The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-24
CITY OF sEasER STILL A WRECK.
Grewsome Evidence of the Massacre of
1884 Visible On Every Side.


The fall of Berber in May, 1884. was
in a manner at once a matter of ar
rangement and at the same time
conquest accompanied by great slaugh-
ter of the yanquished. This came
about in the following way: Hussein
Pacha Khalifa, the Egyptian governor
of Berber, was at the same time sneikn
of the rich and powerful Ababdeh tribe.
When Mahdism spread to the country
around Berber, which it did almost as
soon as Gordon had got inside the
walls of Khartoum $50 soon after ms
entry, indeed, that he was never able
to get the 100000 to Khartoum that
he had carried with him as far as Ber-
ber) the widely scattered Ababdeh
were divided into two camps. This was
a necessity of their geographical posi-
ton. That section of them inhabitlng
the region dominated by Mahdism be-
came perforce Mahdist. Those still
within the rapidly narrowing sphere or
Egyptian influence remained loyal TO
the khedive.
Thus 1t came about that when Berber
was invested large number OF the
towns defenders were Ababdeh ana
kinsmen to the majority of the attack
ing force. Hussein Pacha had made
what preparation he could for defense.
The town was walled and his force of
Egyptian soldiers and Shaigia and
Ababdeh tribesmen was considerable.
He had cleared nearly all the ground
before the walls. but he had committed
the fatal error of leaving at the north
ern (river) corner of the town garden,
which was the property of the mosque.
OF course, as no help was forthcoming
for him from without the fall OF the
town would in any case have been only
a question of time, and Hussein Pacha
was negotiating, as was easy for him
to do through the Ababdeh outside.
fSNy.f fsse sci tn nj
terms.
Before the negotiations had proceed
ed very far, however. the attacking
Ababdeh had effected an entrance
through the mosque garden and, spar
ing so far as might be their own kins-
men, rushed furiously upon the Shat
gia, whom they attacked in the trench
es from behind and effected frightful
slaughter among them. Some ], 100 1t
is said, were killed. and. the town
taken, the usual three days wholesale
massacre took place. Hussein Pacha
was spared and after time of semi
captivity went to live with the mahdi,
from whom he ultimately escaped by
playing the vision trick on the poor,
foolish false prophet, who let him de-
part on a heaven-inspired mission to
convert the khedive. the rest of the
Ababdeh and others.
/ have ridden several times since /
streets of old Berber and, though 131s
years have passed since that wave of
| fanatcal frenzy swept through the
| doomed town, to leave it the wreck it
| is to-day, the ruined streets and roof
less, crumbling houses still contain
| many painful souvenirs of the three
| days terror. The bones of the slaugh-
| tered garrison still line the trenches,
| and in many houses are similar re-
! mains. Sometimes even one can almost
read in the position of these pitiful
relics the story step by step of the
slaughter of whole family. In the
| far corner lie tiny CONGRATULATIONS
only, for nowhere is there a whole
skeleton. the kites, / suppose, have seen
| to that-and before them are larger
ones, while the largest of all are found
by the door, sometimes outside, some
times within. Imagine what Berber
must have been like for months after
this massacre. and especially during
the first ensuing weeks when the wild
| hordes of Mahdists were still engaged
in the work of destruction. for il
| takes time to completely wreck town
and We're yet ferreting through the dis
| mantled houses and among the stripped
dead for valuables. whose caches had
possibly escaped discovery in former
| search