The Indianapolis journal., 1885-05-25
THE SACKING OF KHARTOUM.
A Wild and Furious Band Destroy the
Town and Massacre the People.
Slavery-Dervishes Looking for Treasure
How the Traitor Farig Perished.
DonroIa Letter in London News.

Two men arrived here yesterday (Aprli III,
whose story throws some fresh light on the cap
ture of Khartoum. They were soldiers in Cor
dons army, taken at the time and sold as slaves,
but who ultimately escaped. Their names are
Said Abdullan and Jacood Mahomet. will let
them tell their own history. After stating that
they were taken first to Omdurman, subsequent
ly to the capture of Khartoum. were then stolen
by Arabs and sold to two Kabbabish merchants,
| and afterwards escaped from Aboudom to
Debbeh, from which place they have reached
Dongoia, they went on to relate the dongs OF
Farig Pasha previously to the taking of khar
toum. They continued: 'That night Khartoum
was delivered into the hands of the rebels. II
fell through the treachery of the accursed Farig
Pasha, the Circassian, who opened the gate.
May he never reach Paradise! May Shatan take
possession of his soul But it was kismet The
gate was called 'Bouri.' 1t was on the Blue Nile.
We were on guard near but did not see what was
going on. We were attacked, and fought des
perately. Twelve of us were killed, and twenty
two retreated to high room, where we were
taken prisoners
"And now came the ending The red flag
with the crescent was destined no more to
over the palace, nor would the strains of the
| hymn of his Highness, the Effendina. be heard
| any more at evening within Khartoum. Blood
was to flow in her Streets in her dwellings, in
her very mosque, and on the Kenniseh of the
| Marsha.
"A cry arose, TO the palace! to the palacer
| A wild and furious band rushed toward it, but
| they were resisted by the black troops. who
| fought desperately They knew there
! mercy for them, and that were their lives
spared they would be enslaved and the state of
bn cla fho h0n1 har6
| masters is worse than death. Slaves are not
| treated WELL as you think; heavy chains are
| round their ankles aud middle, and they are
| lashed for the least offense till blood flows. We
| had fought for the Christian Pasha and for the
| Turks, and we knew that we should receive
! mercy. We the party l was with, could not
| help being taken prisoners The house was set
! on fire. The fight ragged, and the slaughter con-
tinued till the streets were slippery with blood.
| The rebels rushed ON toward the palace. We
saw mass rolling to and fro, but did not see
| Gordon Pasha killed. He met his fate as
he was leaving the palace near the
| The palace is not stones throw, at any rate
| gunshot distance. from the Austrian consuls
| house. He going in that direction, to the
| magazine on the Kenniseh, long way off. We
| did not hear what became of his body, nor did
| we hear that his head was cut off; but we saw
| the head of the traitor Farig, who met with his
| deserts. We have heard that it was the blacks
| that ran away and that the Egyptian soldiers
| fought WE'LL that is not true. They were craven
| Had it not been for them, in spite of the treach
! cry of many within the town, the Arabs would
| not have got in, for watched the traitors
| And now fearful scenes took place in every
| house and building in tae large market-place
| in the small baZaars There were the same tor
| rible scenes in the dwellings where the window
| sills and door lintels were painted aZrek (blne)
where there had been many feasts and fantasias,
| where merissa had flowed in plenty, and where
the walls were built of wahal and the roof built
| of dhoor stalk. Men were slain shrieking for
mercy, when mercy was not in the hearts of our
savage enemies
'sWomen and children were robbed of their
jewels of gold and jewels Of silver of their brace
lets, necklaces of precious stones, and carried off
to be sold to the BishareeI merchants as slaves
Yes. and white women too-Egy ptians and Cir
cassians, who wore the burko face veil over
| their faces the rabtah and the turbah [rabtah,
Egyptian headdress of women, showing them to
be of the upper classes; turbah, embroidered
muslin], and the kurs [kur, gold or silver orna-
ment] on their heads-lades clad in silk and
satin gibbehs and saltahs [gibbehs and satahs,
cloaks and jackets Mother and daughter alike
were dragged from their homes of comfort
These were widows, wives and daughters of
Egyptian officers, some of whom had been
killed with Hicks Pasha-wves and children of
Egyptian merchants formerly rich, owning ships
and mills, gardens and shops. These were sold
afterwards, some for $40 thaleries or more some
for 250, according to age and good looks And
the poor black women, already slaves,
and their children were taken off, too.
These sold, too, for 100, so 20 thaleries
Their husbands and ma asters were slain before
their eyes; and yet near it said there no
massacre at the taking of Khartoum! They lie
who say so, and are in league with Mahomet
Achmet. You must not believe all that men
coming from Omdurman tell YOU Mahomet
Achmet and the dervishers send you false re-
ports of every thing and you believe them; then
they laugh. This fighting and spilling of blood
continued till dohr noonl, till the rode high
in the sky-red yet darkened by smoke and
I,c Tho,f fhora pin md cla h,,hI hI,,h
and wrangling over spoil; cursing was heard till
the hour of evening prayer But the muezzin
was not called; neither were any prayers offered
up at the mosque on that dark day in the annals
of Khartoum. But the history of those scenes
will not be written its records; for all scrolls
and papers and books in the archives
were destroyed and scattered abroad. Yet
the bowling herd, possessed by afaseet
and gin [afaseet and gin; plural of affect
and ginnee-evil spirits, gobinsl, the screeching
devils bespattered with gore, swarmlng about in
droves and bands, found not the plunder that
they had been promised or had expected Then
bounds, and they sought out Farig Pasha; but
he was with the dervishes. He had presented
himself to them as one deserving we'll of honor
and rewards. Where is the hidden treasure of
the Greek merchants and Bachalees; of Leon
tides and Georgia Themetrio! Yes and of the
Franches Narquet; of the Italian Michaelol
We know that you are acquainted with the Sc
cret hiding place. Where are all the thaeries
Ot IudECOpOlO anu Ol (Hc 0eTIudu Iduor hlelu!
We know that those that left khartoum were
unable to carry away their silver, and you know
where it is hid"
1.-THE dervishes seeing the tumult, questioned
him sharply and addressed him thus: The long
expected one, our lord, desires to know where
the English pasha hid his wealth. We know he
was very rich, and every day paid large sums of
money; this has not been concealed from our
lord. Now, therefore, let US know that we may
bear him word where all the felluce (pay) he
gave the troops is hidden, so that we may put it
into the treasury. Let him be bound and exam
ined in the inner chamber
''rhen the doors of the house where the
dervishes were, and the gates of the gardens
outsde-they were in the eJeneseh-closed against
the Arab sodery and they were driven out,
though angry words and threats were loudly