Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-08-28
SAW GORDON KILLED.
THE ENGLISH GENERAL MuRDEReDAr
kHARTuM BY EL MAHDps MoSLEMs.
siatin Pssha, . Captive. Looked On--Tho
Egyptian Chief spurned Oordon's Gifts
and swore To Have His ussd--Ths story
Told BEFORE the Geographical Congress.


Chinese Gordons fate is explained Mt
last. "Khartum fell the Goth of Janu.
airy, 1885, and with 10 that city's brayost
defender, General Gordon himself, killed
on tho topmost step OF tho staircase of his
palace. His hend, severed from his body,
was presented 10 me with derision and
disdain, being IA chained and helpless
captive"
IL was In these graphic words that Sla-
tin Pasha told for the first time before
the geographical congress In London the
other day, the story Of the terrible climax
In Gordon's eyentful life, which came over
a decade ago.
The story OF Gordon and Khartum will
ever remain one OF the darkest pages I'm
England's history. For years the Turks
bad been plundering and expressing the
people Of the Sudan, slave trading In its
most horrible guise enjoyed unexampled
prosperity and the country was ripo for
revolt. For many years the faith of Islam
had been making immense strides I'm cen
tra1 Africa, and its converts had reached
the astonishing number Of IL, 900, 900. At
this opportune moment came Mohammed
Achmet, who proclaimed himself as FL
Mahdi, the leader and prophet who should
by force of arms, and thousands nocked TO
his standard.
Battle after battle, some severe and
bloody, was fought, and, despite the fact
that his divine authority and prophetic
power were discredited by the heads Of tho
faith at Cairo and Constantinople, El
Mahdi, the Dongola carpenters son,
found himself In 1885, less than four years
after his career began, the master OF the
equatorial provinces and Of upper Egypt.
Early in 1884 there were 3, 900 Egyptian
troops between Khartum and Asswan,
5000 In Khartum and 10000 to the
south Of that city that were faithful to the
khedive, but the Mahdi and his myriads
Of savage fanatics ruled the land to the
northward. The English government con-
cluded IL would be cheaper to abandon tho
Sudan and bring these troops down tho
Nile to safety and finally yielded to popu-
lar opinion and sent General Gordon to
Khartum. He reached that city on tho
18th Of February and was hailed by its In
habitants as their deliverer. He soon
found, however, that, though his authority
was absolute within the town, he was
powerless In the region outside.
Khartum Is at the union Of the White
and Blue Nile, and it's natural strength
had been much increased by series Of
strong Notifications on its landward side
SO 1t was well calculated to resist long
siege.
Gordon first attempted to treat with the
Mahdi and sent him presents and an ap-
pointment as governor of Kordofan. Tho
Moslem Messiah, however, was not to bo
won over by such means as these and sent
two emissaries back to Gordon with
drawn swords, who, in disdainful words,
gave him their masters message. He did
not want the governorship of Kordofan,
for he ruled 1t already; Of costly robes
too, his storehouses were full. His answer
ended in these words: "Tell Gordon that l
have sworn In the name of Allah to have
his head and to distribute his gold among
tho poor who fight him."
Then the siege of Khartum began
The forces under Slatin Bey, the governor
Of Darfur, had been reduced to 200 sick
and wounded men, and finally they surren-
dered and Slatin was a prisoner in the
Mahdi's camp. Hicks Pasha--Colonel
Hicks, formerly Of the Bombay staff corps
the leader OF another native army, was
annihilated by the false prophets hordes
and none lived to tell the tale
AS long rs communication by telegraph
remained open Gordon continued to beg
the British government to send troops to
his relief, but his prayers were unheeded.
General Gordon's journal of his days Of
waiting and hoping in Khartum after
news from the outside world had ceased
to come has been published and In it's
plain and simple words tells the pathetic
story Of the events which preceded tho
downfall of tho city. The siege lasted 800
days, and there Is no full and authentic ac-
count of the final assault and awful car
nago that ended it. Perhaps 1t is better
there Is not.-New York World.