GENERAL GORDON'S DEATH

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 423, 27 November 1889, Page 3

GENERAL GORDON'S DEATH

Tur, African traveller Herr Fricke, who has since 1875 been in Africa, and escaped from X hat ton m after General Gordon's death, is in Berlin. From him the "DailyNews " man learned some particulars of General Gordon's last days. Gordon said to him repeatedly, * I do not intend to conquer the Soudan by - force ; my personal authority and influence are .strong enough to make me master the insurrection without using force.' But yet he was sometimes filled with a presentiment of death, to which he gave expression, saying, * I feel I shall never see England again. I shall never get out of Khartoum.'

As LoNu as Gordon had Money enough, the people there, and even the Mahdi's adherents, were his best friends, and many festivities wele arranged in his honour. The Mahdi himself was on the best terms with him as long as he obtained money from . him, bub by-and-by, when Gordon could no longer satisfy the demands of these men, the number of his followers daily decreased. ll err Fricke, as well as obher Europeans, warned him, and tried to persuade him to leave Khartoum, which he might have been able to do at any moment ; but Gordon refused even to listen to them. Herr Fricke says : c Gordon's character was

As Obstinatk as it was Noble, and he was so convinced of his personal influence over the population that he did not waver even when the Mahrii had left the city and begun to be openly hostile. When (Jenoral (ivaham tentmesseneeis to Gordon he proudly said to his followers, "I can keep Khartoum as lonir as I like, and I shall certainly keep it until relief comes.'" Herr Fricke thinks that by speaking thus he produced a wrong impression among the British military authorities, who could nofe possibly infer from his answer that the state of aft'airs was as critical as it really was. Neither, indeed, did Got don himself realise it. He was ao thorough an idealist that ho could not imagine that people whom he always treated well, and on whom he had conferred so many benefits, could possibly be his enemies. His unlimited confidence, which made him blind to all dangers and deaf to all the warnings of his friends, was

The Causk of His Death. Gordon, always calm and undaunted, did nob even ior a moment show any outward signs of excitement, not even when his own soldiers refused to obey hhw any longer because their pay was in arrear. In the last fortnight they hatl to fight every nighty and after every engagement it was found tha.t numbers of the soldiers had gone over to the JMahcli's oamp. Three days before the fall of Khartoum he said, 'Now it is highest time for the relieving force to arrive.' He repeatedly urged his European followers to fly from Khartoum, but as he himself refused to do so,' they would not leave their general in the lurch.

About His Last Moments. Hen* Fricke says : •It is not true that he was assassinated as he cam© down on hearing the sounds of a riot among the soldiers. He catne, as was his wont eyery morning, to inspoot the soldiers, with his stick in his hand. He never carried a sword, not even whilst fighting. As he came out of the house: some of his own soldiers hurled their spears at him, and this „was the sign of a general massacre.' Herr Fricke, whew, he saw the General lying dead, fled by a, by-path to the Nile, where he secvu^l a small boat, in "■hich he escaped $o.wu tha siver. Herr Fricke pos\t<\\^\\' 9,s*er<js ,fchat,t\vo days before th,s foU of Khavtoum Ueneral Gordons W^kbhave escaped, with all the.Eurppeans,, hud not bin fatal determination stood in his> way.