Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-12-12
VINO TINE FALSE PROPHET 10.
A Sketch or His Career and the
Causes of the Present Strife 81


Like Mohainmed, the founder Of the
Islam, who l. his motel, the man whose
forces 70 victoronsly met the Egyptian
troops under command of Hicks Pasha,
was Of humble rigu, and began life ct
the foot ., the ladder. His real name
is Nohammea ahmed, and he was bora
a. Dongoia, and was ship carprnter.
He hi,d learned how 10 real and write,
and these Accomplishments, Unusual
with the ignorant population Of North
ern Africa. securcu hin, many advantages
ever his fellows ii Dongola and at Se-
naar, to which little province he enl-
grated later on Throwing away mallot
and chisel. he snddenly became B public
reader Of the koran. AZ he WA en-
dowed with an unusual degree Of elo-
q1encs people began 10 nosk 70 his
religious instruction, and be within :
comparatively short tune became The
idol of numerically still small but very
pious and credulous congregation. Vol
untary gifts were showered upon him,
which he professed TO despise. u hut
always accepted. Gradually g his
pywer with the msssen increased, nnd
his fame spread, he assumed the rank Of
sheikh, and finally launched on his
checkersd career ~ phophet- Aks the
founder Of the Moslem creed, he wss
man of extraordinary imaginative powers
Joined to great self-will and dishmula-
tion. Having convinced his thousands
OF followers that he was in direct com
munication with, the Almighty, he
,.~~.l .-Lsi- : ll.~L-s.a tba orf.xrd auA-
denly to BECOME silent. and, closing his
FeXes, to remain motionless for scvsrai
minutes. This trick he carried to such
perfection that not the slighsst move
ment was perciptible while lie simu
lated, after which be appeared TO ~
cover from o state Of profound letharRy.
cast wondering glances around him, and
exclaimed, with an air Of deep reverance
and conviction: ~ ceme from paradise,
where have been with Allah and His
prophet. How would like to tell you
all saw and heard, but you would not
be able 10 understand IL. Enthusiam
among his followers and their faith ID
his divine mission rose to such . pitch
that they were ready TO throw away
their lives. s - frssi
At that time, too, he began to utter
''prophesies, some times very vague and
oracle-like, and sometimes very specific
hat all Of them implicitly believed In.
According to one bf these he was 70 be
proclaimed prophet aud ruler Of the
whole Soudan on November II. 1889,
which, according to the Mussulman caI-
endar, is the beginning OF the year 1900.
afer the Hedijvs. And whom be form
ally and solemnly announced that Allah
had definitely chosen him TO be HIS
prophet, the Joy and fiery zeal Of his
mighty following knew no bonnds. and
they at once organized kind Of a court
and royal attendance upon his august
person. At this critical period, 81 Nah
-di 1.-THE false prophet). claiming not only
spiritual but temporal supremacy over
the whole stretch Of country known e
the Soudan, and extending south Of
Egypt proper nearly across the whole
continent, the Egyptian government be-
gan to actively inteffere with his lively
proceedings. Reuf Pasba, at the time
Governor sf the Soudsn, sent out
several hundred Of the regular
troo,s to arrest El Mshedi, but
they were easily put to dieht aud
slaughtered by his followers. fhe Int
rer now began to organize themselves
and to arm and equip themselves In reg
ular military style. Having CON
piished this the False Prophet put hun.
srsi at ,hei. head aud q war Of GDDqaest
began, which has lasted. with several
. ieisrmissions and with varying for nn.s
: % ,ae present day The ara.i,s stnt
.,ut sga act The lretrnder met deieaf '"-
"a .,oa 1T or ari,issed 81 ic' ris. lu iae
S,..r I'D Va IL. yer il ~iilises
- I ..e.r uvel. !. kna .nin aud
n tJb -. aYssnief ,,oweIs al se ~es of
N 80. see al uow by de Esy ;'taau
tr..s aid then gain by tse re'@'s;
,ak :. by nr,n, leaving 10000 e.'rp"s
u, -. r nches - t1eaad tue strong
~ o. III p.,ce. two arut'efs OF the
. Pr i,et sin, Z th-m. Upt has t'n,'
fas ,isI losses Of the r,hls " re al.
s.ady esti,na ed a, 70,0JO. since that
tine, though. III NJ .hdi agaiu collected
pis iorces aad, With iinanefable ad'li-
sions from all t,asts Of Muhammedan
Africa, he has waged anew fierce and re.
lsn,less war against all the armies sent
to destroy him and his followers.
$500 H4a..|.4 Is I.ls