The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-05
VIII Endeavor to Ascertain whether
Miss stone, the kidnapped Mis-
sionary, Il StilI Alive.
HITCH IN THE NEGOTIATIONS
RUSSIAN MINISTER ANTAGONIZED
BY CONSUL DICKINSON.
Student Who Was with Miss stone
when She Was Captured Thinks
the Missionary Is Dead.

NEW YORK, Nov 4.-According to the
Vienna Politische Correspondent, quoted by
the correspondent of the London Times
and the New York Times in the Austrian
capital. a well-known Macedonian brigand
has been instructed TO obtain infOrrpation
as to whether Miss Ellen NJ. Stone is still
alive. Two other brigands. well acquaint-
ed with the country, have been commits
stoned by the United States consul gen.
eral to try to get in touch with the mis-
sionaries' captors. The project Of the
Sofia police has also sent two messengers
Miss Stones release is again represented
as being imminent.
The hitch in the negotiations for Miss
Stones release arises from two causes
first the antagonism between United States
Agent Dickinson and Russian Minister
Bakhmeteff; second. the missionary and
diplomatic Discrimination TO accede TO the
brigands terms, though moderated-says
the Samakov correspondent of the Journal
and Advertiser.
The relations between NJ. Bakhmeteff and
Mr. Dickinson are strained to the breaking
point The former being friendly TO Bull
garia, does not want his agent TO finish the
final transaction on Bulgarian soil. Mr..
Berth, a Macedonian student at the Amer
lean Institute at Sam2hoN, one or the
agents sent TO negotiate with the briganOs,
has returned from Raslog. He reports that
the brlgands consider Mr.. Dickinson
money offer as too small They say they
do not want TO agree TO terms that would
disgrace them with their brethren.
Discussing the amount OF ransom, MIS-
sionary Baird, purSer OF the SamakOV IN
stitute said: 1T is believed that If the
brigands get a quarter of what they sul
ask bands will spring up like mushrooms.
SamakoV itself will furnish many and Bull
garia will be ruined. The brigands began
negotiations with us by asking twice Miss
Stones weight in gold. Even a fourth or
this sum is prepOsterous. II the Bull
garians had either crackers or bloodhounds
Miss Stone would not be spending her six
ty-first day with the bTigands."
The positive conviction that Miss Ellen
NJ Stone is dead Il contained in a letter
which has just been received in Boston
| from Ivan Radulon, student who was
with the American missionary when she
was captured by brigands in Turkey, to-
gether with Nine. Tsilka. says the Bos-
| ton correspondent OF the Press. According
to this letter the snow in the mountains
into which Miss Stone and her companion
were taken by their captOrs was three tset
deep three weeks ago at the time the letter
was written Even IN the summer time the
snow upon the highest submits OF these
mountains does not melt. The first snow fall
usually comes at about the middle or Sep
tember and by the middle of October the
mountain passes are absolutely closed TO
travel.
1t was the conviction among Miss Stones
friends in Samakov, Bulgaria. three weeks
ago that she could not possibly have sur
ViVed the ngOrs or her captivity until that
date. There a hope that Miss Stone
might have been concealed by her captors
in the monastery of St. Ivan. of Siia. which
is near the Bulgarian-Turkish frontier and
on the Bulgarian side OF il. So great was
the anxiety OF the Bulgarian government
to do everything in its power to assist the
United States representatives in their eff
fort TO find the missionary that IL adopted
the exceedingly unpopular measure Of or
dering a search of the monastery. This
search disclosed the fact that Miss Stone
had not been there. The discovery was dis
appointing TO Miss Stones friends in
Samak0v.
According to the letter of Ivan Raduloff
Consul General Dickinson has retarded the
release Of Miss Stone seriously. III is said
Mr. Dickenson by his criticism Of the Bull
garian government, has antagonized the
government.
II Is understood in Samakov that the
brigands who were in immediate charge
of the captive were under positive instruc-
tions to take her life az the first indication
of the probability Of a skirmish with the
| troops.