ECHO OF THE MUTINY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13650, 18 January 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

ECHO OF THE MUTINY.

DEATH OF THE MAN WHO SENT THE

FIRST NEWS. The Civil and Military Gazette of India announces the death at Calcutta of Mr. W. Brendish, the telegraphist who, on Mlay 11, 1857, telegraphed the ■ news of the sepoy revolt in Delhi to Umballa, and thus gave notice to the authorities in the Punjab.

The incident is described at some length in Colonel Edward Vibart's book on the mutiny. The telegraph office at Delhi was situated outside the city walls, about a mile from the Cashmere Gate. The staff consisted of Mr. C. Todd and two young lads as signallers—Brendish and Pilkington. On the day following the outbreak of the mutiny at Meorut the telegraph wire to Meerut was cut, and Mr. Todd, who went to find the "fault," never returned. He is supposed to have been murdered and thrown into the Jumna. 'The next day Brendish picked up some information of the spread of the revolt to Delhi, and telegraphed it to Umballa before seeking refuge with Pilkington and Mrs. Todd in the Flagstaff Tower, _ concluding his message with the words, " And now I m off." The news was sent to the authorities of the Punjab, arid was supplemented lpter in the dav by a message from an offlosr sent by Pilkington. As regards the value rendered bv Brendish, Colonel Vibart quotes the following testimony by Sir Herbert Edwardes at Liverpool in March, I860:' "Just look at the courage and sense of duty which made that little boy-, with shot .and cannon all around him, manipulate that message, which I do not hesitate to say was the means of the salvation of the Punjab. When the message reached Lahore it enabled Mr. Montgomery and the general to disarm the native troops Wore they had received one word of intelligence on the- subject. Hie same message was iflashed from Lahore to Peshawar, and we took our measure. 1 ? there in the same way." The Government of India recognised Brendish's special services by granting him a pension on retirement equal to the full pay of his rank.