The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-25
Fort Maude I'm the Khyber Pass,
Burned, and Other GarrfsOns At
tackled by the Fanatics.
SITUATION DEEMED GRAVE
80, 900 MORE BRITISH SOLDIERS TO
BE SENT TO THE FRONT.
Demonstrations at st. Petersburg in
Honor of President Faure-Exer-
cises in Which He Took Part.

n. &. Q1SDaIcn
to-day from Simla announces that Fort
Maude, in the Khyber pass, has been cap
tured by the Afridis, after desperate fight
ing. The garrison, which was composed Of
native levies known as the Khyber Rifles,
retired with the loss of three men. The
Afridis afterwards burned the fort The
fate of Fort Al-Musjod, which was stimuli
taneously attacked by the Afridis, is not
known The British officer commanding at
Jamrud moved battery of artillery,
corted by the Fourth Dragons, yesterday,
to the mouth of the Khyber pass and
shelled the enemy al a range of 5000 yards.
The Afridis retired, but the battery re-
turned to Jamrud, the officer in command
deeming it inadvisable to enter the pass.
Gen. ElloS began a concerted movement
against the insdrgent tribesmen yesterday
1t is admitted even in official circles in
London that the news from India is of the
gravest description. All those who are ia
miliar with the situation attach the great
est Importance to the rising of the warlike
Afridis, who are estimated to muster 25, 900
fighting men. The Afridis, however, only
form a part of the insurgents A letter
from India, published in the Standard, en-
phaszes the belief that the Sultan of Tur-
key is at the back of the whole uprising
A dispatch from Peshawur says: 1t is
reported that a large number of Afridis,
led by fanatical priests, attacked the Sc
poys near Fort Ali-Musjid about noon yes
terday massacring 300, capturing their ri
files and then proceeding, in a large force.
to make an attack upon the British gar
rison on the Lowrget. There is very un-
easy feeling in Quetta, where the troops
are under orders to be IN readiness TO
march to New Chaman, which is the ex-
IRENE outpost of the Afghan frontier,
southeast of Khandahan and on the edge
of the Registrar desert between the prov
1nces of Toba and Pishin. Khyber pass is
swarming with Afridis, and it is feared the
fall of Fort Maude has greatly encour-
aged the rebellious element.
Later details received at Simla of the
capture of Fort Maude by the insurgent
tribesmen show that the garrison of that
place retired at 1920 p yesterday, and
that the fort was burned half an hour
later. The garrison reached Colonel West
mascott's relief column coming from Ko-
hat at II 80 p. m. At the same time that
Fort Maude was abandoned the khyber
Rifles, garrisoning Fort Jewangera, were
compelled to abandon that place. The area
of active fighting is charging rapidly. The
Afridis last evening attacked with great
determination the fortified post at Sudda,
but were not successful in capturing it.
Parochinar was attacked to-day. The re-
suits of this attack and of the fighting at
Fort Al-Musjid are not known. There are
two English ladies with the garrison at
Parochinar The British military author
tiles have now modified $4,000 men for
frontier operations, which, with the from
tier garrisons make 900 men available for
use against the insurgents
A dispatch to the Times from Simla,
dated Tuesday evening, says: THE Afridis
have not ventured upon active hostilities
to-day, but have remained in the hills about
Khaibar where for the present they are
safe from attack. VIGOROUSLY the vainest
of the Palham tribes, they had the audac-
ity to suggest the terms under which they
would agree to dispense to their homes.
These were the withdrawal of our troops
from Swat and from the SANTANA range,
the surrender of all the Afridis women liv-
ing within our border and the revision of
the salt regulations. They do not seem
to realize that their rising must inevitably
lead to a complete breaking down of their
power as the dominant plan of the Pc
shawur frontier.
a SDeclal QlSpdICn lIOu bOLlDdy says
there is an unconfirmed rumor in circula-
ton that the Afridis have attacked Fort
Ali-Musjid with great determination. The
garrison made a sortie in full force en-
deavoring to dispense them, but met with
desperate resistance and lost three hundred
killed The remnant of the garrison then
abandoned the post and made it's way to
the station of the Lowarag.
The rumor that 800 of the government
forces were killed at Fort Ali-Musjid lacks
confirmation The garrison was composed
of Afridis with Arid officers. AS one re-
port says they died fighting desperately
if NAV be regarded as proof of the contin-
ned LOYALTY of the Afridis in the Indian
army.
The attack on Fort Ali-Musjid was led
nv Mir Bashir, of Tirah the high plateau
which is the summer headquarters of the
Afridis and Orakzis. Mir Bashir is a we'll
known frontier chief. In 1880, during a per-
iod of similar discomfort, he proclaimed
himself king of Tirah and began to raise
and drill an army. But he became unpopu-
lar through his imposition of taxes and his
influence gradually melted away.
~
BUSY DAY FOR FAURE.