Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-28
WHITE LEADERS OF sAVAGES.
One of Them now Aiding the Mad
MulIah In Africa.


One of Them now Aiding the Mad
MulIah In Africa.
In nearly every war between savage
tribes and civilized powers today the
savages are assisted by white men
who have become traitors to civiliza-
ton. Such renegades are scattered
through all the remote corners OF the
earth. The British troops campaign
ing In Somaliland are learning to their
cost that the Mad Mullah Is assisted
by a white man familiar with the art
of modern warfare. His name Is Kari
Inger. He was an officer in the Aus
trian army until year or two ago.
An English officer, Capt. Thorp, OF
the Yorkshire Light infantry, who
knew him at Budapest, speaks of him
as an exceptionally brilliant soldier
with a natural gift for tactics and fol
commanding men. Inger used to SPEAK
bitterly against the English and was
fond of expressing sympathy with ma
tive races in their struggles with CIV
ilization. He would rail by the hour
against the treatment Of the Indians
in the United States, of the Kaffirs ir
South Africa and Of the Hindus In In
dia-
He disappeared from Budapes,
shortly before the outbreak in Somali-
land, and his acquaintances were moi
surprised to hear that he was fighting
as a lieutenant Of the Mad Mullah
Native spies reported that he adopted
the Mohammedan religion in Cairo and
was taken to the Mullah's camp
through Italian Somaliland by some
Arab pilgrims whom he met in Cairo
on their return from Mecca. 1t is as
serted that he had much to do with
stirring up the recent war and per-
suading the Mad Mullah to defy the
British.
Curiously enough his old acqauint-
ance, Capt. Thorp, has been second
ed" from his regiment and attached tc
the Somaliland field force as a specia
service officer Thus they may meet
face to face in battle. In that case one
or the other is likely to go under, FOL
Capt. Thorp, in common with the 9TH
er officers Of the British force, has
vowed to risk the utmost peril to slaJ
this traitor to civilization, who Is hello
responsible for the cutting up of Col
Swayne's expedition some months ago
1t is said that Lord Lansdowne, the
British foreign minister, confidentlali5
asked the Austrian government wheth-
er it was true that Inger had Joined
the Mullah. The Austrian government
replied that there was reason to be-
lieve he had, and added hope tha'
if he was caught, he would receive nc
mercy.
Inger appears to be gifted with the
qualities that impress the savage mind
He is skillful in planning ambushes anc
stratagems, and Is especially valuable
to the Mullah because, knowing the ef'
fects Of rifle and Maxim fire, he pre-
vents the Somalis from madly facing
it and being moved down like corn
as the dervishes were at Omdurman.
He takes care that they shall f1gh1
the British troops in the jungle undel
conditions which make the superior
arms Of the latter ineffective. British
officers say that the trouble in Somali'
land would have been over long age
but for Karl Inger.
If he were caught by native troop:
uncontrolled by an officer he woulc
probably die by slow torture. A Zan'
zibari spy who has penetrated to thF
Mullah's camp asserts that Inger ha!
made up his mind to shoot himself
rather than be captured.
Another renegade from civilization
and one of the most notorious, is Os'
man Digna, the De Wet Of the Soudan
He was the right-hand man Of th'
Mahdi and afterward Of the Khalifa
Ever since 1882 he has been thorr
in the side of the British.
For many years he was supposed tt
be an Arab chieftain, but Slatin Pashs
found that he is a white man, born O.
Scottish parents in Cairo. 1t is sait
that he was in the employment of th'
government Of Egypt in his youth, bu
was cashiered for theft and blackmai
on the complaints of some European
merchants in Cairo.
Burning for revenge, he went south
and joined the Mahdi Immediately thu
latter raised the standard Of revol
against Egypt in 1882 He soon be-
came known as the best general of th'
dervishes, inflicting defeat after de-
feat on the British and Egyptian
troops, massacring whole armies, cap
turing cities and devastating many
hundreds of miles Of country.
He took no prisoners, spared no neu
trails. Wherever his swift cavalry ant
camel corps went they left a trail O.
desolation behind them.
Many efforts were made to capture
or kill Osman Digna, but all withou
success. A former captive in the camE
of the Khalifa says that an Abyssiniar
whom he had injured stabbed Osmar
violently over the heart.
The knife broke in two, but Osmar
was uninjured. Naturally the ignor'
ant Dervishes thought he was invul'
nerable. The simple explanation /:
that he wore a coat of very fine chair
armor under his burneuse.
A British officer recently told how
he fought in hand-to- hand comba,