The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-06

sergeant Of artillery, Klotz. and an ex-
Austrian officer, who now bears the
name OF rnger; while his principal lieu
tenant Is the celebrated Osman Dlgna,
the most clever Of all his generals, and
who. the son of n French shopkeeper Of
the name OF Joseph Nlsbet, was born at
Rouen and baptized in the magnificent
cathedral Of that ancient capital Of
Normandy. s
His father failed in business, migrated
TO Egypt. where. after his death, his
widow married a we'll known Monam-
medan merchant OF Alexandria, Digna
by name. Having no children Of his
own. he became exceedingly fond OF his
French stepsou. insisted on his hecom-
ing converted to the faith OF the Proph-
ct. and entered him under the name Of
Osman Dlgna at the military school n,
Cairo. where the lad received careful
training at the hands Of the distinguish
ed French. German and British officers
attached to the college as professors. 1t
Is to this training at the military school
at Cairo that must be Inscribed the re-
markabe skill which Osman DigDa has
displayed In the construction OF fortiG-
cations and lntrenchments In his num-
erous encounters with the Anglo Egyp-
tian forces, and the circumstances that
that khaiifa should now be strongly In
trenched on the shores of Lake Sherket,
about $50 miles from Nhartoum, leads to
the belief that he has with him his best
general. the French renegade, Osman
Digna, who only rejolned him after the
battle Of Omdurman.
Quite number OF other Frenchmcn
have endeavored to Join the dervishes
In the Soudan to fight against the Eng
lish. and It may be remembered that the
Marquis de Mores. married to the
daughter OF Banker Louis Hoffman, OF
New York. lost his life while on his way
to Khartoum for the purpose OF placing
his services at the disposal Of the Khal-
ifa.
Another case which came under my
notice Is that Of Oliver Pain, one of the
most prominent leaders OF the French
Commune OF 1871. Condemned to death
for his participation In that lnsurrec-
ton. his sentence was subsequently,
committed to one OF penal servitude for
HE In New Caledonia. He succeeded
In effectinE his escape thence with Hem
ri Rochefort. and passed through New
York In 1876 on his way back to Europe.
Seven or eight years later met him at
Cairo. where he made no secret of the
fact that he was on his way to offer his
services to the Mahdi in his war against
the English.
He set forth on his adventurous trip
into tho desert en- route to KhnrtCtIIn,
the English authorities making no at
tempt to interfere with his movements.
No authentic news was henrd Of him
until the Austrian missionary. Father
Ahrwalder. subsequent TO his escape
from Omdurman, reported that Pain
had reached the Mnhdi In safety, and
that after living at Omdurman for sew
esal years as one OF the Counselors
OF the false prophet, had finally incur
red the latters dlspleasure and had
bean brrieh alive.
Both in Egypt and In Turkey there are
quite large number or pnshas. most
aereut Mohaminedans. who are nothing
more or less than European rencSades.
4 Thus Omar Pasha. the most distinguish
ed Turkish general OF the present con-
fury, was an Austrian by birth and had
served In the Austrian army under the
name OF Mikail Won Lattas.
Old Chcrif Pasha, who was on numcr-
GUS occasions prime minister and regent
OF Egypt was a son of that French gem
crll, De Selves. who reorganized the
army OF Mchcmet All on European
footing, and embrace Mohammedanism
with the object of increasing his intiu-
cnce over his troops. One OF the most
Interesting rencgades OF this kind that |
ever met was old Sefer Pasha. whose
real name was Count koSCielsky, and
who, while holding the rank of lieuten-
ant colonel In the Prusslan army, had
the misfortune TO kill In duel his COM
manding officer, Count Kleist.
Among other celebrted rcncgadcs OF
this kind may mention the name OF
| Mehemet All Pasha. who. after taking
| n leading part In the last Turko-Rus-
| sim war. was sent by the sultan rs
| one OF the Ottoman plenipotentlaries
| to the Berlin congress OF 1873. His
| diplomatic prerogati%es alone saved
| him from being arrested on that Occa-
sion by the Prussian military nuthori-
ties as Il dcserter. having ut one time
held n commission rs lieutenant In the
Third regiment OF Footgun~ds. 1t may
be remembered that he was ASSASSIN
ntGd n couple OF years after the con-
gress In Albania.
The French have often complained
that during their interminable wars
with the natives on the west coast OF
Africa they have invariably found their
enemies armed and equipped with war
material of German manufacture. And
In at least Elk instances German ex-
non commissioned officers were cap
tured while In the not OF directing the
military operations OF the natives
against the French. As these savagps
at western Africa arc renowned FOR
their od.hirstineEs-human sacrifices
and cnnnihnlism being almost univer-
sal-GGnernl Dodds. In command OF tho
French forces, deserves II good deal OF
credit for not having therc Germans
shot instead OF sending them back un-
der arrest to France. where they were
liberated on their arrival.
This led him to cIpatria'e himself
and, Joining the Turkish army. he dis
tingiiIshed himself during the Crimcnn
war na a member Of the staff 81 the
Turkish communicative chief. Omar
Paaha. Subsequently the count. who
had meanwhile become n convert to
MohammcdaniRm under the name OF
Scfcr Pasha. transferred his services to
Khcdivc Ismnil of Egypt. whom he
used Invariably TO accompany to the
! Mosque on Fridny. practicing the Mo-