Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-28

ed VI lHe WedpoN. "A iNSN
Of the dervishes then swept us apart.
II remember him as a very tall and
powerful man, with a most feroclous
expression. He fought like a mad
man. His skin is tanned brown by the
sun, but he looks like a white man,
and 1 noticed that his eyes are light
blue"
When the power of the Khalifa was
utterly broken at Omdurman In 1898,
Osman Digna escaped the slaughter
riding off the field with a small BODY
of picked horsemen before the battle
was over. Lord Kitchener was bitter
ly disappointed, and sent expedition
after expedition in pursuit OF MIN.
Most of his comrades, including the
Khalifa, were captured and slain, but
Osman always escaped.
He Is now dwelling with the Mabas,
a Mohammedan Negro race, who are
the ruling tribe in the Kingdom OF
Wadai. Natives assert that soon after
Osman found refuge there he conspired
with Abu Said. a son Of the former
king of Wadai, to assassinate the
reigning king. The conspiracy was
successful.
Abu "aid now rules over Wadai, with
Osman as his prime minister. They
are supported by hordes of the finest
and most fanatical native fighting men
in Africa, including the remnants OF
the Khalifa's forces.
The English and French authorities
| in the Soudan expect that Wada1 Will
give them serious trouble In the near
future, now that Osman Is there. They
fear it will be the centre of another
outbreak as formidable as the Mahdfs.
By an Anglo-French agreement made
in March, 1899, Wadai was assigned
| to France. But in Africa 1t Is one
thing to assert authority and another
thing to enforce it.
Osman told the natives of the agree
ment, and they became indignant ana
resolved to fight the unbelievers. But
| Osman restrained them. He has learn
ed by experience the power of civil
lied army, and he does not mean to
| fight one again until he has reason
able hope Of success.
The new sultan of Wadai has ac-
cepted Turkish suzerainty, and In re-
turn the sultan Of Turkey has refused
to recognize the Anglo-French agree
ment Of 1899 and is lending his influ-
ence in support of the plots Of Osman.
Those who know the man declare that
| Osman, inspired by his indomitable
hatred of his own race, will never rest
| until he has stirred up another war
and drencled Central Africa in blood.
The Dark Continent Is full Of these
| romantic stories of traitors to CIV
ilization. One Of the strangest Is that
Of Capt. Voulet.
He was a French military officer In
the employment of the governor gen.
eral of French West Africa He had
command of a column Of native troops
in 1899 and was ordered to march to-
| ward Lake Tchad and explore the vast
stretch of new territory which had just
been assigned to France by the Anglo
French agreement. .-was an import
ant mission, and Capt. Voulet might
have made name for himself and be-
come second Major Marchand.
But he had more ambitious dreams.
He was fired by the example Of Ra-
bah, "the black Napoleon" who, start
ing in life as slave Of Zebhr Pasha,
became the greatest conquerer and
monarch in Africa, and was, at that
very moment successfully fighting the
French.
| Let u.s." he said to his subordinate,
Capt. Chanoine. become kings In our
own right This country belongs to
the men who can take it.
| Let us carve out an empire for our
selves. We have a small army who
will follow us in everything without
asking the reason why"
Chanoine agreed. They Immediately
threw off their allegiance to France
and attacked village after village, tribe
after tribe, with their column Of troops.
| Some French non commissioned Of
ficers who objected to this treachery
were promptly murdered. Natives
were massacred by hundreds and thou
sands, until the two renegades estab-
lished a reign of terror over a wide
area of the country.
| News Of these strange doings soon
reached the French colonial office, and
small expedition, under Lieutenant
Colonel Klobb and Lieutenant Meuhier
was dispatched to find out the truth
Klobb overlook Voulet-at Sinder, In
Damangar, half way between the Niger
and Lake Tchad.
He asked for a parley, but Voulet re-
fused to allow him to approach, threat
ening to fire on his party. Klobb ad-
vanced, shouting that he had come In
peace and would not fire. Voulet re-
ceived him with volley.
Klobb and most Of his escort fell
dead. Meunier, severely wounded, was
borne away into the jungle by the
survivors and escaped to tell the sto-
ry to the authorities.
Voulet and Chanoine were outlawed
and a strong expedition sent against
them. Before it could reach them they
were shot by some of their men whom
they had brutally fiogged.
The natives who had been under
their command gave themselves up to
the authorities. So ended Capt. YOU
let's dream Of becoming an African
emperor.
Renegade whites fought for the
Ashantis against the British during
Sir Francis Scott's expedition In 1895,
and also when Sir Frederick and Lady
Hodgson were besieged in Kumassi In
1900.