The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-12-27
A COMPLETE RoUT.

An Engagement Between the British and
Arab Forces 1t Suakim - The Rebels
Badly Defeated. and with Heavy Joss-
Over 400 Killed and wounded - Tho
|. British Loss slight.
LONDON, Dec. 81. - Dispatches from
Buakim give the details Of . combined 1t
tack upon the rebel position by the British
and Egyptian forces. They stormed the
redoubts aud trenches, and after . brilliant
engagement lasting half m hour drove tho
enemy into the bush, scoring . complete
victory. The British troops are now en-
camped in the rebel position.
The British lost four men killed and two
wounded during gallant cavalry charge.
The Egyptian and black regiments charged
the trenches and carried them brilliantly,
losing two men killed and thirty wound
ed. The only officers injured in the at
tacking force were two Egyptians. The
rebel loss is placed at 400 Osman Digna's
nephew, the Emir of Trinkitat, and twelve
dervishes have been captured. ALI are
wounded.
The battle was opened at 4:3O o'clock in
the morning by the man-of-war Racer,
| which began sheliing the enemy's trenches.
The forts joined in and the ships up coast
followed suit and landed men who
position. This had the effect of de-
ceiving the enemy coming from Handouh
The whole force moved toward the enemy's
left dank with q naval detachment
cavalry and mounted artillery scouting
and protecting the TANKS and rear. Two
lines, comprising battalions In double COM
panies, rushed toward the left corner OF
| the enemy's trenches, the British infantry
! and Egyptian res erye lining the embank-
, ment between the water forts. General
Grenfell and stan occupied position to
the left Of the water forts. From 5 o'clock
heavy salvos Of guns and mortars from
every fort bore on the trenches.
The enemy held its ground with intense
courage until the black brigade charged
! the trenches, which fell after half an hours
hard fighting. The rebels fought with the
bravery Of fanatics, but two or three guns
| were captured. The British forces num-
bered 1000 men.
The hussars chased the fleeing Arabs to
| within four miles of Handoub. The enemy
was still flying.
A dispatch to the Times from Suaklm
| says:
1.-THE prisoners say they believe that all the
mounted gunners were killed. All tell the
| same story OF privation and cruelty at tho
hands Of the Mahd, and Osman Digna Nooe
so or persuaded TO fight by promises
| OF loot at Suakim and other rewards
The trenches were bare. They found
40 food. clothing or money, but only
| Snder rifles and cartridges The prisoners
know nothing OF the reported CAPTURE OF Emin
| or OF the fall OF the equatorial provinces Tho
natives assert that Handoub would fail at the
| frst approach OF troops. The Government
| ought not to lose this chance. The task is an
easy one. and there is not the slightest sign OF
nny gathering OF the local tribes.'
LONDON, Dec. 2l-Lord Salisbury, in q
speech, said that the Ministry had no in
| tention of entangling the country in q new
soudan expedition, but that they could
not abandon Suakim. The English. Egyp-
tian and Turkish Ministries, he said, were
| unanimous that Suakim must not be aban-
| doned.
LONDON, Dec. 21.-Lord Salisbury in his
| speech Thursday said the Government
was bound by Mr. GIadstone's promise to
maintain the Red Sea ports. A British
statesman's first duty is to prevent for
eigner. from thinking that every change
Of government must necessarily mean the
changing Of our foreign policy.
| Lord al sbury continues:
| 1t would be madness to surrender Suakim
when we are on the eve Of suppressiug slavery.
because the final struggle W III the slaye-deal-
I ers must be fought upon the Red sea. BY the
treaty OF Paris We are bound to uphold the in
| tegrity OF the Sultan's empire"
BERLIN, Dec. 2l.-The Emin relief COM
mittee announced that after a careful OK.
animation Of Osman Dgna's letter they
| have concluded that proof Of Emin Pasha's
capture has not been established. They
will therefore start Lieutenant Wiss.
mann's expedition for Emin's relief at
the earliest possible moment.
| InNnnN na. 81 Tho council nf fha
English East Africa Company, the ma
jority OF whom are concerned in the Emin
relief expedition, announced their belief
| that Stanley arrived at Wadela after
/ Emin had started on the march toward
Dado to encounter the Mahdists, and that
Stanley is still awaiting Emin's return
Very few Americans have clear idea OF the
| beginning OF the present conflict in Nubia and
Upper Egypt. After Mehemes Ali in 1911 made
himself master OF the lower Nile country he
turned his atteation to the regions farther
south, and overran Shendy Berber and
Damer, the countries which are fur
nishing most OF the soldiers for the
present war, in 1922 The tribes
never acknowledged that they were conquered,
| and IL Is not an unfair statement to say that
the war has been going on for sixtyysix years,
| with occasional truces. The Sheik Tahir Is the
| direct descendent OF the old ruling house OF
Damer He is with Osman D'gna at the head
pf the rebels" and he 10 regarded by the peo-
pie with superstitious loyalty, while they have
for the khedive nothing but hatred and con-
| tempt
| Osman Digna is descended from a slave
| trading family of Suakim. He is by blood Of
the Hadendowa tribe, and was appointed by
the Mahdi his Emir, or Lieutenant, in 1881
| Since that time he has been constantly men,
Rcinp the Egyptian settlements along the coast
| and on the Nile, and he is cow followed by q
| large army.
Up to 1884 the Khedive claimed sovereignty
| over the Soudnn and equatorial Africa, but
Wada Haify is now the agreed front or Of his
hominions, an agreement which the Mahd sts
Of course dispute.
! English interference In Egypt began after
the entanglements Of the finances and the ma
| fional bankruptcy brought about by the late
| Khedive nee 1882 British army OF occura-
| on has remained in the country for the pur-
| pose OF sustaining the authority OF the Khe-
aiye. against whom there have been several
| serious revolts, especially the one led by Arab
Pasha in lss., which was suppressed by En-.
gland.
| The affair at Suakim Is only an incident in
the var. There has been almost constant
| lighting In the neighborhood OF tho town for
years past. and the character Of the country
| as well as the desperate fighting qualities
of the Hadendowas win probably pre-.
vent any serious effort 10 push to-
ward the interior. The mrortance OF Sua.
K m is altogether strategic. II Is q small place.
whose chief prosperity depends upon the slave
trade, and the active part taken by the English
! In suppressing that trafhc 10 said TO be the
motive which caused Osman Digna to take up
arms. rather than patriotism or loyalty 10 his
trtbe.l
-Bishop( on his semi-annual rouno)
$50 you don't remember me, Bob
by?" Bobby-'N-no. SIR" Bishop
IL remember you very we'll, in
deed" Bobby-''That SO? Well, why
didn't you bring me something?"
-Mexicans have nice, delicate way
of saying even unpleasant things. A
young Mexican lady, talking with a
prisoner in the penitentiary. politely
asked: "How long do you expect to be
away from homer"