The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-11-19
A CAPTIVE PASHA.
InhumRn Treatment Of an Ex-
plorer by African Mahdista
The Prisoner Was Loaded Down with
Chains Which He Was Compelled to
Wear for Eight Months-Gsn.
Gordnn's Death.

by the mahdi. The chains were Of the
thickness Of my wrist, one round my
neck and two about my arms and legs
In addition to this, was tied to pole
like dog or bear, This treatment
did not begin Immediately upon my
capture, The mahdists never, of
course, treated me very cordially, but
considering their fanaticism toward ali
unbelievers, l had really not very much
to complain of before was cast into
chains To the mahdists, all non
mahdists are infdels, whether Moham-
medan, Christian, Jews or anything
else, and all infidels are deemed worthy
only to be slain. / WIS taken in the
mahdis suite to Khartum, and when
we arrived at the walls the mahdi
asked me to write q letter to Gen. Cor
don calling upon him to surrender.
Accordingly l wrote letter in Ger.
man, which no one in the mahdi's camp
could control in any way, and 1t was
duly dispatched, No answer, however,
was returned, and from that, as well
as from other indications, the mahdi
concluded that / had not carried out
his wishes Therefore he cast me into
chains.
For the next eight months I was
very badly treated The chains were
50 heavy that l could scarcely rise up
at all. When we moved from place to
place was put on to q donkey, and
two men walked by my side to
prop me up. The object OF this was to
prevent my escaping into Khartum,
which they suspected / intended TO do,
When Khartum fell, the mahdists
found certain documents which they
considered discriminating, SO they in,
creased my irons and their severity
toward me. Within an hour OF Cor
don's death his head was brought to
me in my prison wrapped up in cloth,
which they unfolded before me. had
no difficulty in recognizing it at once.
For some reason or other they had
taken it into their heads that | was
GOrdon's nephew, and no amount OF
arguing could disahuse then, OF that
notion. They thought they recognized
likeness, and they kept repeating
that we both had fair hair and blue
eyes, as if that were conclusive.
After all, one European seems very
like another to them, just as one negro
seems like another to us heard full
| details Of Gordon's death afterward.
Gordon defended khartum as well as
it was possible for him TO do under the
circumstances. think Gordon might
have escaped from Khartum, had he
wished to do so, at the last moment.
He was killed on the top of the steps
OF the palace during the first rush OF
the invaders. One Of the foremost
men plunged spear into his body; he
was dragged down the steps IN wild
tumult, and pierced through and
through by countless spears
For three months my diet consisted
only of various kinds of corn, chiefly
dourra, not ground, but in its hard, in
diGestible state. Afterward | was
given beans and kind Of polenta.
They would no doubt have killed me,
but that they considered me too valua-
BILE a prisoner. l had been governor
general OF the province OF Darfur. and
it added to their prestige to take me
about with them to make use of the
influence / possessed in the district.
suffered good deal in health during
my confinement, being attacked by
lever and dysentery, No one made
any attempt at nursing me, or pro-
vided me with any remedies. had to
lie on the bare ground with stone
Tor my pillow, and was afforded no
comfort or relaxation Of any kind. |
was released couple of months or SO
before the mahdidied, but the strictest
watch was kept over me.
On the death Of the madhi ! was
made one Of the khaliia's bodvguard.
7-hieh meant that vvre --aesinalJv al
says under ms eye. used generaiIy
to be stationed outside his door. and
was liable to be called in to do his
bidding at any moment OF the
two, l preferred the madhi to the
khalifa. Until he thew me into
chains, the mahdi was comparatively
amiable to me He was man OF
some education knew how to read and
write, and possessed an intimate ac-
quaintance with the Mohammcdan re.
ligion. The khalifa has not the reli-
eious prestige Of his predecessor, and is
alternating many Of his supporters by
an attempt to found dynasty. This
ne has no earthly right to do, either
I by law or tradition. Before his son
could succeed him, other khalifas, ap-
pointed by the late mahdi would have
a prior claim. Very strict rules are in
force against either drinking spir-
ituous liquors or smoking tobacco.
Nor do the mahdi5ts use opinm or
| hashish-for one reason, because they
are not procurable Anyone caught
smoking tobacco is liable TO a punish
Inent Of one hundred lashes and the
eontscation Of all his property. In
spite OF that, there are still good
many persons who venture to do II
secretly. Ali these regulations are
simply cloak for the most moustrous
immortality The khaiila has harcni
Of four hundred or five hundred
women and dcYotes large part Of
his time to its amenities.
The khalifa maintains his influence
by tyranny and d2syotilm and the ia-