Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-04-14
FL Mebdi's Right Hand.

One night of May. eleven years ago.
in dingy back room of an old brick
house in Wooster street. l met young
Frenchman who even then had PLAYED
part which had doubtless prepared
him for the extraordinary adventure in
which he is now engaged. He was
amid a group of his friends, and Just
reached the city as a refugee. He had
been an actor in the Paris revolt of
March, 1871; he had escaped the mas
sacre that followed the suppression of
the commune; he had afterward been
arrested and condemned to death; his
punishment had been changed to that
OF Punishment to the penal colony of
New Caledonia, in the Pacific; he had
there, with few companions, got up a
daring plan of escape; they had car
ried out that plan amid dangers as
great as ever were encountered. and in
May of 1874 the little party of fugitives
had arrived in San Francisco. from
where Mr.. Olivier Pain fastened to
New York, where he spent few days
prior to his departure for England as
place of safety.
When here he looked about 80 years
of age, and was tall. 1.-THE and hand
some, possessed of both the vivacity
and the gravity of an experienced
worldling of Paris. He had done duty
on the press as an assailant of the en-
pire; he had done service in the field
during the Franco-German war. and
subsequently during the revolt of Paris;
he had suffered the hardships of French
convict life, and was then in full flight
from one kind of peril to another; but.
withal, he demeaned himself as though
his resources had not yet been tested.
Well. according to the cable dis
patches, this young Frenchman, Mr..
Olivier Pain, has FOR the past year been
the military adviser o. the false
prophet" who is now leading his wild
hordes Of Arabian spearman against
the British invaders of Egypt and the
Soudan; and it is this same Frenchman
who led the storming party that cap
tured Khartoum and ut an end to the
career of Gen. Gordon. 1t is long
distance from Paris to New Caledonia,
and from Wooster street TO Soudan,
but Mr.. Pain has measured it; it is
queer change from convict and fugitive
to his present rank in the host of the
faithful" but he has undergone it.
As far back as last year the dispatches
told Of a mysterious Frenchman who
was reported to be in the Arab camp.
and was high in the confidence of Ell
Medhi; but it was not till last January
that We were assured of Mr.. Pains
being in command of thirteen thous-
and of the Medhi's troops in Metem-
meh; now we have the news of his
victory at Khartoum, under which the
British government is now reeling.
Mr.. Pain had varied experience
after leaving New York. He went to
London, and next to Geneva. where he
was concerned in several newspaper
ventures. When the Turko-Russian
war broke out he enterci the Turkish
service, was captured by the Russians,
and condemned to death As spy, but
the sentence was not executed. aud he
got out of prison in time to return to
France. and to Partisan journalism
under the amnesty of 1880. II was as
q correspondent that he penetrated to
the camp of Ell Mehdi, where his
knowledge of the art of war brough:
him to the front The English papers
have given notice that he will be
hanged as soon as Lord Wolseley gets
hold of him.-John Swinton'S Paper.