POISONER OF NINETY SIX VICTIMS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1837, 15 April 1884, Page 4

POISONER OF NINETY SIX VICTIMS.

To those who believe tli.it the piacticoof Thuggee lias been completely put down in India, the stoiy of Sh.nlu, whoio cueei ofcinne has pist teiminated by Ijcini; sontjiiuoil to ti.m^p ji t itiou (or life, will conic as .in unpleasant revelation. Sliaifu was tlie "»on ot a butcher in a small village in the Pui)):ib, ••nil when yet £i hoy he developed ,i maiked taste not only toi but even foi caul shaipiny. At tho age of eighteen, ha\ ing (|U.u Killed w ltli his fathui, ho left his native village and attached himself to a paity of hoi'ae dealeis. He tlun joined the "Bneilly polio-, but was slmtly aiteiw.nds sentenced to iif.tt.in months' impiisonment for injuiing hi^ wife, the daughter of ThaUur, whom he had abducted. In the "ISireillv. j.iil he tame in coutiact with TiUk.i Ruin, the head of a hand of poisoncis in the noith-wcst piovinces On their lecoveiing their hbcitv they lesnmed operations togetliei, making then lit .id quaitcis in the town of Ajr.i After si\ ye.us uoik of undetectcil ciime, of w hicli the det;iils ii.iva not been ie\ealed, the two tell out, and iSlmifu joined the police ag.nn, only, l)owe\ci, to be dismissed in a low months It was affcei this oeciiucnce that lie ros lined lii-> opei.itions as piofossion.il ])oisoner on bib own account. His mode ot a\ol King was simple. Disguising himself -is .1 well to do naiivc of Oudo, luused to waylay and enter into tumccation with those natives of the pioviuce who happened to be letuming with their savings. His favonte scene ofopciations was on the CJiand Tinnk load. Once he had stiuck ii]> a companionship with these un«usj)tcting tiavelleis it was an ea.sy matter to take food with them, and Shaifu lately failed to intioduee the opium or dhaura nculrd to ding his victims, whom he speedily relieved of their savings. Most of these unwaiy posons lecoveied w hen pin suit was useless, but many of them died His opciations between the yeais ISG7 and IS7'2 weie paiticulaily lnimeioiih and successful; and official icpoits leeogniscd the extent to which '1 liuggeo picvailod in the Punjab dining that pciiod. In Jlll3', 1881, his seeiet was levealed by Tikka K.un's wife, with whom he had been In ing foi fouitcen yeais; and he had only just sufficient warning to make a huiiicd letreat into Ilajpootana. Theie he icnewed his old piactices, and placed his services at the disposal of those who had inconvenient lelativ es to get lid of, ami who would pay handsomely for tho dangerous woik. | He long ha flit d the puisuit of the officials, and it was not until the piesent year that he was discoveied, through the instrumentality of Tikka Knin, undetgoing a ' short term of imprisonment in Agra jail under a difl'eient name. Biought up for Uial at Loodiana he admitted his guilt in ninety sin: cases of muidei 01 dinggmg, and was sentenced to death, winch was aftcrvvaidfa modified to tianspoitation for life. Shaifu's long impunity shows the great difficulty of detecting cinne in India, at the same time that it 1 eveals the extensive organisation which ciiminals have formed in the Punj.ih at all events. Much light has recently been tin ow n by l>r. Leitnci on the aigot which thieves in the Punjab have fianied for their own use, and of winch the Gov ci mnent ollieials arc absolutely ignoiant. —London Times, November 17th. !

"I was to be mariied, you know," said Blooms to his fucnd Claik, " but I q guess it's off, you know, for g-good." "How is that?" asked Claik. "This way," lcplied Blooms. " She p-said she'd many me, you know when all impediments were r-iemov cd." "Yes." "Well, I asked her last night if they weie not all—aw—r-ienioved, you know, and s-she said 'no.' I s-still s stutter !" SouTiiMr says, in one of his letters, " I told yon of the Spaniard who always put on his spectacles when about to eat cherries, that they might look bigger and in ore tempting. In like mnimei I make the most of my enjoyment, and, though I do not cast my eyes away from my troubles, I pack them in as little compass as I can for myself, and never let them annoy others." Two women were in a train travelling from London to Glasgow, and this was their idea of English diet. "I do dcelaie, they English cat nacthing bit cabbage an'poik." "It's rael awfu'," said her companion. "I'm sick 0' their meals." *' Weel,' responded the other, " I'm glad tae get hatne t.ift pan itch, and sault henin." " Sac am I. I haven't had a decent meal for this w hole month !"'

Rats and Mice.—lf you wish to de stroy them get a packet of Hit i.'s Magic Vprmin Kit 1 t'K in packets, (id, Otl, and Is, to be obt lined of all storekeepers, or from T. 15. Hut. by enclosing an extia stamp.

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Queon-stroet, r.] Lifk in thkßo»ii—Tjien and Now.— It is gencially supposed that in the bush we have to put up with many discomforts and privations in the shape of food Formerly it was so, but now, thanks to T. R. Hill, who has himself dwelt in the bush, if food docs consist chiefly of tinned meats his Colovial Sauch gives to them % most delectable flavour, making them as well of the plainest food most enjoyable, and instead as hard biscuits and indigestible damper his Improved Colonial Raking Powder makes the very best bread, scones, cakes, and pastry far superior and more wholesome than yeast or eaven. Sold by all storekeepers who can obvut» Uom any merchant in AuckjamJ,