Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-14
Bull GARLAND THEBRIGANDS
A NEW LIGHT ON THE KIDNAPPING
OF MISS STONE.
An American Correspondent ON the
Ground Describes the Situation
and Notes Some History.

-
and Notes Some History.
Mr.. William E Curtis the regular Wash
ington correspondent of the Chicago Rec
ord Herald, is now at Sofia. Bulgaria
watching the Stone kidnapping case. In the
course of a cable dispatch to his paper
under date of November IL, he says:
Now that United States Consul General
Dickinson has finally opened negotiations
with the brigands. after wasting six pre-
cious weeks in disclosing the weakness OF
the Bulgarian government. he is certain to
meet with serious embarrassments which
man Of his inexperience Will find 1t diff
cult to remove. The Bulgarian government
Is more anxious to escape responsibility and
to protect the Macedonian committee than
to rescue Miss Stone
'.The brigands have already given Mr..
Dickinson notice that the negotiations must
be concluded and the ransom paid on Turk
Isk territory. where the outrage occurred
by this subterfuge they expect to keep
the Bulgarian government out of the record
and to protect 1t from liability.
Bandits Do Not Trust Him.
1.-The bandits do not trust Mr. Dickinson,
and he has no confidence in them The
bandits fear that he will not only refuse to
pay the ransom, but that he may have
them arrested when they appear for the
money should they surrender their hostage
before the money is paid.
''It will be necessary to find some inter-
mediary in whom the bandits have conf
dence. This should be easy enough,
Pastor Popoff, minister of the Protestant
church In Sofia, enjoys the confidence OF
everybody here. He is a native of Banisko.
the town from which Miss Stone started
the morning she was captured. He is per-
sonally known to everybody In this region.
Mr.. Popoff was educated in the United
States Etradnnfd Hamilton College
Auburn Theological Seminary and is well
known in America. The Bulgarian govern
ment trusts him. Mr.. Dickinson could not
find a better man.
'If Mr.. Dickinson would send Pastor
Popon to Dubnitza or Djuma. in Turkish
territory, with SO 900 in gold there would
be no doubt of Miss Stones release.
Brfgands Keep Their Word.
1.-THE brigands are trying to bolster up a
reputation for honesty with him. One OF
the leading Bulgarian merchants of Sofia
today sought a gentleman whom he sup
posed to be in the confidence of the Ameri-
can consul general. and after having ad-
mitted that he was familiar with the char
acter and customs of the brigands said:
" Miss Stones captOrs are honorable men
and will keep their word While on the
road they abstain from wine and keep the
appointed fasts Of the church.
" They will not harm the prisoners Ex-
cept when betrayed or deceived. they treat
their captives with kindness and respect
and even stand respectfully in their pres
ence. When Miss Stone has been liberated
she Will tell how kind and respectful her
captors have been true brigands are al
ways honest men,
This is the universal testimony 1t Is
also certain that the abductofs of Miss
Stone are no ordinary desperadoes but men
or standing In the community and infiuen-
t1ai in Macedonian affairs
Bulgaria shielding the Brigands.
In mail dispatch from Sofia dated Octo-
Der %, Mr.. Curtis wrote:
Mr.. Dickinson is convinced which is ]
probably true, that the Bulgarian govern
ment is trying to shield the bandits and es-
cape liability for their acts He believes
upon the best of evidence that Miss Stone
was kidnapped by the members of a local
branch of the Macedonian committee and
mas spent hVe weeks in trying to compel
the government to compel the Macedonian
committee TO compel its representatives at
Samakon to compel the bandits to release
Miss Stone without the payment of ransom
me government is poweress to comply
with his demands. even If il were willing tn
do So because it fears the Macedonian com
nittee more than it fears the United States
The Macedonian committee is stronger than
the government. and is equally determined |
10 protect its own reputation and escape the |
odlum which 1t must endure if it were
SHOWN that Its representatives We're irnnIi- |
Gated IN the outrage. Mr.. Dickinson also |
argues tnat dangerous precedent would be |
created by the payment of ransom and in
sists that the Bulgarian government If II |
Were so disposed. could secure the release
or Miss Stone by moral suasiOn and an offer
or immunity from punishment to the
panults Otner members of the diplomatic
corps nave endeavored to convince Mr.
DlcklnSOn that he is wasting his time and
TO use a slang expression, IS barking IN the
wrong tree They have had experience in
these matters and consider themselves bet
Ter quallned to judge of the situation but
Mr.. Dickinson maintains a dignifieG reserve
and still feels confidence in his own fl,de
ment and the wisdom of his Instructions.
Missionaries Oppose Ransom
The missionaries almost unanimously on
pose the payment Of ransom. They abhor
b!ackrnatl as a matter of principle. and be-
iieve with Mr.. Dickinson that payment in
TINS case would establish a precedent that
would be disastrous to the cause of mis-
sions not only here but in all semi-cfviIized
Countries They fear that it would result
In a new industry; that all the idle des-
peradOes would engage in the business of
KIDNAPPING missionaries. and one good man
went so Tar as to declare that God would
prefer Miss Stone TO perish of hunger in
the mountains than endanger the lives of
MS servants ELSEWHERE
But in the judgment of men of expert
ehce that terrible risk must be assumed ii
ransom is not Immediately offered or other
means taken to satisfy the mercenary mo-
tyes of the bandits. In the case of the
agent OF the British Bible Society some
80 a idilSoiu OF s-,cco was PAID
without further trouble and the same can
De said of the case of Mr.. Lander. engi-
neer-in-chief of the railroad which runs
through Bulgaria to Constantinople Mr.
Lander was seized by brigands and car
ried into the mountains. The Austrian gov
eminent. backed by Italy and GERMANY, at
tempted 10 force Prince Ferdinand of Bull
CARA 10 secure his release but as In this
case the government made no ATTEMPT to
capture the brigands OF rescue the prisoner
although II was not shown that the Mace
CONAN committee any other political
organization was involved in the outrage
austria finally paid $4,000 ransom, Mr..
Lander was released and the Bulgarian
government was compelled to refund the
money and pay handsome Indemnity
Other men OF prominence and wealth
nave been kidnapped and the government
has refused to intervene. l cannot ascer-
tain that any brigand has been punished
In Bulgaria since the retirement of STAN
bulou, the late prime minister and his as
Sassin can be seen almost any evening in