To obviate all these difficulties separate courts were formed, with permission to receive whatever evidence they might think likely to prove valuable, attaching to each portion, whether documentary or oral, whatever weight it might seem to deserve.  Such courts were formed at Hyderabad, Mysore, Indore, Lucknow, Gwalior, and were presided over by our highest diplomatic functionaries, in concurrence with the princes at whose courts they were accredited; and who at Jubbulpore, were under the direction of the representative of the Governor-General of India.[l9] By this means we had a most valuable species of unpaid agency; and I believe there is no part of their public life on which these high functionaries look back with more pride than that spent in presiding over such courts, and assisting the supreme Government in relieving the people of India from this fearful evil.[20]

Notes: 

1.  A town on the Allahabad and Sagar road, sixty-one miles north-east of Sagar.  It was the head-quarters of the Damoh district from 1818 to 1835.

2.  The chief town of the district of the same name in Bundelkhand, situated on the Ken river, ninety-five miles south-west from Allahabad.

3.  Worth at that time 450 pounds sterling, or a little more.

4.  An unusual mode of procedure for professed Thugs to adopt, who usually strangled their victims with a cloth.  Faringia (Feringheea) Brahman was one of the most noted Thug leaders.  He is frequently mentioned in the author’s Report on the Depredations committed by the Thug Gangs (1840), and the story of the Sujaina crime is fully told in the Introduction to that volume.  Faringia became a valuable approver.

5.  Lieutenant Brown was suddenly called back to Jubbulpore, and could not himself go to Sujaina.  He sent, however, an intelligent native officer to the place, but no man could be induced to acknowledge that he had ever seen the bodies or heard of the affair, though Faringia pointed out to them exactly where they all lay.  They said it must be quite a mistake—­that such a thing could not have taken place and they know nothing of it.  Lieutenant Brown was aware that all this affected ignorance arose entirely from the dread these people have of being summoned to give evidence to any of our district courts of justice; and wrote to the officer in the civil charge of the district to request that he would assure them that their presence would not be required.  Mr. Doolan, the assistant magistrate, happened to be going through Sujaina from Sagar on deputation at the time; and, sending for all the respectable old men of the place, he requested that they would be under no apprehension, but tell him the real truth, as he would pledge himself that not one of them should ever be summoned to any district court to give evidence.  They then took him to the spot and pointed out to him where the bodies had been found, and mentioned that the body of the tanner had been burned by his friends.  The banker,