St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-03
Forty Europeans Still Held,
Heavily Ironed and Bar
barously Abused.
Khartoum Is a Waste, Except
Gordon'S Palace - Raw
aged by Plaques.
England Alert to Protect Her
IntereStS--DiseoVerieS of
Enlin PaSha.

LONDON, Jan. 2.-Telegrams have
been received here from the Congo
which confirm the statements made by
Father Ohrwalder, the priest of the
Soudan Austrian mission who was taken
prisoner by the MahdiStS some nine
years ago, but who recently escaped
from Omdurman and made his way to
kOrosko. Father Ohrwalder, who was
accompanied in mis- flight from captivity
bv Sisters Chincarini and Nenturini,
said forty Europeans are still in the
hands of the Mahdists at Omdurman.
He added that they are loaded with
manacles and cruelty beaten. They are
SO closely watched that they had lost all
hope of escaping.
Among the prisoners are nineteen
Greeks, eight Syrians, eight Jews, two
Austrian missionaries, Slatin Bey and
Herr Neufeld. The last-named pris-
oner was captured in 1856 at Selma.
His imprudence was the cause of the
capture 10y Nejumni of the convoy of
arms and ammunition sent by Gen.
Grenfell to Selah, the chief of the
friendly Kababish tribe. He is now
employed IN making Saltpetre.
AAtN0 as Il ACg NOuIO
In telling of his mode of life while in
captivity Father Ohrwalder said the
Mahdi granted no provision for the sub
Sistence of the captives, but allowed
them sufficient liberty to earn a
living as best they could. Father Ohr-
valdez lived by tailoring and weaving,
and the sisters 10y baking and selling
bread. The three refugees show the
traces of the suffering which they have
endured during their nine years cap
tiyity, and they state that the latest
news which they received from the civ
ilized world was in 1882 by an Arabic
newspaper relating to the bombardment
of \ Alexandria.
During the last eighteen months the
fugitiveS lived in mud hutS, but pre-
Yiously their only shelter was made
with their own hands from cane and
maize stocks. They describe Khartoum
as all destroyed. excepting Only the
Austrian church and Ger. Gordon's pal
ace, and they say that vegetation is
covering the sites of the houses.
During two years famine and small poX
made fearful ravageS in the Soudan
Maize rose to ten times the normal
value, but now food is plentiful and
cheap.
According to Father Ohrwalder Oar
fur is nearly deserted by the dervishes.
VINO have steamer at Fashoda, but
they do not venture beyond short dis
lance from the Nile bank. There are
no deryishes TO the south of Gebel Reg
gan. A short time ago the ShilluckS
Killed 500 DervIshes
st that place, and consequently rein
fOrcements have been sent there from
Omdurman. The dervishes have no
authority III Bahr-El- GaZal. The khe-
dives visit to the Egyptian frontier last
winter has produced favorable impress
SION among the Soudan tribes. The
dcrvishes still retain monopoly of the
trade i'll ivory and feathers, which they
sell at large profits to merchants, who
send the goods to Suakim.
Ioday'S adyices from the Congo cor
roborate Father Ohrwalder'S report of
the waning power of the dervishes in
the southwestern part of the SOudan.
They state that frequent conflicts have
occurred between the MahdiSts and the
native chiefs, and that the latter have
been often victorious.
Father Ohrwalder and the two sisters
travelled direct from KOroskO to Cairo.
and dispatch received from the last
named city stated that the priest, in
speaking of affairs in the SOudan, had
said that the numerous widows of the
Mairdi are complaining that the Khalifa
Abdullah does not provide them with
maintenance befitting their station, and
their grievance has been supported by
the Khalifa Ally Sheriff. The latter is
also hostile TO Abdullah's aspiration to
make the succession hereditary in his
family, lntead of maintaining the order
prescribed by the prophet Mohamed.
These diSSensionS are weakening the
power of Mahdism. and the people gen.
orally. Father Ohrwalder said. would
welcome any change bringing them re-
lief from is tyranny.