Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1902 — MISS STONE SET FREE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MISS STONE SET FREE.

CAPTIVE MISSIONARY IS AT LAST RELEASED. She and Companion Prisoners Since September 3—Captured by Brigands in Turkish Territory Near the Bulgarian Frontier—Big Ransom Paid.

A dispatch from Constantinople announces that Miss Ellen M., Stone has been released by the brigands, who have

held her captive since Sept.’-S last, and has been handed over in good health to the dragoman of the American legation. The dispatch adds that the “Reverend Tsilka” has been nrtested on the charge of complicity in the kidnaping of Miss Stone.

The Rev. Mr. Tsilka, who was arrested, is the husband of Mme. Tsilka, Miss Stone’s companion. It was announced recently that the Turkish authorities suspected the Rev. Mr. Tsilka of complicity in the abduction of the missionaries. Mme. K. S. TsilkaAs a Bulgarian woman and the husband is a Macedonian teacher of Samakov. Mme. Tsilka was educated at the Northfield Seminary. At the time of receiving her American training and education she was Miss Stephanora, a Bulgarian. Dwight L. Moody, becoming interested in her welfare, found a place for her in his school. Having finished her training at that institution, she became a trained nurses While engaged in her professional duties in the Adirondacks she became ac-' quainted with Mr. Tsilka, a Macedonian, who had also been educate'd in the Unit-' ed States. He was preparing for work as a medical missionary. Soon after the completion of their training the couple were married and went to Bulgaria. Miss Ellen M. Stone, a missionary of the American Congregational board, was captured by brigands in the Balkan mountains of Turkish Macedonia, Sept. 3, while traveling with a party of twelve

persons, includiag Mme. Tsilka, wife of an Albanian missionary. The brigands, who were supposed to be members of the Macedonian committee, hurried their captives into* the Bulgarian mountains, complicating the international situation and making it difficult for the United States to put pressure on either Turkey or Bulgaria for the release of the captive. By means of their usual channels the brigands let it be known that unless a ransom of SIIO,OOO was forthcoming within thirty days Miss Stone would either be put to death or compelled to marry one of the bandits. United States Consul General Dickinson undertook the negotiations with the captors, but without success. The Rus-, sian diplomatic agent at Sofia, M. Bakhmetieff, succeeded in establishing com-, munlcation with the brigands, but only elicited the reply that the ransom must be paid before the prisoner would be released. Negotiations having failed, Mr. Dickinson returned to Constantinople and the captives have since been kept among the hills enduring all the severities of a Bulgarian winter in the open air. Those who were released by the brigands said they wore Turkish clothes, but

spoke Bulgarian fluently. They have treated Miss Stone well, according to the messages which have been delivered in a mysterious manner from the missionary Spencer Eddy, secretary of the American legation nt Constantinople, finally took charge of the negotiations and offered a ransom of $72,500. which had been subscribed by the American public, sending the drngonlnn of the legation and Treasurer I*l*l of the board of missions ■to meet the brigands' representatives on Turkish territory. Miss Stone's home is in Chelsea, Mass. She is about 52 years old, and has been engaged In the missionary work for more than twenty-five years. She is one of the leading members of the mission at Balonica, having bad charge of the work among women In that district. The brigands demanded $121,000 at first as the ransom, but since that time it has been considerably reduced. A shooting occurred at Sterling, O. T., oyer a game of cards. Samuel Harris was shot in the back by the proprietor Of a saloon. Harris will lire.

C. M. DICKINSON.

MISS ELLEN M. STONE.