Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-01-08
HIS LIFE EXCITING.
Famous prisoner of the Mahai''
Visits Medina.
Man Held In Chains for Twelve FEARS
by the Mahdi and Freed by Hitch
ener Has Had Most Roman
tic Career.

Meulna, the molly city OF the Moham-
medans. recently returned here. The
pilgrim was DR.. Karl Neufeld, the ia
nous prisoner OF the Mahdi," 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 1885, 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 Constantinople, 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 Bedouin 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 Ell 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 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:
1--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 solemn |
oath. For two or three weeks he was |
continually 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
fame the natives against him by call
ing him an infield and Christian dog"
AT q uCCLlu6 VI IhC DClIUCo cAuu 0AEihS
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
information. From the pilgrims he
learned that the Jehad (holy war;
movement Is fast becoming general
in ali Mohammedan countries. He
found that the Arabs are especially
bitter against the British, because the
English government has closed the
Red sea and stopped the great an
nua pilgrimages from Egypt and
India to Mecca and Medina. Still more
bitter were the Mohammedans over the
fact that the English have proclaimed
the new ruler of Egypt appointed by
them Sultan OF the two holy places
because all of the faithful insist that
this title only belongs to the caliph at
Constantinople.
by their attempt to establish an
Egyptian caliphate the British have
made one of their greatest mistakes"
Doctor Neufeld said on his return to
Constantinople "The Arabs will never
forgive them this interference with
their religious affairs, and the block
ade of the Red sea.
''T'he population of the whole west
ern part of Yemen is in uprising
against the British. In this part of
Arabia only the sheik Ebesi is in the
way of the Erglish and he possesses
little power an influence
All Arabs are fervent admirers of
Germany, he said, and every one of ;
Them knows the name of Field Mar {
shall Won Hindenburg. When the tele-
graph brought the news of the fall of .
Warsaw to Medina there was a great
celebration. The whole population as /
lamhIod bafora tho hoyca of Doo4or