WE WRITE ANOTHER LETTER
As they (the English) suspected that the Brahmins alone were responsible for this affair, we hit upon a device to transfer their suspicion to the Muhammadans by sending a letter (to the newspapers ?) purporting to be signed by a Ghazi. We thought it would be a good thing if the letter were written in Hindustani, but as there was no one amongst us who knew the language, we decided to send it in English, and just as we had made the editor of the Suryodaya to publish a letter in connection with a previous incident, viz., the tarring of the Queen’s statue, so we wrote to the editor of the Mumbai Vaibhav asking him to send (to the newspaper) a letter in English signed ’ A Ghazi’ who should take upon himself the responsibility for the deed.
THE LETTERS GIVE A CLUE
A copy of that letter must be in the possession of the Police, and I am of opinion that it should be published along with this. We sent that letter, but did not gain anything by doing so. On the contrary, we were placed at a disadvantage. That letter only led Mr. Brewin to hit upon the idea that the man connected with the tarring of the Queen’s statue and the assault on Mr. Velankar must be the author of the present deed also. With this clue he began his investigations. We came to know of this, but we could not rectify our mistake. The assault on Mr. Velankar had placed us in a very unfavourable situation as he could have identified us. This was a very good clue for the Police, and every one whom they suspected was taken by them to Mr. Velankar for identification.
MY PROUD CONFESSION
We passed three months in Bombay vigilantly, when all of a sudden I, one day, received a call from the Police. It was in connection with Gopalrao Sathe. I obeyed the summons, and they (the Police) took me to Poona and placed me before Mr. Brewin. There in the presence of Superintendents Kennedy and Brewin I, in the interest of the public, made, on certain conditions, a confession of murder and proudly detailed the particulars connected therewith, with a view to earn renown. To convince them, I of my own accord gave them many a minute detail. Nay, I adduced evidence in support of my statements. The fact that (I was connected with) the tarring of the Queen’s statue and that the shoes made use of in the affair belonged to Wagle was proved by me to their satisfaction.
As for Velankar, I got my statement corroborated in his presence. I made a confession in Bombay before Mr. Hamilton and I signed it. I had at first informed the Police that I had done this deed single-handed, but I had subsequently to retract that statement owing to a turban and a piece of tape having been found in the bundle of weapons. As the Police had come to the conclusion that the (murders) must have been committed by two men, I mentioned the name of my brother and thus made him a participator in the glory. It was I alone who supplied the Police with all the evidence in the case.
I have entirely forgotten my long cherished hatred of the English owing to the intercourse I subsequently had with Superintendents Kennedy and Brewin. These gentlemen have, till now, shown themselves to be true to their word in their treatment of me, and I pray to God that they might continue to do so until the end. The next part (of this autobiography) will contain a narration in detail of what has taken place since my removal by the Police from Bombay to Poona. I now conclude the accounts of Rand’s assassination.
(Signed) DAMODAR HARI CHAPEKAR .
BOMBAY : PRINTED AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS