The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-10-12
The Miss Stone Episode.


A Miss Stone, a female missionary,
has been kidnapped by somebody ovel
somewhere in heathendom. So much
seems to be accepted as truth. Beyond
this bare statement of fact all is chaos
1t is reported that her captors will be
pleased to deliver her up, sound of
heart and limb, if someone (hey are
not particular who) will put up $11O,-
600 in cold cash, coin of the realm,
where the deed of kidnapping was done.
Why these bold bad men want just
$4,000 does not appear on the face
Of the pleadings. In those countries it
does not seem that an ordinary woman,
and Miss Stone appears to be a very
ordinary woman, is worth that much
money, says the st. Paul Globe.
The theories advanced regarding the
capture Of Miss Stone are as varied
rs those of country bank robbery.
Was she captured by the Bulgarian
brigands for financial purposes, or was
she taken for her beauty to become an
inmate of harem? Her pictures and
the further fact that her captors have,
or are said to have, agreed to deliver
her up safe and sound for lump sum,
indicate that if they did capture her
with domestic intent, they repented
upon getting close view of her.
Did the sultan of Turkey order her
capture and place a ransom on her
head in order to get even with our
Uncle Samuel for pressing that old bill
of 100000 for missionary shoes, taken
by his barefoot subjects? Or did the
missionary push over there put up the
whole game to extort funds to spread
the gospel? Amid such contradictory
and yet plausible theories, who can be
expected to see his way straight? 1t
certainly is hard task, as hard as
the name the young (D lady bears. We
do not believe that an ordinary band
Of brigands took the maid in question
with an expectation of obtaining $11O,-
600 for her release These brigands
must have known little about the
Americans, further than the knowledge
gained from the stock missionary. And
from this knowledge they would expect
to get blood out of a turnip as soon
as money out of lot of black coated
long-faced missionaries. They might
have demanded $40 and fifty pairs Of
shoes and got it within six months, or
as soon as the missionary societies
could have taken up collection.
That the sultan should have conceiv-
ed a scheme to get back that 100000
is more plausible. He knew that I'm
Gle Sam had little money, because
he had just paid him some. Further
more, he knew that Americans do not
like to be kidnapped, especially when
they are old. If he could just manage
to get this $4,000 into his hands, even
If he would have to pay it over in
time, he would get the use of it for at
least ten years, while the diplomatic
negotiations We're in progress. Then
besides, the sultan needed money to
square up accounts with France. Yes,
this looks quite plausible. But the
last theory will find favor with many
humorists. 1t is scheme that bears
close resemblance to the looting job
over in China some little time ago.
The missionary, according to Dr.
Ament, often adopts the laws and GUS
toms Of the country in which he is
laboring for the salvation of souls, pri-
marily, and incidentally to make a
living. The tax of one and one third,
we remember, was strictly according
to heather Chinese custom. and there
fore perfectly just and regular Now,
i'll Turkey, Bulgaria OF any other old
place, where missionaries are needed,
it is the proper caper to hold up people
who have money or who have friends
with money. 1t is done all along the
line and is perfectly legitimate If it
he legitimate to hold UP, it is still more
legitimate to be held up. Now, the
best and easiest way to get missionary
coin would be to be held up-captured,
kidnapped, anything to make the good
people at home put up the ransom. In
deal like that, $4,000 would amply
pay the brigands. leaving clean $780,
COO for missionary purposes 1t would
be a scheme worthy of the missionary
push in China.
1t is to be hoped that all three of the
theories are false, and that Miss Stone
was not kidnapped at all. We hope it
will turn out to he fake, gotten up
to advertise the missionary movement.
But If that be the case, someone ought
to be reprimanded. A joke is a joke
but it is serious matter to involve
nation in diplomatic difficulties with
another country, even If it be a little
piece Of heathendom like Bulgaria. It
may not have been noticed, but it Is a
fact just the same, that we are get