Evening star., 1902-04-11
MISS STONES STORY
kidnapped Missionary Tells Of
Her Experiences.
TAKEN BY MISTAKE
BRIGANDS WERE AFTER AN
OTHER WOMAN, MRS. osHEvA.
Prisoners Were Uniformly Well Treat
ed by Their Captors-Release
Was Unexpected.

Miss Ellen NJ. Stone, who was kidnapped
BY brisands and for whom a large ransom
was paid. reached New York yesterday, and
to a New York World reporter she gave
this story of her life and adventures:
Il suppose / might as we'll begin with my
first appearance as missionary, she be-
gan, which was in 1878. when l went to
Bulgaria and learned the language in our
school After that l worked in South Bull
garia. When left home after = furlough
four years ago 1 went to Macedonia to su-
perintend the field work. L had charge of
the girls trained in our schools. who were
scattered among the villages. and also of
the Bible women who were too old to go to
school and who read the Bible at home. Our
aim is to uplift the national life by ele
waiting the home life. My home at
Salonica-ancient Thessalonica.'
Was there any political motive for your
CSpture?'' was asked.
Il have been hidden away from the world
for six months all but eight days. as you
know" replied Miss Stoue, and | was
kept at the center of a circle of activity.
All you who live beyond the circumference
OF that circle had much better chance of
seeing what was going on in it than had
Il am glad to say that the brlgdndS
maintained toward us their usual custom in
captures for ransom-to treat prisoners we'll
As soon as We were caught the leader
sdlu- We nave taken you fOf money. ana
4: was COld-blooded. purely business trans
action with them. They took care To keep
US in as good condition as possible.
Took Good Care of Prisoners.
Our food was often better than theirs.
We were served first at the meals. The
bread given was better than theirs.
They we're anxious to keep Well When
| caught heavy cold they were very much
disturbed and when / fell down a hole and
wrenChed my knee they were very much
dlsgusted with me. They seemed to think
II was all my fault
When We were first captured the bri-
Eands We're very nervous What | then
thought was cruelty / now see on looking
back. was the effect of their nervousness
The brigands We're abrupt with us and
made us travel far. but that probably was
because they feared pursuit We always
Travelled at night. So to avoid being fol-
lowed or even being seen. Before dawn
"" would stop for the day at some huts in
an untnhabited part of the mountains.
After the first negotiations for ransom
fsi through. the brigands snubbed us and
seemed out of patience with us. The chief
said to us: If within twenty DAYS the ran
som Is not paid there Is bullet for you
and a bullet for you
But after a time. the brigands reIented.
Ihey We're especially careful with Mrs
Tsilka- They were afraid of the curse
which they all believe will fall upon any
one who is cruel to a woman in her cir
Gums tanCeS.
After the baby came-a beautiful little
b!ack-eyed gtrl-she seemed to awaken all
,helr chivalry. ! feel that / own a share
In that baby, and so does Mrs Tsilka. for
! carried the little one eight hours in our
hrst Journey after she was born. That
was when baby was three days old.