Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1916-01-07
HIS LIFE EXCITING
Famous "Prisoner of the Mahdi"
Visits Medina.
Man Held In Chains for Twelve Years
by the Mahdi and Freed by kitch-
ener Has Had Most Roman.
tic Career.

| speech and manners an Ara3, 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 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 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 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
distrCstful and they even kept aloof
from him when they saw him say his
prayers like every pious Monamme-
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, 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
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
flame the natives against him by call
At a 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
information. From the pilgrims he
learned that the Jehad (holy war;
movement is fast becoming general
% all 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
nual 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 caIiph 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.
1.-THE 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 English and he possesses
little power and 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 Lhe fall of
Warsaw to Medina there was great
celebration. The whole population as.
sembled before the house of Doctor
Neufeld to express it's Joy. An old
priest, who mildly protested and ex,
pressed doubts in regard to the right
eousness of the sultan's alliance with
the German infidels. was howled down
by the mob.
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