The herald., 1897-08-25

TRIBESMEN
Drive the British From
Fort Maude
JEWANGERA ALSO ABANDONED
AND MANY OTHER FORTS ARE
ATTACKED
The Belief Expressed That the Turkish
Sultan Is Behind the Revolt
in India
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
LONDON, August pam official dis
patch received from Simla states that
Fort Maude in Khyber pass has been
captured by the Afridis, after desper-
ate fighting, and burned. The fate of
Fort Ali Musjld, simultaneously at
tackled is not known. General Ellis will
begin a concerted move against the In
surgent tribes today.
Later details of the capture OF Fort
Maude by the insurgent tribesmen show
that the garrison of that place retired
at $50 p m. yesterday, and the fort was
burned half an hour later The garrison
reached Col. Wesmacotts relief col
umn, coming from Kohat at 11:30 p. m.
At the same time that Fort Maude
was abandoned, the Khyber rifles gar
risoning Fort Jewangera were COM
PEELED to abandon that place. The area
of active fighting is enlarging rapidly.
The Afridis last evening attacked with
great determination the fortified post
at Sudda, but were not successful In cap
turing it,
Parchonar was attacked today. The
results of this attack and of the fight
ing at Fort Ali Musied are not known.
There are two English ladies with the
garrison at Parichonar.
The British military authorities have
now mobilized 32,5O0 men for frontier
operations, which, with the frontier gar
risons, makes $4,000 men available for
use against the insurgents.
SACRED BOOKS BURNED
BOMBAY, August 24.-The bridges In
the Upper Punjab are stric' -uarded by
troops 1t is reported tina; . the Mo-
hammedans attacked Fort Shabakdar
they burned all the sacred books Of the
Sikh temple there.
This excited the greatest indignation
among the Sikhs throughout the prov
ince, and the Sikh troops on the frontier
are greatly incensed.
A SERIOUS SITUATION
LONDON, Aug. 24-It is admitted
even in official circles, that news from
India is of the gravest description. All
those who are familiar with the situa-
ton attach the greatest Importance to
the rising Of the Afridis tribe, who, it
is estimated, can muster $4,000 men.
The Afridis, however, only form part
of the insurgents. A letter from India,
published in the Standard. emphasizes
the belief that the sultan of Turkey is
at the back of the whole uprising.
The Afridian newspapers comment
severely on what they term the marquis
of Salisbury's bad diplomacy.
sEPOYS ATTACKED
PESHAWAR, Aug. 24-It is reported
that a large number Of Afridis led by
fanatical priests, attacked the Sepoys
near Fort Ali Musjed at noon yesterday,
massa cring 300, capturing their rifles
and then proceeding in large forces to
make an attack upon the British garri-
son on the Lowergat.
There is very uneasy feeling in Quet-
ia, where the troops are under orders to
be in readiness to march to Newchalom,
which is the extreme outpost of the
Afghan frontier outpost of Khandahar,
and on the edge of the Registrar desert,
between the provinces of Toba and
Pishin.
FURIOUS yIGHTING
LONDON, Aug. PA dispatch to the
Times from Smla, dated Tuesday even
=, L
upon active hostilites today but have
remained in the hills about Khairbar,
where for the present they are practical
ly safe from attack. One of the Pathan
tribes has had the audacity to suggest
the terms under which they would agree
to disperse to their homes. These were
the withdrawal of troops from Swat and
from the Saman range, the surrender of
all the Afridi women living within our
border and the revision of the salt regu
lations. They do not seem to realize
that their rising must inevitably lead to
a complete breaking down of their pow
er as the dominant clan on the Peshawar
frontier.
A special dispatch from Bombay says
there is an unconfirmed rumor in circu-
lation that the Afridis have attacked
Fort Ali Musjed with great determine
ton. The garrison made sorte in full
force endeavoring to disperse them, but
met with desperate resistance and lost
800 killed. The remnant of the garrison
then abandoned the post and made its
way to the station of the Lowragt
The rumor that 300 of the government
force were killed at Fort Ali Musjed
lacks confirmation. The garrison was
composed of Afrdis, with Afridi officers.
IT. as one report says, they died fighting
desperately, it may be regarded Is proof
of the continued loyalty of the Afridis in
the Indian army.
Mirbahri is well-known frontier
chief. In 1880 during period of similar
discomfort, he proclaimed himself king
of Tirah and began to raise and drill an
army. But he became unpopular
through imposition of taxes and his in
fluence gradually melted away.