Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-11-14
WAR ON MAD MOLLAH.
Experiences of a St. Louisan
Who Fought FL Mahdi.
A FANATIC OF THE SAME SORT.

Uphill Against Moslem HOrdes Who
Want to Die, In a Sandy Country,
Far From Supplies.
Frederick Quelch of st. Louis is In a
position to appreciate the dangers and
the privations that will beset the Brit
ish troops to be sent to crush the Mad
MOllah. He spent three years chasing
Ell MGhdi In northeastern Africa, and
he knows rom experience how the
fanatical Moslem hordes can fight
against a Christian army.
IL believe that the Mad Mollah will
give the British as much trouble as
the mahdi did" Mr.. Quelch said to
ST. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter, land
he gave them trouble for ten years.
"The followers of the Mad Mollah
are the same kind Of people as the
Sudanese who followed the mahdi.
negro In their blood. They are all
Mohammedans and fight with reli-
gOus frenzy born of the religion that
teaches them that If they die fighting
Christians, or Franks, as they call us,
they will 90 straight into the presence
Of Allah and into bliss everlasting.
Ever since the British government
began its protectorate over India and
African countries 1t has had trouble
with leaders Of fanatic hordes The
mahdi was much like the present Mad
Mollah. The mOllahs originated in
India. They are generally Moham.
medan priests and fakirs. They are
wild fanatics, known to be insane. but
therefore believed to be sacred. They
fire their followers by preaching a
jehad, or holy war. They usually at
tempt some fake miracle to assure the
MOslems of their divine inspiration.
and then their followers believe that
new mollah has arrived. II he Is
successful, his onslaughts on Chris
tians or other tribes soon give him the
title Of Mad Mollah.
"If the Mad Mollah wins a victory,
the other Mohammedans are at once
more impressed with the divine charac-
ter Of his leadership, and they flock to
mis- standard where they might other
wise have remained passive. The re-
cent victory of the Mad Mollah over
Colonel Swayne's detachment presages
therefore, large fanatic hordes to his
forces. The trouble the British will
have in subdung him will be proper
tionately increased by each victory.
"Then the British this time are go
t., 30 H., ha
malls than Kitchener or his prede-
cessors had in subduing the Sudanese
and taking khartum. / think the Brit
ish will find this time that the Mad
Mollah's followers are equipped with
rifles probably as good as their own.
In the early eighties, when the British
force to which was attached invaded
the Sudanese country the natives were
not so well equipped. | remember dis
tinctly they attacked us with spears
and swords. They had two kinds of
swords--a short one and long two
edged sword. They welded them with
fanatical fury right in the face Of our
bullets.
''The detachment l was with made
an overland march from the seaport
of Suakin to Berber, distance Of 1000
miles. Berber is ON the Nile, 300 miles
from Khartum. On the way we had
two or three scraps. l was in bat
talon Of marine artillery, and we had
with us Gatling gun and number OF
other guns from our man-of-war. None
| Of them bluffed the mahdfs followers.
They came right into our lines and at
tackled us with their swords. Once they
| even broke hollow square Of British
soldiers four deep. To one who knows
anything about military formations
this is something Of feat, considering
the difference Of their arms.
"If the British column sent after the
latest Mad Mollah ever meets his Mos
lem followers hand to hand, 1t will
have to reckon with these swords and
spears as well as bullets. And they
are cluel and barbarous too They be-
lieve they are doing religious duty
IL they butcher white soldiers who are
fighting them.
81 understand that Somaliland Is
much like the adjoining portions Of
Africa. 1t is mainly barren, full of
ravines, and what little vegetation is
there is small sandy scrub brush. The
country rises gradually up from the
Red sea back forty or fifty miles to a
plateau 5000 feet above the sea level.
The only means Of transportation is
by camel But camels are plentiful.
@1n OF M
British soldiers will find it necessary
very likely to chase the Mad Mollah
up toward the top of the plateau and
bring their supplies after them.
'Tn the British army the work OF
handling supplies is attended to entire
ly by the army service corps. Men are
specially enlisted for the work. They
are called noncombatants. The com
batants need bother little about food
except in cases where their commits
sary stores are in danger Of destruc'
ton or capture or are inaccessible.
"The followers of the mahdi in the
eighties had not learned the art OF de-
stroying supply trains. If they
haven't acquired the trick from the
Beers, the British will have little to
fear on that score.
"The Moslem followers of the Mad
Mollah might make it interesting FOL
the ammunition wagons that get toe
far away from the main body of the
expedition. The supply trains usually
follow about day behind the for
ward column. If the Mad Mollah ever