Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-17
THE FALL OF KHAIlTOUM.
And Killing of Gordon.

"A Greek merchant has arrived at Alex
andria, who was in Khartoum at the time
of its capture by the Mahdi. His account
OF the events which followed is as fol
lows:
| was with some Greeks-cight in all
near the mosque, when we heard hide
Gus uproar as of men shouting and veil
ing, and of women wailing around about
on all sides. Nearer and nearer did this
long-continued roar approach, swelling as
it were and now bursting close on our
ears. Men with frightful gashes on their
faces and limbs came flying by, and to-
ward us women with torn garments and
dlsheveled hair shrleking, screaming 'Jesu
Christon ! shall not forget that horrible
din to the day of my death. we are lost
We are lost we cried. THE place is
takenp But no one would tell us exactly
what was the matter. We ran up to the
top of the mosque, and saw that the town
was given up to massacre and bloodshed.
We ran to n house, barricaded the doors
and windows, went up stairs, shut our
selves into room, and determined never
to surrender, hut die like Greeks for we,
mindful OF our ancestors, fight to the last.
Thus it was when our fathers were sur
rounded by Turks weare brave nation
How we escaped | will tell you.
But listen, pray you. Have you not
/ asked me where Gordon Pasha was slain ?
/ Ou say tNeIyDOIy HIS Sdll ne was tltnpr
| killed on the courtyard steps of the pal
ace or outside going to the Austrian con.
sul's house. They all lie If you choose
| to believe them you may it matters not
! to me. ! am respectable Greek mer-
chant, not an Arab You want the truth
| | tell it toyou. True, | did not see Cor
don slain but everybody in khartoum
knows where the event happened. An
| Arab rushed up stairs and shot HIM with
il gun as he was reading the Bible. An
other Arab cut off his head and put it on
a spear and so went forth into the city
carrying it and brandishing it on high
! The Copts in the palace in the rooms be
low were slaughtered at the same time.
THE Arabs came pouring in ; they slew
every man they could find no mercy was
shown to any one There was no resist
ance, don't think hundred shots were
fired by Egyptians or blacks. Men ran il
and shut themselves up i'll houses bu
doors were burst open, and spearlng, cut
ting, and slashing went on braveiy in tn,
streets, in the market square, in the ba
zaars. II was a horrible scene this bazaa
atterward. | went drought it. Gay cur
tains, crinsOn-ColOrcd and Oran ge- striped
golden edged sHtins, silks, and muslin!
lay smeared and splashed with blood
everything was upset and streWn abOu
and tranpled on. Everywhere was tn,
widest disorder. You know now narrow
it was and how it winds. One corner wa.
80 full of corpses and dying that we coulC
not get by. | had my hands tied and
fell several times IN the road, slipper!
with blood. The havoc went ON till eigh
ioclock. Then Muhomet Achmet sen
over word from Omdurman that Allal
had revealed to him that the slaughte
must cease. We We're told this. 1t wa
shouted about the streets, and those tina
were still hidden were hidden TO COM
forth. OF forty-two Greeks only eight es
capped. There were ten Jews; these wer
killed, think. GordOn's head | saw on
spear 1t was taken over to Omdurmai
and shown to Mahomet Achmet. 1t wa
Laid before him. A grim savage smil
passed over his face. He gazed long a
the countenance of his late enemy. Goo
be praised he cried, can this be his
He did not express anger at Gordan'
death, as you say has been reported-h,
made merry at his death when it was toll,
him. The head was then borne away
and men plucked the hairs out of his hea
and beard and spat in his face His bod
was cut up into little pieces.