New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-05
ELEVEN YEARS A CAPTIVE.
ADVENTURES OF KARL NEUFELD. A GER
MAN PHYSICIAN. WHOM THE ENG
LISH ARMY RESCUED FROM
THE DERVISHES.

THE DERNISHES.
ylerr Karl Neufeld. who referred TO in
yesterdays dispatch from Cairo as re .crfd un-
harmed from TIE Dervish IS. fell into the hands
of the Mahdis followers. IN the neiChborhood
Of Dorgoa in the late spring or ca ly summer
OF 1881 He was the last Eu ;ean male captive
OF importance remaining in the power Of the
Dervshes.
Various accounts are given Of his early career
According 10 the "Neues Wiener Tagbatt,
Neufe!d shortly after the conclusion Of his col
lege course at !.eipsc. where he studied medi-
cine, severely ~ de! opponent In a duel
and was obliged to = ab1oad He settled as a
physician a: Assouan. Upper Egyp'. where he
practised his profession from 1879 10 1881
When the rising OF Mahomed Achmed took
place In the latter year. Herr Neufelc was
obliged to give up his residence at Assouan.
While a, the University he had given many
proofs Of his hlrdihood Of character and love
OF adventure and he joined the English troops
during the operations in the Soudan as an in
terpretcr Of the Arabic language, in which po-
sition his kno ..,dge Of the people and OF their
pol!u :ai relations together with his shTe"d-
ness and courage caused him 10 be highly APP
precated In 1855 he saved a whole detach-
meut Of English soldiers by putting the enemy
pointed purveyor to the British troops. II which
capacity he set up business at Assouan and
established branches in other parts Of the
country.
In April. 1887. he set out on Journey. oston.
tibly for the purposes OF trade with caravan
OF over forty retainers. Various accounts were
given Of the object Of his expedition, one being
that 1t was undertaken with view Of rescuing
Pacha Of
while other &C ;o'nts represented that he was
merely trying TO ascertain the position OF the
enemy.
Evidently recognizing the danger he was about
to run. Neufed. before leaving Assouan. de-
posted his money in English bank and sent
his wife and only child TO his relatives at Leip-
Sc His apprehension proved to be only too well
founded. Through the treachery OF an, Arab,
ne and his whole caravan were taken by the
Dervishes
He nearly lost his life when the Mahd was
Informed that he was an English or Egyptian
Spy sent 10 ascertain whether Mudr Mustapha
Pacha was favorable to the English. The
Nahdi declared that he regretted not having
hanged Neufeld and had him loaded with chains
and cast into prison. where he remained four
years
Ultimately scarcity OF powder arose in the
eouoan. and Neufeld's knowledge or chemistry
was brought into requisition for Its manufact-
ure 1t appears that he collected satpetre and
made the explosive, but the same narratives
mat gave this information described him as
sun In letters and carrying iron rings upon
both feet.
MS next clever exploit was subsequent TO the
oeath OF the Mahdi and under the rule Of the
Ahanfa Neufeld decorated the tomb OF the
Aiahdi. whose dome the British gunbcats have
Just partially demolished and did the work so
effectively that. according TO Father Rossignoli.
""' escaped from Khartoum In 1891 the
WIDOWS OF the Prophet were quite touched"
Ai'er that Re became a mechanic and-still
secording to Father Rossignaii-"trled al! sorts
VI Inventions and took the greatest trouble TO
Nns'ruct machine for making coins" Mean
".''ie M appears 10 have acted a. editor" Of
vac hha.ifa's proclamations in addition to writ
.s DOCKS and illustrating them himself, for a
'''eo circulation among the Dervishes
~ the time Of the release OF Sian Pacha 1t
was reared that his life would again be in dan
s~'' Sut this did not prove to be the case.