Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-11-17
THE KHAuFA'S prisoner.
Story of Carl Neufeld Who
Was Held a Captive For
Thirteen Years.
STARTED OUT AS A SPY
Was Captured, Came Near Being tx
ecuted and Suffered Fearful Tor
lures and PrivationS.

spent u Whole Year In the "blRck Hole" of
the Prison-Was Fearfully Flogged at
Times Finally Discovered saltpetre for
tie Manufacture of Gun Powder-Now
II Free Man.
One of the first things General Kit
chener did on entering Omdurman was
to look for Carl Neufeld. This now
famous man was at the time, and had
been for thirteen years. prisoner
the Khalifa's capital. He was soon
found and released. and among the
first to congratulate him was his old
friend Slatin Pasha, himself formerly
a prisoner of the Mahdi and the wri
ter after his escape. OF that absorbing
work. Fire and Sword in the ooudan.
Herr Neufeld was merchant re-
siding AZ Assuan. From a fugitive
in Northern Kordofan there was u
large quantity of gum which the mer.
chants had been unable to dispose OF
il consequence of the rebellion. If
he could get it to the Wady Halfa
there was money in it; so he resolved
to try his luck, and got permission
frCm the British Governme-. to 50:
OFF with q caravan that was to join
Sheikh Saleb. In return he proposed
to spy out the land and give de-
tailed account of the situation TO Gen
cal Stephenson. Unfortunately the
famous Nejumi was on the lockout for
him. 4 fight ensued. Saleh's people
,f fhNSa C
that were not killed in battle wera
beheaded. with the single exception Of
Herr Neufeld who WAS conveyed 10
Omdurman, acd brought before the
Khalifa
News spread like wildfir" hat an
English pasha had been captured, and
this caused Il great stir in the capital
The Khalifa considered him q most
important capture, and NeuftId was
ushered into The presence OF the thre9
Khalifas and two Europeans who were
entrusted with the examination Of his
papers. Neufeld spoke Arabic. and
was quite fearless. His papers shove
that he was a Prussian, and had stu1-
led in Leipzig University.
All the documents were translated TO
the Khalifa' as L was most important
TO assure him tina. Neufeld was no.
an Euglishman as otherwiSe ii would
have gone very hardly with him.
There was cne lette" however. inEug-
lish. which. il Il had been truthfully
translated would have probably got
him into great danger. After Neufeld's
preliminary examination the Khalifa's
mind seemed TO have been put at rest,
for he delivered from his high seat
long speech regarding this great Eng
lish pasha," who he said had come to
the Soudan with arms and ammu-
milton intending to seize kordofan
and fight against Mahdism. but for
tunately the brave troops of Wad el
Nejumi had met him near Dongola,
killed his soldiers and captured him.
Poor Neufeld was therefore thrown
into chains and carefully guarded by
soldiers.
II was decided that Neufeld was TO
be hanged next morning. Very early
the khalifa sent orders that the great
drum was to be beaten while the blast
of the huge ombeya (trumpeD sounded
close to Neufelds ears. The slaves
made game CT him as II he were a
monkey. but he kept up his courage
and answered all insults with a manly
spirit. The rope mad been fixed On
the scaffold and crowds OF people coll
lected to see the 'Englishman" exc
cuted. Neufeld was taken to the mar
ket place. escorted by horsemen. The
crowd raised yell of delight when
he appeared. but Neufeld walked fear
lesSly on. and on reaching the gallows
he jumped oEto the angarib ttedstead)
and bent his head so that the rcpe
might he adjusted Just at that mo-
ment the judge stepped forward and
said that the Khalifa had been gra-
ciously pleased to repeal the sentence
of execution, and Neufeld was therefor
again removed to the prison.
The depth Of misery to which he was
reduced may be understood when 1t
is known that he spent 4 whole year
in the stone hut ("the black hole'o OF
the prison, and it was not till he had
completed two years in prison that
through the intermediary of friend
he was allowed to build little cell
for himself in one of the corners OF
the yard
When powder became scarce in Om-
durman. some one suggested at one of
the Khalifa's councils that it would be
much better TO make the unbelievers
work for religion instead Of remaining
all day idle in prison, and that Neu-
field ought to undertake the saltpetre
refinery
The Khalifa said: DO what YOU
think is right, ] am content"
Neufeld was sent to Halfaieh in
search Of saltpetre. He found some
and went TO work in the old Mission
House at khartoum, receiving q small
sum as wages. HE still wears one
chain on the feet says Ohrwalder,
which, from constant rubbing, has
become as bright as silver and there
I'll Al. a,Iyr 1t