STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11569, 10 July 1899, Page 1

STRATFORD NEWS.

'FROM OUR RESIDENT AGENT.] Joly7.— There was a great gatheiing of Prohibition workers here yesterday, some eighty delegate s from the various branches of the League being assembled in con ventioo. Tho afternoou was taken up wi'h League business, Mr B 0. Robbins presiding, and in the evening a pubic tea and meeting were held. The Town Hall was crowded, and under the influence of the cup that cheers and is popularly supposed not to inebriate, a very jolly time was spent. Especially was this the case when Mr James Paul took up the cudgels for the threatened mterests of the trade and moderate drinkers. Whatever tho audienco thought of his arguments, Mr Paul's pluck and good humour were evidently appreciated In the great fight approaching, it is to bo hoped that similar good feeling will be tho rule.

This is the hub of Taranaki, the centre to which the spokesmen from* all the Taranaki felloes converge when con* strained to meet in convention. To»day the A Bsociated Dairy Factory managers ar6 gathered to discuss matters affecting the interests of the craft.

The Borough solicitor has received a wire stating that the Stratford Borough Enabling Bill has been read a firtt time und referred to the Bills Committee.

THE FLIGHT PROM OMDURMAN. INTERESTING STORY OF THE KHALIFAS SERVANT. Mr Bennett Burleigh add 3 another chapter in the London Daily Telegraph to the history of the battle of Omdurman. It is in the form of a narrative by Abdulla, an Abyssinian boy, who was taken prisoner by the Dervishes afc Gallabat, when Kinjj John was killori, since which date he had served with the Khalifa as his personal sprvant. It appears that the night before tho battle the Khalifa did not slerp, but lay most of the night on bis aide resting on his arm, as the electiic lig'..is of t*'O steamers annoyed him. On heaii"^ the Maxim fire for the fiist time c" ji ldjt the fight, the Khalifa psked what tho i noise was. and was told by s m" w<mi who had been at the action of At', at a that it was the " goolah gedidab," as it called by Dervishes, ou account of fho noise of firing being like water bnbhling out of a new goolah. Men, wounded or retreating, one and all stated thoy could not stand up against the "goolah gc:\ilab," Mhich poured bullets and sand in there faces. After the Khalifa had seen the failure of the attack of Y.ico-.b ou Macdonald's brigade, he rode off to his house in tho desert outside Oiudurmau, where he rested, and drank water, and sounded his three ombeyas and beat Irums for all the people to collect AH Wad Helu here joined tho Khalifa ; tbo people, however, would not stop but streamed past, mostly wounded. News ■ras here brought that the English i cavalry hod charged the men under Osman Digna in a klior Dot very far from the river. The Khalifa no.v, seeing that his people would not rally, kv the first time during the-day sbowe.l signs of anxiety. He hastened away on his donkey to the Mosque, where, ho again sounded his ombeyas to lally the people around him. None responded. Continuing his story, Abdulla states: — " He (the Khalifa) then left the Mosque and entered his house, where f gave him water and honey. He then prayed. I was tired, being small, and having carried my rifle and bandolier all day, so fell asleep. Shortly afterwards one of the Khalifa's servants woke mo saying, ' The Khalifa has gone ; lie went to Yacoub's house, but is not there now.' I ran to, Yaconb's house, but could not find him ; ran back to his house, and then saw many English soldiers in the streets by the house of Sheikh ed Deen, and the machine guns began firing- ; I shut all the Khalif.i's doors and ran to the house of Yaconb, and for two days searched for my master and then returned to Omdurtnan. I was most fond of tbe Khalifa, and he was most kind as a master. I myself locked with a native key the doors of , the Khalifa's house, and I left all things correct in his rooms. The swords of Hic^s Pasha and of Gordon Ptpha. &c, were hung on the walls, and several boxes of money lac-d up in skins were in one of the rooms. Yacoub u?ed to keep all the money, and he paid the Khalifa's household, harem, &c . every Friday. "When we weie encamped in the Hegra (the day before the fi^ht) news was brought ns that the Turks guns had knocked holes in the Mahdi's j tomb. Many people began to ta'k aloud that the prophecy of tho tomb being infallible had been. broken. There were two black flags — viz., one (new) belonging to the Khalifa, which was carried in the fight ; the second (old) „ belonged to the Mahdi, and on his death was given to Yacoub. Whenever the Khalifa wished to impress people with his power he would have the swords of Gordon and Hicks taken dewn from the wall and thrown at his feet ; he would then say, ' I conquered and killed so and so.' The crown of King John (which Yacoab kept) would also be brought in. The harem of tho Khalifa was not in his house when wo returned from the fight.'