Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-11-17
BEYAsH EL AZWAH,
The False Prophet Of Soudan, Said
to be a Pennsylvania.
Once Sheik and Priest Of the Order Of liam!
Offers to Help Free the Slaves Of
the south-Proelaiming Him
self Prophet,
ONCE A RESIDENT OF PITTSBURGH.

CoSNKILsvrILE Pa, November l6.-In the
earlier parto the present century a large
cargo Of slaves direct from the Arabic
| speaking regions of northern Africa was
secretly landed near Yorktown, Virginia.
This ship load of human chattels was de.
livered TO awaiting agents. Eight hundred
intelligent Mahommedan light-skinned
Africans were distributed among the plant
ers of Eastern Virginia. Fierce as un-
tanned tigers, these wild followers of the
Prophet of Mecca gave the slave own
ers more trouble than any other
eight hundred bondsmen south Of Mason
and Dixon's line. Many Of them could
read their native language, and Of course
were not long in discovering surreptitious
methods of learning to read and write
English. The masters lash never fully
subdued their proud spirits. A large pro-
portion of them escaped North by the
Underground railroad, and many of their
descendants now live in Fayette county,
sons, Muncys, Paimers, Manaways and
others, whose thin lips, high foTeheads,
aquiIine noses, superior intellectual ca
pacity and splendid physique stamp them
at once az superior in every respect to the
full-blooded negro.
The False Prophets Father.
Among others who escaped and came
North were George Johnston and his wife.
Georges real name was Beyash ell Azwah.
He was sheik and priest OF the order Of
Ilami. For several years he lived in the
mountains, near Connellsville, but fearing
recapture he went to Canada In 1850 he
returned to Pennsylvania, and settled at
Uniontown. In 1854 he removed TO Browns
Vile, and subsequently to Pittsburgh,
where he died in 1877, at a very ad.
vanced age. In $780, while at Con-
nellsville, his son Thomas was born.
At the age of ten Thomas had learned the
Koran from his father, and could repeat
hundreds of pages in Arabic. No turreted
mosque reared its massive walls, no
bearded muezzin called the ex-slavc and
his family to worship, but Beyash el Azwah
never forgot There is but one God and
Mahommed is His Prophet, and in land
of Christian strangers secretly adhered to
the faith OF his fathers.
In 1S49 Thomas Johnson drifted to Cali
fornia. In storm at sea, near San Fran
cisco, he astOnished the British Consul,
who had travelled extensively in Oriental
lands, by repeating passages from the
Koran in his prayers. About 1851 he re-
turned to his parents, at Uniontown, Pa,
with about thousand dollars in gold. In
1853 he sailed for Europe, and, after visit
ing the British Isles, went to Paris and en-
listed in the French army.
Across the Great Desert.
With his regiment he was sent to Algiers,
where, to the surprise of his superior otfi-
GERS, he learned To converse with the native
Arabs in few months and was detailed to
staff duty. At the close of his term of SER
vice he Joined caravan and crossed the
Great Desert of Sahara, southwark into
Soudan. For several years he lived among
the natives of that almost inaccessible re-
gion. With his almost perfect mastery of
the Koran and his superior knowledge OF
the arts Of civilization, especially OF war,
he forged to the front as leader. In 1851
he sent a long letter to his parents at
Brownsville, Pa, and draft for three hun
dred pounds on the Bank OF England, and
asked them to return to the land OF their |
nativity. But the aged couple, having |
lived fifty years in America and fearing |
the dangers of the long journey and a
change OF climate, refused TO go.
In the latter part Of 1862 number OF |
boxes of knives and spearheads arrived at
Egrabi, in Soudan, from Massachusetts. |
The instruments were wrapped with copies
of American newspapers. johnson eagerly |
read the contents of the papers and for the |
first time learned of the civil war raging in |
the United States. Fired with an ambition |
TO help free the slaves of the South he |
wrote long letter to President Lincoln, Of.
fering to recruit thousand Arab zOuaves
for the Union army, II the United States |
Government would furnish transpsr-
tation. The letter was received; fell |
:,.o .I,oh ho- -lo o,ft tIa |
dents infesting the White House and was
published the length and breadth Of the
land as a huge joke. In 1865 Johnson
came to America, but the war had just |
closed. Yet no more enthusiastic lover OF |
the Union cause stood upon Pennsylvania |
avenue, in the city of Washington, on the |
day of the last grand parade OF the FEEDER
al armies, than the tall. red capped Shei !
Johnson fresh from the wilds OF Africa.
After calling on the Turkish Minister, he
visited Connellsville, UniOnto Rn, Browns !
vile and Pittsburgh, to see his aged father.
Proclaiming Himself the Prophet.
In August he went to Egypt. There, as.
is the duty of all Mahommedans. he made |
q pilgrimage TO the tomb OF the Prophet at /
the sacred city of Mecca Returning to |
Soudan, he acquired a greater influence /
than ever over the semicivilized inhabit-
ants of that extensive country and l
claimed prophetic powers. AS time
rolled on his wealth and power !
increased and when the English in
vaded Egypt he proclaimed hi mself Imam
Mahdi, or the last prophet Allah shall send |
to conquer the enemies of Islam and rule |
supreme over the world. While Arabi |
Pasha was suffering defeat rumor has it
that the False Prophet was achieving ex-
traordinary victories and Staying thousands |
of his foes. To such person all Nahom- |
medans will kneel and serve. Were he 70 |
appear in this character at Cairo or Alex
andria the eclipse of Arabi and the Khedive
would be complete. The Sultan himself |
would cease to think of the Caliphate in |
the presence Of such potentate.
According 20 Mahommedon belief Imam |
Mahdi is to come with great sigss and won
ders Just before the Judgment Day. He |
will appear on a milk-white charger, &C. !
companied by an inBumerable army Of |
bearded Mussulmans, all mounted, on |
snow white stations. The Imam Mshdi |
must be an invisible ruler, with power and |
victory on his side. II he manages 70 spread |
the report that he is killing Jews, Chris |
tians and pagans by thousands he may be |
accepted most willingly by the Moslems. |
The defeat of Arabi, who claimed 10 fight |
for the cause of Islam, may cause all Ma- !
hommedans to turn to Johnson as their |
comine prophet. ..s