The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-14
OSNAN DIGNA.
Career Of the Man who Ii Now Mar
shaling the Mahdi's Forces.

shaIfng the Mahdis Forces.
Buffalo Courier.
In years gone by Osman Digna kept his
leadership, not by reason Of his daring in
war, but through his power to infiame his
followers by his fervid eloquence. Those
who have been nearest to him say that he
has no stomach for fighting, but that he is
mighty in prayer. When battle Is joined with
the fnf1del he urges his sheikhs TO the front
while he retires to intercede with Allah for
their success and safety. 1t is said that
again and again he has begged his sheikhs
to allow him to draw sword and lead his
people into the fight. but they have insisted
on securing his safety. for ne is the Mahdi's
Emir of Emirs, and his life is precious 1t
does not follow that Osman is coward.
Up to the age of forty-five he was only an
influential merchant. banker and slave
trader in Suakin. He is not soldier by
training. and realizing that he is better
organizer and planner than fighter. he leaves
to his followers the hand-to-hand struggle
with the foe.
Osman Digna is now about sixty. His re-
mote ancestors on one side were Turks who
came into Upper Egypt from Constantinople
300 years ago, but through intermarriages
with natives of the half-savage region in
the Eastern Soudan the Turkish strain has
been almost lost in that of the Hadendowas
a tribe neither Arabic nor Abyssinian, but
having some of the characteristics of both.
The name of the tribe means 1.-The chief
people," and Ii is one of the ruling tribes
in the country lying between the Nubian
desert on the north and Abyssinia on the
SOUTH the eastern boundary being the Red
sea-, the western the biue Nile.
Osman was born in Tokar town about
100 miles south of Suakin. He is described
as tall, gaunt, rather inclined to stoop. and
lacking the erect, graceful bearing Of the
Arabs. His skin is chocolate color, his fore
head is full and high and his nose prom
inent. His hair is shaggy and crimpy and his
beard long and now quite gray. He has
dark and melancholy in expression.
Osman Digna began life in a humble way
as a. dealer in fruits, feathers. and other
aged to put money by and little by little
made ventures, until he had arrived at the
dignity OF an influential Arab trader. There
after his fortunes rapidly increased, thanks
to his enterprises in kidnapping slaves in the
region around Albert Nyanza. Some of his
brother traders in Suakin used to accuse
may have been inspired by envy. for osman
and all his family waxed rich. Then came
the year 1877, when Gordon PaSha was ap-
vSinces. His desire was to put a stop to the
slave traffic and he had the promise of the
Egyptian government to assist him In his
work of reform. He succeeded for time In
stopping the barter in slaves, proceeding
which made him deadly enemies among the
Arab traders. Osman's resentment was in
creased when his own brother, while on his
way to him with a caravan Of a hundred kid
naped slaves, was intercepted by Gordon's
order and compelled to give up his captives
ole los m nzx nf
$4,000. 1t is not to be wondered at that he
reared In the belief that the slave trade was
an honorable calling, longed for vengeance
dealers near Sualxin and tried to incite them
to rebel. The time was not ripe Willing
as they were to throw OF the yoke Of .Egyp-
tian bondage, they declined to risk theil
heads. So Osman went back to the barter
Of honest goods and the lending Of moneys
1t is said that In those years his wealth was
Grafton Of slaves that he had kidnapped.
In the rising Of the Mahdi he saw MS
professed conversion to his cause and re-
ceived commission to rouse the faithful In
R RE to his own Country. he soon at
tracted thousands to the standard Of FL Nah
di. His eloquent appeals and his piety reused
made ms tem utterly reckiess Of Iifs ana
terribly formidable foe to the English ant
Egyptian troops that did battle with them
them from the field. Death alone vanquishet
them. Before fight Osman used to appear
before his troops srTayed in a sheikh's loose
robe, on which were braided, In yellow and
green, words from the Koran, and as they
rushed upon the enemy he prayed aloud Il
Allah to send the souls Of the inhdels to per-
dition.
Egyptians and English from 1888 to 1SS
mas been told again and again. The spring
of 1885 saw the whole Soudan in the power
of the Mahdf and his followers, and the
eastern region was under the dominion Of
Osman Digna. During the next five years
rebellions at home and fighting his neigh
bors in Abyssinia, but by 1890 ne seemed
to have the provinces Of the eastern Soudar
in complete subsection. He bad managed t.
take away all courage from the natives, tax
ing them urihistly, and plundering their cat
tie. Those whom he suspected OF desire
when he made battle, so that his Arabs anC
horsemen might kill them II they ATTEMPTED
to run away. The original owners of the
soil were permitted to cultivate Ii, but were
obliged to pay one-tenth of all their produc,
for 70 the J poor and half q the remainder int
was treasury subject to the personal or
ders of Osman. What remained wa,
graciously left to the cultivator. In Afaft
which Osman made his home at one time
he administered most severe criminal code
Small thefts were punished by the loss Of
the LEFT hand, cut on in the marketpiac'
thefts the cuprit lost his right hand and lief
foot. Greater crimes were punished by hang
ing: In Afafit he had large house nile
with curious Soudanese furniture and hi.
harem contained the fairest slaves whom hi
traders could procure for him. Before the
English were driven utterly out OF the Sou
dan they captured Afafit. and when the,
marched in they found the market place
strewn with human bones and on ever,
side handless and foot,ess men. bearing ties
timony to Osmans tyrannical brutality. :.
| This is the man who Is now marshalins
the Mahdis forces to repel the English anf
Egyptian invaders The general feeling, o
contempt which British soldiers and wa
correspondents feel for the Soudanese saw
ages and their manner of warfare was evi
IDENTIFY not cured by the fate OF Hicks
Pasha and other valiant soldiers who wer'
| slain in Egypt more than ten years ago
| The same feeling seems 10 prevail in som
| quarters now, though here and there Brit
| ish newspaper utters note of warning. A
| any rate. IL the Soudan expedition pushe
| man Digna-