GENERAL GORDON’S DEATH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1714, 22 March 1888, Page 3

GENERAL GORDON’S DEATH.

Sir Lewis Felly, K. 0.8., K. 0.5.1., M.P., addressed a crowded meeting of his constituents at the Assembly Rooms, Stoke Newington, on January 17th, and in the course of his remarks said he had that day become acquainted with some particulars from an authentic source of the death of General Gordon, which had. not yet been made public. General Graham had recently received a despatch from General Chermside, an officer serving in the Soudan, from which it appeared that three sergeants of the Egyptians had a short time since been released from the Soudanese camp, and one of them, falling in with an English outpost, informed the officer in charge of the real facts connected with the death of General Gordon; Prom the, man’s narrative it appeared that on the evening of his death General Gordon was very tired, being worn out by watching, and was unable, as he usually did, to visit all the outposts and wickets of his camp. Hence it was not within his knowledge that a particular gate was left open that night. He retired into an inner fort for the purpose of taking rest, having three men of the Egyptian Army with him —the three men who had recently been released from the Soudanese camp. While Gordon was asleep a Sheik and a number of men obtained admittance through the open gate and advanced to the place where Gordon was resting. Alarmed by the noise Gordon came forth, and was then called upon by the Sheik to surrender. He, of course, refused, and one of the sergeants with him was about to fire upon the Sheik when Gordon prevented him. Again Gordon was called upon to surrender, but he again refused, saying he would die at his post. He asked, however, that the lives of the men with him might he spared. The Sheik then drew his sword, and the brave Gordon was decapitated. That story, said Sir Lewis, was quite consistent with the knowledge he had of Gordon’s character.