The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-24
A TALK WITH Ell MAHDI.
The Prophets Views of Man and the Future
of His Creed and Country.

The Prophets Views of Man and the Future
of His Creed and Country.
Kansas City Star
DR.. Irwin B. Tenny, widely ytraveled and
highly-cultured gentleman of Baltimore Nd,
who has been visiting for some weeks with
friends here, is perhaps the only American who
ever saw El Mahdi. Said Dr. Tenny, yesterday:
II saw him in 1878, before he was heard of out
side his own province, and l shall never forget
the profound impression he made upon me. 1t
was one evening, while l was near SEMINAR,
travelling with Rufoh, my interpreter. Ell
Mahdi was then man of, should judge thir-
ty-three thirty four and although he stood
some six feet high, he was so spare L doubt if he
would have weighed over one hundred
and thirty pounds. His complexion was
dark olive, his beard coal black and his eyes
deep set and piercing. His bearing was severe,
and there was undeniably that intangible some
thing called magnetism about the man. He was
clothed in simply white tunic that left the
arms partly exposed, and fell from belt at the
waist straight to the feet. Around his head was
a!many folded turban.
He gave a keen glance at my European COS
tune and then assumed his apparently vacant
gaze straight ahead.
II mad never seen real prophet before and
was rather embarrassed to know what to say.
Finally, in sheer desperation, l told Rufoh to
tell him that came from across the sea, where
we have no prophets.
@ 4 am no prophet he replied through the in
terpreter i am the mouth of Allah
What is the faith you teachF asked of the
mouth piece of the Deity
g That Allah will give his people what belongs
to them
''The prophet scrutinized me sharply, and sur
missing that he might take me for spy sent
there to pump him on his political views
changed the channel of my inquiry. What is
mans greatest faultF asked.
From the phrase that Rufoh used believe
the Prophet understood me to ask what was
mans greatest tendency or inclination, and an
swered:
ITO crafty his vanity
II put the question again, and after pondering
a moment he said:
I" 'Selfshness.
"These struck me as rather broad views for a
humbug pagan seer to entertain. and asked
him what he considered the future of his creed
and country
"0There is one God, one Prophet and one peo-
pie, he said; will cover the face of the earth
There are several million people in the
world | suggested
"'rhere are millions of drops in the river,
but they come at last to one sea-
''Where do you hold converse with the Deityl"
l ventured.
claimed in a loud tone defantly for the benefit
of the crowd:
81 am with Him always! He is 1, and 1 am
Hep
''At this the crowd of natives began uttering
loud cries and great many of them threw
themselves upon the ground. We were silent
for a moment and he took up the train of ques
tions.
"'Where does my lord liver
"'Across the waters. Two hundred times as
far as from here to Cairo replied at venture.
THE Prophet pondered for some time over
this immensity of space, and then asked:
"'What is this water likeF
"This rather stunned me, and finally pointed
up to the sky and told him thati it was reversed
it would be something like the ocean. A fash of
intelligence shone in his eyes and he NODDED
gravey
How many people are there in your coun-
tryf
millions and Millions rich and happy
"'The Prophet evidently regarded this as a
deep-dyed falsehood and signified with wave of
his hand that the interview was at an end.
Turning then to the natives, he addressed them
in dull one keyed voice that grew louder and
louder in pitch, with strange and sudden breaks,
when he stopped altogether, and, closing his
eyes, seemed to be in a trance While he was
in the midst of this extraordinary proceeding
Rufoh all at once clutched my sleeve andhurried
me off,