years went by, and Lieutenant Luard became a general. In 1897 General Luard was in command at Rawal Hindi, and announcement was made of hie engagement to a lady of bis .own race. Shortly after the date of mairiage was officially given and preparations were made for grand festivities in honour of the event. Atagarfisou ball an unhappy scene .occurred when the function was in full swing. A commotion was heard at one eud of the hall, and a native woman was seen struggling with fjhe sentries in an endeavour to obtain entrance. Her cries stopped the dancing. When he cansht sight of the intruder General Luard vtu'rned deathly white, and hurriedly •escorted his wife from the scene. , “What are you going to do with our boy?” cried the woman to the 'retreating General, and then the scandal was out. The native woman was ejected, but as she went she swore that she would be revenged. Time went on, General Luard rose .rapidly in his country’s service, a -son was born who entered the army, and then eight or ten years later the General retired -to his estate at Sevenodka, a pretty spot about twenty miles from London. About sis months ago a strange . story was reported from Southampton! A grey-haired Hindu woman accompanied by a swarthy man made application to a Magistrate for assistance. A story of abandonment was told, and a famous Generil’a name was mentioned. The Magistrate declined to go into the. matter, Jand the two Hindus were next traced to the Franco-British Exhibition in London, where they were taking part in one of the native village performances. Next General Luard received periodical letters at Sevenoaks of a threatening nature, and more than one story got abroad of domestic differences in consequence. Then -came the murder of Mrs Luard and the discovery that the Oriental ring of peculiar workmanship which the General had given her years ago had been stripped from the dead woman’s band. It is a significant fact that since the day of the murder the two Hindus of the Franco-Exhibition have disappeared.