Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-11-28
MAD MOSLEMS
In Countless Hordes Following e.
Mahdi.
KHARToUM SACKED AND PILLAGED
And the False Prophet, Flushed and Tri'
umphant, Marching on Cairo
What Will be the
End2

CAIRO, November 27.-Details OF the
movements of the rebel forces, after the
| capture of FL 0beid, have been coming in
every day. Although from many different
sources, they Sgree as to the principal
points. The rebels took immediate posses
| sion of the city OF FL Obeid on routing
Hicks Pasha's forces. Here they held high
carnival for three or four days. The orig
inal army of 5000 men was swelled day
by day by large additions from the tribes
which had before refused allegiance to the
False Prophet Some 10000 men from the
Noudar tribe and its dependent smaller
tribes joined the successful army in one
body, making the march of 300 miles in
four days. The Shillook tribe, belonging
on the banks OF the White Nile, contributed
some 1000 more men, and the Salaema
Bagara Arabs enrolled themselves under
FL Mahdi's banners almost to warrior
The Dinka, hearing OF the tremendous vic
tories of the new leader, sent some 5000
of their picked fighters to serve under him.
Several hundred Of the Djibba tribe, al.
though far removed from the scene of bat
Ile, got word of FL Mshdls success and
rushed to his aid.
A Monster Army.
With these additions to his aGghting
strength The rebel leader has now over
ha. a million of men under his command.
This huge army although composed OF
a o. O
mfr Is is easy for him 10 handle, where al
most any other leader would find il utterly
in possible TO govern them at all. III
Mshdi's claim to be q direct descendant OF
MUhemned, his personal peculiaritles ap-
palently substantiatinS that claim, gives
him supreme control over his ignorant and
fanat cal followers. While waiting for
marcL ing orders Ell Mahdi gives them the
fullest license in camp. AS result there
was perfect orgie in FL Obeid and the
SUR. unding towns, the hordes of men
K, ing drunk on their vile native liquors
The mob made the city perfect hell
nothing being sacred from them. Murder,
r bbery an& rapine was their hourly amuse.
m Mt, ard the streets almost ran with
blood, while fires were set all over the
town, t. incendiaries dancing around the
bl, zipg houses in iendish delight. Wo-
m were assaulted on every corner and
81 jectl to the most brutal and deyilish
treatment.
The Advance on KhartOum.
Having got his plans matured, FL Mahdi
finAay yielded TO the pressure Of his c0un-
ssliOrs and ordered an advance on khar.
toum. On tue morning of the 9th he
started from FL Obeid with about half his
forces Tor the banks of the White Nile,
about seventy five miles to the east, intend
ing to rea2h the river at point about op'
Dc site Barra Island az soon as possible.
thence following the river to its ju lon
with the Blue Nile, so mach of his com
mand taking boats as could be aCcDmmo'
dared By the limited number OF crafts to be
OBJ aimed.
A second column of come zoos strong
star TED out soon afterWard III northeast
erly direction, making detour through
the western part of Kardofan, crossing one
CORNER of the Lybian desert and making a
forced march across the kabapish country
to khartoum The third and central di-
vision did not start until the following
morning, having considerable advantage in
the matter of roIte and distance. This
column comHplFiSsa as ls5sa 5sasQeO wy Msn, With Ala
ei The route oE this section Of the great
army was almost IN a bee line from FL
Obeid to Khartoum, through Bara and
MI nv other towns in the thicSly settled
/
dofan. Each division threw out sElrml 'h'
| ing rarties in all directions and thus prac
tiCalIy
Covered an Enormous ExpRnse OF
Territory.
All along The line of march each division
received constant additions and met with
| no resistance whatever until hhartoum
| was reached.
| city in great numbers during the next two
| davs. the excitement became intense, and
| /, RECT panic occurred among the foreign
| N abitgnts, WHO began to flee as rapidly
As pCssihle, On The l1th an advance was
| msle by small skirmshing party, but II
wss repulsed with considerable loss by the
garrison. A few hours after hostillties be
g;n in earnest and continued Tor ahou
thirty hours with great loss so the False
PROPHETS forces.
| At one time it was thought the rebel!
hal been permanently repulsed, so heGvlly J
dlo they suffer, and sortie was made by
a large company from Khartoum, but they
socn returned glad TO get behind thu
friendly walls, Sd terrible had been tht
slaughter inflicted by the besleglnS hosts
1t was then seen that both the numeric /
and strategic strength of the enemy ha,
Eeen largely moderated, and from tha
hour all hope Of saving the city seems t;
have been lVst
The city Carried by Assault.
The guns captured by the rebels from
the army of Hicks Pasha were directed OF
KhartoUm with terrible effect. Great ts
su IS were made at intervals in the earthel
wa which surrounds the city. and int
these was poured constant stream OF buI
lets, arrows, javelins, stones and othe
missiles common TO African warfare. Al
ter number OF gaps of this nature ha'
been made, the besieging hordes made
concerted rush for the Vulnerable point
Hundreds were moved down in the streets
bszaars were pillaGed right an
left. many houses were set on fire, womel
were seized by the brutal invaders and as
ssulted, and on every hand were c!nes o
carr age and destruction. Nearly all tn
! Europeans are believed TO have escaped be
fore the rebels captured and sacked tn
rity. but the loss OF life and propert.
| su.ong the other residents must have oee'
sppsi.-S: ,,
Tho neople of al, the towns betweel
Kbartoum and Cairo are in state OF terri
bic excitement AMI alarm. 1t IS reportet
that FL Mahdi will move on Cairo at once
IL this be true Egypt will be in state
anarchy within two weeks, worse than any
thing ever known before.