The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-17
ELUDED THE MAHDI.
Escape ofSlatin Bey From Slav-
cry at Khartoum.
4 CAPTIVE ron ELEvEn YEARS.


Assotan. Egyps. March iG-Siatin Bsy.
mas arrived here. havfng escaped from
sae mahdFs camp. at Omdnrman. near
Anartcgsa. after eleven years captivity.
CAIRO, Egypt. March fs.-Folsowing are
particulars OK the escnpe Of Satin Bey
inom the mzh1t's camp. at Orndnrran.
near kharsoasn. where he has been q prix-
oner Tor eleven Sears past. Satin es-
capped with the assistance Of q Soudan
merchant named Eyail. who arrived here
from cmdnrUan some months ago bear
ing letter from s1afin Bey In which the
latter asked II some arrangement could
DC made with Eyau 20 - TO enable him
70 escape. Eyaii was placed in communal
cation with the Austrian consul here,
Baron HesdIer Won Egerexr -Syrxenstesu,
who made contract with the merchant.
tns latter agreeing To try and effect the
escape or Slatir Hey- When the arrange
merits were completed Eyaii returned 20
omdnrman and laid his plans 20 get Satin
away. but the hrst attempt failed. Eyais.
however, persisted. and eventually sac
ceeded In getting Siasin Bey out OF Om-
durham The merchant closely followed
the plans OF AhdAIiah, the native who was
successful In bringing about the escape
OF Father Rostgnoli from the camp of the
mahdL He obtained possession Of cameis.
and when the proper time arrived rose
out OF the camp ~ night and made at full
speed for Berber. following the Nile "a
closely az possible by night. and hiding In
the hills In the daytime. For eighteen
days. suffering great privatfons. the fu-
gttives Soarneyed through the desert 10
Assouan. II was three days after they
left Omdurman before their escape was
noticed. When the alarm was given there
was = hot pursuit. and body OF pur-
suing dervises reached kokrels. sixty
miles from Saukiu. last week. Siatin Bey
had made nine previous attempts TO es-
cape.
slatin Bey. who In an Austrian. was the
Egyptian governor OF Senaar when Khar-
toum fell and Gen. Gordon was killed.
At that time he was led In chains to
Khartoum. where he has been In prison
since. In the early part OF 1859 a family
living In Vienna. named Slatin. received
letter from KhlefSIr Abdailah who sue
ceeded the late Mahdi az chtsftain OF
Egypt's rsbeiiious provinces In Soudan.
The letter stated thar Slatin Bey had
adopted the religion of Mohammed HE
lives with u.s." the letter continued. "hon-
ored by our friendship one Of our valued
advisers. and IL perfectly content and
happy In the highest degree. We see
neither grief nor chagrtn. but. on the
contrary. he h perfectly healthy and IL
looked upon as our own son. and one OF
the most hcnored mahdis-" The letter
invited any Of Slatin's relatives or any
Austrian TO visit him. assuring them they
could do so In perfect safety in considera-
ton OF Stains faith In Islam, and that
he had become one of the most eminent
and highly esteemed Mahdis. AT about
the same time letter was received from
Siatin which established the authenticity
of this communication.
Reports concerning Slatin have been
contradictory, but 1t Is believed he was
employed In the most serviie capacities
while in captivity. After Father ohr-
valdez effected his escape In December,
1891. he stated that there were forty Euro
peans stiii held at Omdurnan: that they
were kept liaded with manacies. were
oftn cruelty beaten, and were so strictly
guarded that they had lost all hope OF
ever escaping. He also stated that Slatin
Eey was still alive and belonged TO the
bodygaard OF the Mahdi's successor, but
that he also was closely watched.