The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-10-13
pIstreselna case Of MIss e,one.

have not ben guilty even of negli-
gence. The statement Of facts Is as
follows: Miss Stone an American
missionary travelling with a party Of
friends was captured on Sept. 3
near Raslog. Bulgarian village
All of the party except Miss Stone and
Nine Tsilka. wife of teacher of
Samakoy in Bulgaria. were released.
Those who were released reported
that the capture was made near a
Turkish guardhouse and that among
the brigands were several Turkish or
Bulgarian soldiers. The two prisoners
were carried at once into the noun
tains in Bulgarian territory, and ran
som was demanded
1t is explained that this is by no
means an unusual occurrence: that for
several years brigands in the unset
tied parts of the Turkish dominions
have made il point to capture for
eigners and demand ransom. In the
case of the German tourists captured
in May 1891, "A ransom of 100000
francs was demanded and the German
embassy at Constantinoqlc qaid the
ransom and eXacted repayment from
the Turkish government. In the case OF
the French party captured by bri
gands. the French Ambassador insisted
that the Turkish Government should
send the ransom, and it did.
It is quite natural that success In
these instances should have encour-
aged the brigands to prey upon for.
eigners, and there was informal agree
ments among the ministers at Constan-
tinople to the effect that ransom would
not be paid for foreigners captured
in Turkish dominions, but that THE
Turkish government would be held re-
sponsible for their release and safety.
OF course the enterprising brigands
were not parties to this compact.
In the case of Miss Stone, the
Turkish government on behalf of the
United States government took meas
ures to secure the release of the pris-
oner. The unusual complication in the
case lies in the charge that the Mace
donian committe, organizing a move
ment hostile to Turkey connived at
if it did not participate in, the cap.
ture. and the Bulgarian government
sympathizing with the committee is
reluctant to take any action except on
the payment of ransom. This would
put the funds in the hands of a reyolu-
tionary committee. and to this Tur-
key naturally objects. Thus the whole
question comes down into the desper-
ate mess of politics and prejudice be-
tween Bulgaria and Turkey.
As the case now stands. the Turk
ish government has demanded of Bul-
garia, over which she exercises suzer-
ainty, the unconditional surrender of
Miss Stone and her companion The
Bulgarian government, which in the
last two years has been involved in
questionable transactions with brig
ands, has declined, up to this time.
to take any effective steps. or course.
our demand as a nation is upon Tur-
key, but Turkey can not meet it,
his admission Is a confession of in
ability to compel obedience in Bull
garia and Macedonia, and iustifies, as
certain contemporaries sees it, and at
tack on Turkey. Here our own incon-
sistency in dealing with such ques
tions meets us face to face
Now and then Italians or citizens
OF other nations have been slaught
cred in Louisiana Mississippi and
other states and we have been re-
quested to punish members of the
midday mobs who thus rendered us
wholly unable to protect foreigners
and thus perform our treaty obllga-
tions to other countries. We have in
such instances. powerful as we are
supposed to be, shown ourselves Who'll
ly unable as a nation to perform a
duty similar to that which we now
expect Turkey to perform. If the ina
bility to control organized bands of
criminals in Bulgaria is a cause of
war, then il would seem that we cor
fess by taking up arms that friendly
nations hold even now several gufi-
cient causes of war against us.
The case of Miss Stone is most dis
tressing in many of its features It
is feared that her life may be taken
unless the ransom is paid, yet if the
ransom is paid in this instance the
money will be but a further incentive
to such outrages. In all its aspects it
is most serious trouble and brings
before the world in a startling man.
ner the rule of obligation and duty
by which one nation is bound to pro
tect the citizen of another.
Another Respected Citizen Gone