The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1885-03-21 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE SACKING OF KHARTOUM.  The news on Tuesday morning from Souakim was reassuring, so far at least as regarded the possibility of the enemy harassing our forces. "Last night," Wrotethe special correspondent of the Daily Chronicle; "was the quietest that we have had for some time past. There were one or two alarms, which caused a little firing from our outposts, but nothing came of them. It is hoped that the enemy will not in future be able to penetrate our lines so easily as they have lately been doing. Our positions have been re-arranged in the light of our recent experience, and are now placed with more regard to military strategy, so that in the event of a serious attack upon one point more effective assistance can be rendered from the forts and the other camps. As additional safeguards against surprise, some more trenches have been dug, zarebas constructed, wire entanglements placed around each camp, and additional patrols of sentries arranged for. The cable-ship Chiltern will shortly commence to lay a telegraph cable from this port to Trinkitat, General Graham's base during the operations against Osman Digna last year. The heat here is still increasing, but the health of the troops continues good. The hospital ship Ganges has arrived." The terrible tale of the sacking of Khartoum was told by the special correspondent of the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday in the following message: Mohrat, 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 Mandi has a very large following of men, women, and children. His followers are very enthusiastic. Mahomed 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, 1885, 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 3,landi, 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 sentenins 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 Hansal 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, pasEed four days ago near Debbeh, 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 Merawi 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.