The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-09
STATEMENT BY AMERICAN BOARD
Facts In the Case of Miss stone-The
Washingt0n Conference,

Hartford, Oct. S.-After devotional
exercises at this evenings session of
the American Board, President S. B.
Capen, LII. D., read the official report
of the board concerning the captivity
and ransom of Miss Ellen M. Stone.
The report was as follows:
There is such universal interest in the
case of Miss Ellen M. Stone, now in the
hands of the brigands, that 1T seems
wise for the officers of the board to
make a brief statement of the facts as
they exist at the present time. For
several weeks the government authori-
ties at Washington have been at work
using every possible effort to secure her
release. These have been days Of deep
anxiety for the officers of the board
We have been in frequent communica-
tion with our representative in Con-
stantinople. Last Thursday we receiv-
ed a dispatch from washington which
told us how increasingly grave the sit
nation had become On the receipt or
this telegram a meeting OF the pruoen-
tial committee was hastily called to
meet the following day at IL O'Clock.
The committee came together and con-
sidered the situation most thoroughly.
IN the one side was the life of dearly
heloved missionary; on the other side
was the fact that If we yielded to this
demand for ransom It was putting a
premium on the lives of every mission
erv of the American board, and not OF
our board only, but the missionaries OF
every society in the world. The ques-
+ion was even broader than the case OF
missionaries; it practically concerned
the safety Of any and every American
citizen. Recognizing the full gravity
of the situation, the committee, without
dissenting vote. decided that it had
no right to pay ransom ana esta
q precedent which would be sure to be
dangerous in all the future. Furtner-
more. we were restrained by the fur-
ther fact that we had no funds that
could be employed for this purpose. The
government was restrained from paying
the money by constitutional limitation
and the American board seemed equally
restrained from paying a ransom.
The solicitude of the committee was
such and their purpose to Go everything
possible was so strong that they sent q
denutation, consisting Of the president
and one of the secretaries, to Wash
ington to meet President Roosevelt and
the officials of the state department
This conference was held last Saturday
forenoon 1t is impossible to over
state the sympathy and interest of the
Yresident. the acting secretary of state
and other officials.
The conference was lengthy, during
INC GhnWnG
what steps it was taking, and how ev-
ery power of diplomacy was being USED
to effect the release of Miss Stone. Con-
fdential details were given, which OF
course is a breach of trust for us TO give
To the public, but the friends OF the
hoard and the whole nation can be as
sured that everything conceivable is be-
ing done to further the recovery OF MISS
Stone The heart and the persistence
of the president in this effort were mos1
significant. They assured us that ap'
rarently at the moment the only pfac'
ticable method to secure her life was
to have the funds promptly at mana tc
nav the ransom. 1t was evidently the
nositive conviction Of the government
that this step was the first one 10 Dc
+akan Rut 1t ought to be clearly un'
derstood that this is but one step; thai
when she is released there will be Wig
orous attempt not only to secure the re-
turn Of the money, but Furthermore, tt
bring about such conditions that sucf
an occurrence shall not be possible II
the future. No one doubts that oui
government as at present ORGANIZED
will not drop this matter until the
rights Of American citizenship are es'
tablished
Meanwhile movement was begun
under the leadership Of the family o.
Miss Stone, to secure by popular appea
the amount of the ransom, ana notlce'
had already been sent that funds coule
be sent to Kidder, Peabody d Co., O.
Boston, who had consented to act al
treasurer of the fund.
Under this new advice of the govern
ment a meeting of the prudential com
nittee was called on Sabbath morning