Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-12
HOW GORDON DIED.
Fatal Excess Of COnfidence-Escape
Open to Him.

The African traveller, Herr Fricke, who has
since 1875 been in Africa, and escaped from
Khart0um after Gen. Gordon's death, is now
in Berlin. The London Daily Ne,cs correspond.
ent had q long talk with him two weeks ago or
so about his adventures, and tried to learn
some particulars of Gen. Gordon's last days
Some account of this has been already sent by
cable, but a fuller report il worth printing.
Fricke made Gen. Gordons acquaintance in
Cairo, and accompanied him to the Soudar az
one Of his officers. Gordon said to him re-
peatedly, 81 do not intend to conquer the Sou
dan by force; my personal authority and influ-
encs are strong enough to mako me master the
insurrection without using force"
But yet he was sometimes filed with pre-
sentiment OF death, to which he gave express
sion, saying, 81 feel shall never see England
again. I shall never get out of Khartoum.' -
As long as Gordon had money enough the peo-
pie there, and even the mahdi's adherents,
were his best friends and many festivities
were arranged In his honor. The mahdi him.
self was on the best terms with him as long as he
obtained money from him, but by and by, when
Gordon could no longer satisfy the demands of
these men, the number Of his followers daily
decreased. Hcrr Fricke, AZ we'll as other Euro
peans, warned him and tried to persuade him
to leave Khartoum, which he might have been
able to do at any moment, but Gordon refused
Herr Fricke says: "Gordon's character was
as obstinate as it was noble, and he was SO con-
WINGED of his personal influence over the popu-
lati0n that he did not waver even when the
mahdi had left the city and began to be openly
hostile. When Gen. Graham sent MESSENGERS
to Gordon he proudly said to his followers: 4
can keep Khartoum as long as like, and I
shall certainly keep it till relief comes'" Herr
Fricke thinks that by speaking thus he pro-
duced wrong impression among the British
military authorities. who could not possibly
infer from his answer that the state Of affairs
was az critical as it really was. Neither in
deed did Gordon himself realize it He was
SO thorough an idealist that he could not
imagine that people whom he always treated
we'll and ON whom he had conferred so many
benefits could possibly be his enemies. His
unlimited confidence. which made him blind to
all dangers and deaf to all the warnings of his
friends, was the cause OF his death.
Gordon always calm and undaunted did not
even for moment show any outward signs of
excitement, not even when his own soldiers re-
fused to obey him any longer because their
pay was in arrear. In the last fortnight they
had to hghtevery night, and after every en-
gagcment 1t was found that numbers of the SOL
diers had gone over to the mahdis camp.
Three days before the fall OF Khartoum he
said: Nov il is highest time for the reliey-
ing force to arrive" He repeatedly urged
his European followers to fly from Khar-
tnum, but as he himself refused to do so
they would not leave their general in the
lurch.
About his last moments Herr Frieke says:
at Is not true that he was assassinated as he
came down on hearing the sounds of Q riot
among the soldiera He came, az was his wont
every morning, to inspect the soldiers. with his
stick in his hand. He never carried sword,
not even while fghting.. As he came out of the
house some Of his own soldiers hurled their
spears at him, and this WAS the sign for Q gen.
eral massacre" Herr Fricke, when he saw the
general lying dead, fed by q by-path to the
Nile. where he secured . small boat, in which
he escaped down the river. He told me that
although he suffered many privatioas and In
CURED many dangers, he finally escaped, owing
to his being Mussulman, and so understand
ing all the customs and ritual ceremonies
From Berber he journeyed with Q caravan to
Suakim. Herr Fricks positively asserts that
two days before the fall Of Khartoum Gen. Cor
don might have escaped, with all tho Europeans.
had not his fatal dissemination stood Ia his
way.