The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-21
FATHER RossIGNOLI.
The Story of His Escape From the
 Mahdi.

The Story or Ills Escape FrOlu LHe
 Mahdi.
 In 1894 an unknown man, by name Abdallah Mohammed Oman, of the Alb Ababdeh tribe called one day at the in telligence office in Cairo begging help to enable him to recover his property, which had been usurped by his shelK at Darawi near Assuan. The head of the department told him it was not a matter for them, but for the law courts, Oman, aware of his small chance or success in that direction, called again, saying he would render any service gfa- tuitously if in return the officer would only interest himself in the restoration of his property. Just at this time the German government had voted hve hundred pounds for an effort to pc made to rescue their subject, Charles Neufeldt, a prisoner at Omdurman since 1886, who had practised as sollc- itor in a small way at Cairo, where his real German wife still lives. He also kept small store at Assuan. Taking Oman at his word, the intelligence de- partment, half in earnest, asked him if he would like to try and effect Neu- feldt's escape. He jumped at 1t. Agreements were drawn up by which Oman was to receive three hundred pounds on his return with the captive and fifty pounds in advance to buy camels and Manchester goods for him to assume the role of a trader. Mean while inquiries were made about him, with the result that he was described as a thief and a notoriously bad character. He was thereupon again interviewed and his character shown to him, with the remark that he was apparently not fit to be trusted with fifty pounds. Oman promptly said he would himself borrow that sum and provide his own stock in trade, and show that he was worthy of trust so fresh agreement to this effect was drawn up and he started from Assuan.
 The intelligence department had not dared impart whisper of this mission to soul and, consequently, not to. the authorities at Assuan to give him traders passport. So seeing g. person of such bad reputation making off, they immediately concluded he was a spy in communication with the Khalifa, and the patrols pursued him for several miles; but he cunningly eluded them and reached Berber by desert route di-
 
 three months, married a wife with much ceremony and ostentation, and became one of the community, which often twitted him with want of enter prise in not using his camels more and getting better market for his goods in Omdurman "Why should I go there? l do well enough here, and am happy with my wife" he always replied. !, Ta,,r yicsl, fI,r, ders, to make use of him and his cam els, persuaded him to join them, and with much apparent reluctance he con- sented He found Neufeldt with only one chain on, which Oman prepared to file off, and all obstacles to the flight, which was considered an easy one, were removed, when Neufeldt obstinately re- fused to leave his black wife behind To take her was out of the question, and so the project fell through
 But Oman had received instructions that it Neufeldt could not be rescued he was to endeavor to bring away instead Father Paolo Rossignoli, who with a lay brother named Rognotto, had been q prisoner since the fall of Fl Obeid in 1883. They were earning their living as walters in cafe kept by a Greek. One day, three months prior to Oman's vis- it, they were sitting in the front of the shop during the slack hours, when a fortune-teling woman came along and offered for small sum to tell their des- tinies with cowrie shells. which she threw up with the coin in the air, when the position in which the shells would fall on the sand would foretell their fu- ture. Two cowries fell close together, another some way apart. She said {: "These two shells represent you both :; the further one is man who is coming from the far north who will take one of you away" and she designated Rossig- noli, who, utterly broken down in health, had long since abandoned all hope Of escape. and laughed at the prophecy and never gave it another thought Oman hung about the cafe for a fortnight, not daring to make a