Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1885-03-21 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE SACK OF KHARTOUM. 2000 SLAIN. •  (From the Daily Telegraph Special Correspondent). Mohmt, on the Ambukol Road, March 16 (9.40 p.m.)—A messenger has arrived at Dongola from Omdurman, which place he left about Feb. 10. The man states that the Malidi has a very large following of men, women, and children. His followers are very enthusiastic. Mahonned Ahmed lives among his people, crossing to Khartoum occasionally to pray, but never sleeping there. Seatin Bey is in chains at Omdurman, although he has become a Moslem, and is known as Osman. The Roman Catholic missionaries taken prisoners at Obeid and Gebel Nuba, seven women and five men, are at Omdurman, wearing dervishes' dresses to protect them from insult. The letter this man has brought with him is written on a piece of calico and sewn into his shirt. It implores assistance for some prisoners. I withhold names and details for prudential reasons. The letter was dated Feb. 3, 1685, and addressed to the Roman Catholic priest, Padre Vincentini. It states that Don Lingi, the superior of the Soudan mission, is ill at Obeid. It further begs parties not to attempt to open negotiations with the Mandi, seeking to secure the prisoners' liberation, as it would but endanger their heads. The misfortunes of those in his (the Mandi's) toils, the writer declares, have reached an unfathomable depth. The closing sentences of the letter are as follows  " Khartoum has been sacked, and its people massacred. We calculate the number of victims at over 2000. The Consul Hansel was murdered, with all the Europeans and General Gordon." This account of the massacre bears out what George, Sir Charles Wilson. and others have told me of having seen European and other bodies floating down the river, some corpses being tied back to back. Arabs have brought in a report that a European, assumed to be the Communist Olivier Pain, passed four days ago near Debbah, going down the west bank of the Nile. The military authorities have issued instructions to have him stopped and his papers secured. A reward of fifty pounds has been offered to the natives for his arrest. Captain Besant, of the Egyptian Army, hopes to intercept Pain at Sakyeh-el-Abd. Boats with Egyptians also patrol the river to prevent his crossing it. Navigation between Alemwi and Korti is now impossible for steamers. Several fords have formed in lower reach. From Korti to Fatmeh the river transport by steamer is practically ended for the season. Steamers do not now attempt to go more than ten miles north of Ordeh. On my trip in a pinnace to Ordeh we stuck for hours at different places; in fact, the Nile might be forded at three points between Korti and Dongola.  Two smacksmen, named Alfred Hughes, master of the Strive, and William Jamieson, master of the Fanny, have been brought before the Yarmouth magistrates charged with being concerned with others in stripping the German cooper Anna of her cargo of spirits, tobacco, &c., in the North Sea, on the lot June last. After formal evidence they were remanded in order that another man may be apprehended, when the case will be completed. Tim Queen has decorated two soldiers at Windsor for distinguished conduct in the field. The recipients were Trooper Hayes, 10th Hussars, who, after a desperate hand to hand fight, rescued a wounded comratle at the battle of El Teb; and Sergeant Peter Smith, of the Ist Battalion Scots Guards, who served under the Duke of Connaught in Egypt, and had been specially recommended by his Royal Highness.