The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-08-29

day the SaVageS are assisted ny
white men who have become traitors
to civilization. Such renegades are
scattered through all the remote cor
ners of the earth.
The British troops campaigning III
Somaliland are learning to their cost
that the Mad Mullah IS assisted oy I
white man familiar with the art OF
modern warfare His name is Kari
Inger He was an officer in the Aus
trian army until a year or two ago.
An English officer, Captain Tnorp OF
the Yorkshire light infantry, who kne"
HIM al Budapest, speaks of him as an
exceptionally brilliant soldier, with Il
natural gift for tactics and for COM
handing men. Inger used to speak Dlt-
terly against the English and was iona
of expressing sympathy with the 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 Kaff1rs in
South Africa and of the Hindus in
India.
He disappeared from Budapest short =
ly before the outbreak in Somaliland,
and his acquaintances were not sur
prised to hear that he was fighting as
a lieutenant of the Mad Mullah. Ma
tive spies reported that ne 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 acquaint-
ance, Captain Thorp. had been sec
onded" from his regiment and attached
to the Somaliland field force as a spe-
cial service officer Thus they may
meet face to face in battle. In that
case one or the other is likely to go
under, for Captain Thorp. in common
with the other officers of the British
force has vowed to risk the uttermost
peril to STAY this traitor to civilization,
who is held responsible for the cutting
up OF Colonel Swaynes expedition
some months ago.
1t is said that Lord Lansdowne, the
British foreign minister, confidentially
asked the Austrian government
whether it was true that Inger had
Joined the Mullah. The Austrian gov
eminent replied that there was reason
to believe he had, and added hope
that if he was caught he Would receive
no mercy.
Inger appears to be gifted with the
qualities that impress the savage mind.
He is skilIful in planning ambushes
and strategems. and is especially val
liable to the Mullah because, knowing
the effects of rifle and Maxim fire, he
prevents the Somalis from madly fac
ing it and being moved down like
corn, as the dervishes were at Omdur-
man.
He takes care that they shall fight
the British troops in the jungle under
conditions which make the superior
arms of the latter ineffective. British
officers say that the trouble at Somall-
land would have been over long ago
but for Karl Inger.
If he were caught by native troops
uncontrolled by an officer he would
probably die by slow torture A Fan
zibari spy who has penetrated to the
camp asserts that Inger has
made up his mind to shoot himself
rather than be captured.
Another renegade from civilization,
and one of 1.-THE most notorious, is Os-
man Digna, the De Wet of the Soudan.
He was the right-hand man Of the
Mahdi and afterWard of the Khalifa.
Ever since 1882 he has been a thorn in
the side of the British
For many years he was supposed 10
De an Arab chieftain. but Slatin Pasha
found that he is a white man, born OF
Scottish parents in Cairo. 1t is said
that he was In the employment of the
government of Egypt in his youth, but
was cashiered for theft and blackmail
IN the complaints of some European
merchants in Cairo.
Burning for revenge. he went south
md joined the Mahdi Immediately
after the latter raised the standard of
'evolt against Egypt in 1882. He soon
became known as the best general of
he dervishes, inhicting defeat after
iefeat on the British and Egyptian
roopos, massacring whole armies, cap
uring cities and devastating many
hundreds of miles of country.
He took no prisoners. spared no neu-
rails. Wherever his swift cavalry and
,amel corps went they left trail of
lesolation behind them.
Many efforts were made to capture
" kill Osman Digna, but ell without
success. A former captive in the camp |
# the Khalifa says that an Abyssinian |
whom he had injured stabbed Osman |
over the heart.
The knife broke in two, but Osman
vas uninjured. Naturally the ignorant |
ervishes thought he was invulnera BILE. |
The simple explanation is that he wore |
coat of very fine chain armor under !
lis burnouse.
A British officer recently told how he |
ought in hand hand combat with |
)sman when the dervishes broke the |
British square at Tel-el-Kebir.
II got a thrust with my sword right !
ome on his chest. said the officer, |
nv al,
ut his. confounded chain armor turned |
he point of the weapon A rush of the
ervishes then swept US apart.
4 remember him as a very tall and
owerful man. with a most ferocious
He fought like a madman.
lis skin looks like a white man. and L
oticed that his eyes are light blue"
When the power of the Khalifa was
tterly broken at Omdurman in 1898.
'sman Digna escaped the slaughter
ding off the field with a small body of
licked horsemen before the battle was
YER. Lord Kitchener was bitterly dis
ppointed. and sent expedition after ex-
edition in pursuit of him. Most of his
including the Khalifa. were
7ptured and slain, but Osman always
scaDed.
He is now dwelling with the Mabas. a
negro race who are the
Hing tribe in the kingdom of Wadai.
atives assert that soon after Osman
ound refuge there he conspired with
blu Said, son of the former king of
adai, to assassinate the reigning king.
he conspiracy Vas successful.
Abu Said now rules over Wadai, with
sman as his prime minister They are
lpported by hordes of the finest and
ost fanatical native fighting men in
frica, including the remnants of the
nalifa's forces.
The English and French authorities
the Soudan expect that Wadai will
We them serious trouble in the near
.ture. now that Osman is there. They
ar it will be The center of another
ltbreak as fornlidabl as the AIahdis