The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-01-14
HIS LIFE EXCITING
Famous "Prlsoner of the Mahdl"
Visits Medina.
Man Held In Chains for Twelve Years
by the Mahdi and Freed by Klteh.
ener Has Had Most Roman.
tic Career.

Constantlnople- -Bronzed like n ma
tive son OF the desert and in dress
speech and manners an Arab, the only
white man who ever openly visited
Medina, the holy city of the Moham
medans, recently returned here The
pilgrim was DR., Karl Neufeld. the IA
nous prisoner Of the Mahdl." who
was liberated by Lord Kitchener In
the Sudan many years ago.
Few men have had a more romantic
and exciting career than this celebrat
ed traveller, As a physician, teacher
merchant and contractor he went to
the Sudan In 1886. When the uprising
Of the natives began he was taken
| prisoner by the Mahdi and kept In
chains for twelve years Freed by
| Kitchener, he returned to Germany,
| but after a lecturing tour he made
his way back TO the Sudan. Shortly
after the outbreak Of the present war
he had to leave his adopted country
again, as he was expelled by the Brit.
ish authorities
After his return to Germany he was
sent to CoustantinopIe, where he
placed himself at the disposal OF the
Turkish government. He was used
as an emissary to the Arabian tribes.
and for this work probably no man is
better qualified. As he speaks the
dialects Of all the Bedoun tribes,
knows their customs and has EN-.
braced the Mohammedan faith, he
wins confidence wherever he appears
in the world of Islam,
After organizing the Arabian tribes
on the Peninsula of Sinai for an in
vasion Of Egypt this strange man
went to Damascus and decided to visit
Medina.
Accompanied by four Arabs he left
Damascus in June After his train
passed Maan and El Ulla the Turkish
officers with whom he travelled became
distrustful and they even kept aloof
from him when they saw him say his
prayers like every pious Mohamme
dan. When he reached Medina, the
Ramadan, the great Mohammedan fes
tival, had Just begun. He placed him.
self under the protection Of a promi.
nent native who has charge of the pill
grims from the Sudan and his host
conducted him to the Harem- -es- -Sheri.
ia, the temple where Mohammed is
buried with his favorite daughter Fa.
TINA and his son-in-law.
When he stood before the crypt of
the prophet the German traveller was
surrounded by an angry mob. His po.
sition became quite critical until two
Arabians made their way through the
crowd and declared:
we know him; he is the effendi of
Omdurman and Assuan, a good man
and true Mohammedan.
Even this did not entirely satisfy
the mob and Doctor Neufeld was only
permitted to stay in the temple after
he affirmed his faith with a solemn
oath. For two or three weeks he was
watched by natives who |
were not convinced by his religious
professions and by Egyptian spies in
the service of England
The latter tried in every way to in.
flame the natives against him by call.
ing him an infield and Christian dog"
At meeting of the scribes and sheiks
he was asked where he came from
and there was great excitement when
he calmly said: From Germany"
The priests and chiefs were salts.
fed, however, when he related how he
was converted to Mohammedanism by
a pious sheik in the Sudan.
Doctor Neufeld remained in Medina
nearly two months in continual inter
course with the sheiks, ulemas and
prominent pilgrims from Tripolitania,
Tunis, Morocco, Persia, Afghanistan
and India He obtained much valuable
From the pilgrims he
learned that the Jehad (holy war;
is fast becoming general
in all Mohammedan countries. He
ound that the Arabs are especially
bitter against the British, because the
English government has closed the
Red sea and stopped the great an.
lual pilgrimages from Egypt and
ndia to Mecca and Medina. Still more
litter were the Mohammedans over the
act that the English have proclaimed
he new ruler of Egypt appointed by
hem Sultan Of the two holy places"
because all of the faithful insist that
his title only belongs to the caliph at
Jonstantinople.
by their attempt to establish an
Egyptian caIiphate the British have
nade one of their greatest mistakes"
Doctor Neufeld said on his return to
,onstantinople. "The Arabs will never
orgive them this interference with
heir religious affairs, and the block.
de Of the Red sea.
"The population of the whole west
I'll part of Yemen is IN uprising
gainst the British. In this part of
.rabia only the sheik Ebesi is in the
ray of the English and he possesses
tile power and influence"
All Arabs are fervent admirers of
lermany, he said, and every one of
hem knows the name of Field Mar
hal Won Hindenburg. When the telo-
raph brought the news of the fall of
Warsaw to Medina there was a great
The whole population as
embed before the house OF Doctor
eufeld to express its joy. An old
REST who mildly protested and ex-
ressed doubts in regard to the right (