The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-06
THE KHARTOUM MASSACRE.
General Gordon Shot by an Arab While
Reading the Bible in the Palace.
His Head Severed from the Trunk and the
Body Cut in Small Pieces-The Nah
di'S.Delight Over His Death.
Doneola letter in London News.

merchant Of KhaTtoum, narrative OF the TALL
of that city and Of Gordon's death, which differs
from any yet given to the world. Another
s'voice" from Knartoum is heard-a Greek who
was made to wear the Mahdi's uniform, and in
this costume walked down to Berber, no man
forbidding him. He then resolved to escape al
together, and then his troubles commenced. He
had no money. but begged his way from village
to village. Sometimes he was hunted and had
TO hide away; at others he was made to work as
O captured slave by men who knew him to be
Greek. At length, after a period of twenty
eight days from Berber, he reached Aboudom,
where, suspected at first as spy he was made,
prisoner He was then sent down by Colonel
Butler to General Butler, and arrived at Don
COLA last SATURDAY. His very disjonted story
will give you in his own words, translated for
me by the Greek interpreter Of the transport
department It will be observed that he en-
phatically declares that Gordon was killed in
and not outside the palace
The story of Penago is in part as follows:
''The only reason the Mahdi's power is on the
wane is because the people see that he, or rather
his dervishes, spoil and plumber and carry off the
women OF the tribes He will have difficulty in
getting the tribes to follow him again, but if he
tan he will in spite of what you say, enter
Egypt. The dervishes are perpetualIy preaching
that he 1.-THE Mahd) must ultimately reach Mo
rocco, Mecca, and STEAMBOAT, but that the time
has not arrived. The tenets of the Mahdi's relig-
Jon are very strict If married man is guilty
of sexual immortality he is put up to his waist in
the sand and stoned to death. If he steals his
hand is cut off. Singing and lasciyious dancing,
such as used to be in Khartoum, are put stop
to- Every man must pray FIVE times day.
Gordon only went about the town on Friday
Stewart used to live in the old house in the
square that General Hicks lived in when he first
arrived. No one lived ia it when l left. nor did
any one live in the palace. The stencil is too
great There are dead bodies in it; none were
cleared away. Gordon's Coptc clerks were killed
and left there. fearful stencil Of putrid corpses
,pervades the whole atmosphere of Khartoum.
The house you dwelt in with other officers, over
the postoffice. where are the drawings on the
walls-your dining saloon-that now presents
horrible sight. 1t is strewn with corpses. For,
you remember, there was guard there over
stores The guard ran from the gate after
closing it up to your dining room. They were
all mastered there That poor old man, the
italian postmaster, was slain below. Had we,
the Europeans, supposed that this treachery
was going to take place we should have formed
ourselves into a corps for self-detense. AS 1t
was we had all agreed, and Gordon consented,
to hold out five days more, and then to jump
into the steamer Montnah and run the gantlet
down the river. 1t was kept ready for this
purpose
hundreds Of letters, but these were always taken
to the Mahd? People used to come to him volun
teering to take letters, and Gordon, believing In
them, would give them good backsheesh. Stewart
used generally to be at battery he erected close
by the kiosk where the band played. The rebels,
knowing Gordon lived in the palace. used to fire
at it all day long. land Stewart would reply to
them. Gordon had sand bags piled up on the
roof. and from this he was watching day and
night for the arrival of the English. l think he
never sleept. By night he used to send up
rockets. You ask me about the shops and
magazines on the promenade over the Blue Nile.
Gordon had some biscuit and flour, l believe in
the palace. Some Europeans ate grass, and
cut down palms to extract the pth from them.
The Egyptians and blacks ate anything they
could get hold of-camels, donkeys, Il have
known a donkeys tail sell for So, dogs, cats,
rats. We were entirly surrounded for three
months.
''The English could have come up with great
ease. If one Englishman had shown, the whole
population would have cheered up out of its
dependency Natives outside, who were starry
ing, too, would have Joined u.s. and believe the
Mahdis forces would have melted away. Per
hapS you would have had one fight more AS
for Berber, that was weak; you could have taken
it easily | don't think there were more than
1900 men there when Khartoum taken.
''The steamers arrived at Halfay. saw them
about one mile and half from Khartoum. They
turned back directly; but l say this--if they had
come then every man would have been de-
stroyed. The soldiers pointed them out to me
jeeringly. There are your English! they cried.
But must go back. Stewart used to place
fougasses all around the town. He took the tops
Of cartridges and filed them with matches-so
fitted on to the mine that any one walking on
them would explode them. Gordon often wanted
to go on board the steamer himself, but the
inhabitants would not let him; his life was con-
sdered far too precious to risk.
'When the steamer approached a great cry
arose through the town: The English are COM
ing! the English are coming! The rebels took
their rifles and commenced to fire at them. Hal
said man to me- look at them they cannot
save you 1t may have been arranged to deliver
up the city just before the English came. |
don't know; but this know, if you had come
three days or two days sooner you would have
taken khartoum easily. Farig moved away the
troops guarding the gate that was entered the
night before and took them to the other side of
the town on some pretense or other. Gordon did
not know this-nOr did any one think, except
the troops themselves. We Europeans knew
there were traitors but we did not think they
could do anything. or, as | said before we should
have formed ourselves into a band.
Boom! Boom! Boom the sound that
created us from dawn to sunset We were sad,
sorrowful and depressed. Power in the
magazine in the church. guarding and looking
after the ammunition. You say you know all |
am telling you. Do You know that u woman
once got in and nearly succeeded In blowing up
all the ammunition? She was seized, but after
while Gordon released her. l used to sit in
my shop all day near the barracks selling coffee.
All spirituous liquor gone. We used to sit
all day gambling and playing cards; we had
tobacco. There forty-two of us and ten
Jews. Some of US had our women with Us
Greek women--that we had brought with US,
but not all, Cuzzi used to go and come with
nsNl AAr,inr ,fO,1~O
he came again he would hang him; after that he
came no more And now the day arrived that
was to separate husband from wife, brother from
sister. and parent from child. The streets were
soon to run with blood. | was at my house. /
was with some Greeks--eight in all-near the
mosque, when we heard a hideous uproar as of
men shouting and yelling and of women wailing
around about or ali sides Nearer and nearer
L L - Il