He and his elder brother, Surubdowun Sing,
were chuprassees on the establishment of Captain Paton, when he was
the First Assistant at Lucknow, and had charge of the Post-office, in
addition to his other duties. A post-office runner was one night
robbed on the road, and Jugurnath was sent out to inquire into the
circumstances. The Amil of the district gave him a large bribe to
misrepresent the case to his master; and as he refused to share this
bribe with his fellow-servants, they made known his manifold
transgressions to Captain Paton, who forthwith dismissed him.
Surubdowun Sing was soon after dismissed for some other offence, and
they both retired to their estate of Oskamow, in the Jugdeespore
district.
This estate comprised fifteen villages. They obtained the leases of
these villages by degrees, through the influence which their position
at the Residency gave them. As soon as they got the lease of a
village, they proceeded to turn out all the old proprietors and
cultivators, in order the better to secure possession in perpetuity;
and those among them of the military class, fought "to the death," to
retain or recover possession of their rights. To defend what they had
iniquitously acquired, Jugurnath and his brothers collected together
bands of the most desperate ruffians in the country, and located them
in the several villages, so as to be able to concentrate and support
each other at a concerted signal.
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