The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-25
THE LATEST war CLOUD
It hovers Ominously In the Viciaity
.. Of khartoum.
GREAT TROUBLES SMALL START
The Successor Of El Mshdl Il ON tho Was
path and tho Soudsn VIII Pr0ba-
bly, Soon Rs.echo with the
Clash Of Swords.


war on the dervlshes Of the Soudan. The
war to a certain point was successful:
but the playing by Italy Of q bunco
game on Menelek II, king Of Shoa. In
Abyssinia. In the form OF q gold-brick
treaty, rolled that dusky sovereign in
to fighting humor, and the next thing
that Italy knew. her crack commander.
General Baratieri. had been ignomin-
ously defeated. This little incident cost
Crispi his official head. nearly upset
the throne OF King Humbert. and last.
but not least, 1t has filled with fire-eat-
Ing belligerency every unhung savage
In uncivilized North Africa, has given
John Bull long sought pretext to make
new grab for territorial spOils, and
threatens to set all Europe at dagger'D
points.
The victories Of Menelek have evi-
IDENTIFY reused the war spirit OF the ruler
OF the dervishes. and a bloody and re-
lentless war with the forces Of civilixa-
tion Is imminent.
ROMANCE OF THE MAHDI.
There Is no more interesting and ro.
mantle drama In history than that Of
the rise Of the Mahdist power. which
Is now to be broken forever by English
arms or to engulf Egypt.
Barely ten years ago the Soudan was
dhuSi TIC AuiC VI ESypt anu ODtH u
| civilization. In the chief towns were
found European representatives. In
khartoum itself the foreign powers had
representatives. Travellers could pass
through the land unharmed. Telegraph
lines and postal services facilitated In
tercourse. Mosques, churches and
schools looked after the moral and in
tellectual training of the young. The
land was inhabited by diverse tribes,
many hostile to each other. but kept at
peace by the strength Of the Govern.
| ment.
Today this whole territory Is under
the despOtic rule of Khalifa Abdullah.
the head Of the Mahdists. No European
| can venture to cross the limits Of the
land, which Is cut Off from every civil
ICED influence. Death or lifelong cap
tivity would be his lot. The people are
kept In the greatest subsection, while
Khalifa and his chosen companions lead
lives of luxury and licentiousness at the
capital, Obdurman.
The cause OF this remarkable change
Of conditions was the Mahdi, who. taxi
ing advantage of the discomfort due to
Egyptian officials avarice and misgov-
ernment. led the Dervishes In revolt,
| expelled the former rulers and made
himself the autocrat Of the region.
SUDDEN RISE TO POWER.
The man who announced himself az
El Mahdi was Mahomet Ahmed, q low
born Dongowali, whose family was
laughed at for insisting that 1t was de-
scended from Mahomet. This Ahmed
became fanatical recluse, renouncing
the snares of the world and getting
local fame as a holy man. He de-
nounced the leader of his sect for de-
parting from some injunctions of the
| prophet. The story Of his defiance and
stern opposition to the degeneracy Of
the time spread far and wide among the
| tribes of the Soudan and made his name
synonym for piety.
Ahmed began to think Of himself as
the Mahdi, had visions. asserted that
Mahomet held long talks with him and
finally confided to- few intimate
friends, who believed, or pretended to
believe, him. Soon he was working
miracles with ease and frequency and
carrying on secret correspondence
with leaders of disaffected tribes
through the Soudan. Then came the
revolt, which ended with the tragic
death of Chinese Gordon on the day Of
the storming Of Khartoum.
After the fall of KhartOum the Mahdi
ruled supreme. with the Khalifa ABB
dullah as his chief adviser. Both were
ignorant bigots, pretending to be strict
disciples OF the religion, but secretly
giving themselves up to shocking
drunkenness and Righteousness. The
Mahdi built himself a capital on the
bank OF the Nile, opposite Khartoum.
on the site Of the village Of Omhurman.
and retained Its name
There he strengthened his army and
announced that he was about to start
on the expedition of conquest into Eu-
rnnR nH A gfa a cant 1atfars n nnaan
Victoria and other European rulers,
calling upon them to surrender and be-
come his vassalS and Mahdists.
But a few months after the fall Of
KhartOum the Mahdi died. He was
taken off by typhus fever, which found
him easy prey on account Of his de-
bauchery.
KHALIFA ON THE THRONE.
The Khalifa succeeded him as leader
of the Mahdists. To intrench himself
he called the Western nomads, who are
OF his own blood, to come to his capital.
They marched through the Soudan.
rObbing and numbering as they came.
They rolled into the Nile district, drove
out the peaceful farmer and took their
lands, their houses and their slaves.
The Khalifa promised their farmers
compensation, but never gave 1t. He
gave them instead the right to oppress
and rob as they pleased.
The regions that are ruled by the fOl-
lowers of the Mahdi are bordered on
the north by the Sahara Desert and
Egypt. on the east by the Italian strip
of Africa and by Abyssinia. TO the
south and west lie the Congo Free State
and the English and French and Ger
man territories in Western Africa.
When the Mahdi first rose to power
the entire country was with him heart
and soul. Fanaticism burned in the
heart of every soldier. and the Mahdist
army inspired well-grounded fear in
the Europeans that fought against 1t.
for every soldier would fight until he
died, and flight was unknown.
DECAY OF THE DESPOTISM.
Since then there has been q change.
The Khalifa, with his eastern Arabs
for hackers. has ruled with a rod OF
iron, and the unfortunate tribes fairly
long for a return to their former alleg-
lance to Egypt. Seventy-fve per cent.
Of the population has been carried of
by war, famine and pestilence since the
Mahdi's day: the remainder are little
more than slaves. The terrible scourge,
the slave trade is rampant in the land.
Nevertheless. the Khalifa Is probably
securely intrenched against internal
foes. He lives shut up in Omdurman.
surrounded by guards. and spending
good part of the time in his harem.
where he has no fewer than 400 wives
and concubines. His throne is defend
ed by a standing army of about $4,000
men, many of whom are fairly well
armed with rifles.
Chronic Rheumatism Cured.
DIR. B. II. Hettinger, Indianapolis. Ind,
says: For several months after sprain.
ing my ankle I was severely afflicted