New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-19
SMELLING THE MAHprs TOMB.

our howitzer battery was ordered to shell not
only the defences OF Omdurman-a perfectly
yustihaole proceeding-but the Mahdrs tomb
Whlch lay in the very centre Of the town. On
the evening Of the I'd, after the Sirdar had
taken possession OF the city and It's defenders
mad escaped or been killed, shells were again
hnahias palace-one Of these pro1ectiles. in
Iact. Killed Mr.. Howard the correspondent Of
The New-York Herald"
The third Lydditc shell, which was fired from
over the river at a range Of $3.50 yards, struck
the top OF the Mahdis tomb and subsequently
better hlts were scored, which tore huge rents in
the dome and completely wrecked the interior
The 50-pound shells which missed their mark
feil against the surrounding houses and streets
ana dld terrible execution. In one spot, close to
me khalifa's palace. ring Of eight bodies
some Of them horribly eontorted, marked the
spot where shell had burst
Surely the bombardment Of tombs is rather
unworthy Of British artillery! But what fol-
lowed was still greater outrage upon Moslem
sentiment and religious feeling. No creed pays
more profound respect to the dead than that Of
Mahomet The violation of grave or the ie-
moval of a headstone Is most repugnant TO ORR
entails Of this faith. The valuable land which Is
covered by the vast cemeteries round STEAMBOAT
Is never secularized for building purposes,
though many Turkish Moslems bury their
dead over the water near Scutar from the be-
lief that infides will In the future gain posses
sion Of Constantinople and desecrate the rest
Ing places Of the faithful. Yet at the close OF
the nineteenth century British commander.
not content with desecrating a tomb actually
orders dead mans body to be torn out OF its
gravel The embalmed body of the Mahdi was
dug up, the head wrenched off, and the trunk
cast into the Nile. 1t is almost incredible that
the disinterment and mutiation Of dead body
which had lain in the grave for more than ten
years should have been possible under gen.
eral whom Christian" England is now delight
ing to honor The act is nothing more less
than a return 10 the barbarism OF the Middle
Ages.
KILLING NON-COMBATANTs.
There was another feature in our capture Of
Omdurman which was truly deplorable. BY the
time we had repulsed the last Dervish attack
and were rapidly advancing upon Omdurman,
the streets leading to the southern exits OF the
town were Gro xded with fugitives. In addition
to mounted BaggaraS and Dervish infantry, a
chaotic mass of non-combatants, men, women
and children, dragging after them camels horses
and donkeys. laden with goods and chattels-all
this confused sire of human beings and ami
mails was pressing madly forward In panic
stricken flight Orders given to fire upon
the fugitives, and the artillerymen on the
gunboats from their raised positions could see
well over the walls, deadly fire was opened
upon the crowded thoroughfareS. One street
especially, which led down to the river, was
swept by frightful hail Of Maxim bullets,
which moved the fugitves down in scores.
torous army to fire upon flying enemy, or to
send cavalry in pursuit But when vast crowd
of neon batants accompanies the flight of the
soldiery. a terrible responsibility is undertaken
in opening Maxim fire on such a multitude IN
discriminatory. Next day some five hundred
dead bodies lay scattered about the streets OF
Omdurman. and among them were corpses or
women and little children. little group or
two women and man standing on the
rank. Lets separate the man from the
women said gunner. "Ta-ta-ta? went the
Maxim, and all three figures rel prostrate Two
women were bending sorrowfully over the dead
body Of Dervish, when q non-commlsSioned
officer went up and deliberately shot one OF the
women with q revolver.