The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-22
MISS STONES LECTURE.
GRAPHIC RECITAL OF HER RE-
 CENT CAPTIVITY.
And How She and Her Companion Madame TsiIla, Were at Mercy Brigands for I72 Days-Many ThrilI- ing Incidents-Turkish Government Denounced

ing Incidents-Turkish Governmon Denounced.
 Miss Ellen M. Stone, the ransomec missionary. thrillingly related the story | of her recent perilous captivity in the l hands of the brigands of Bulgaria, ai l the Hyperion last night. The audience | which was quite a good sized one, gave marked attention to the entire lecture which was a graphic and detailed de- scription of the capture, the many journeys, the days and nights of sus- pense, wondering if relief of any na- ture was ever to come and of the final announcement that the demanded ran- som money had been paid and that she and Madame Tsilka were to be again free to return to their friends.
 Miss Stone was introduced by the Rev. Dr. Watson L. Phillips After a few preliminary remarks she told of how she and a party of friends started out on a three days Journey through the mountains. They were riding peacefully along, both the men and women of the party being astride. as Is the custom in that country and as is absolutely necessary, when of a sud- den, as if they had literally sprung from the earth, men rough in dress and uncouth, demanded that everyone dismount This order was obeyed as it was absolutely necessary to comply in silence with every request made by a brigand. The horses were led and the party, which numbered eleven beside Miss Stone, were taken to place some distance away and then commanded to sit down. While they were here won dering just what was to happen they heard shot and in a few moments saw a man, not one of their party, but evidently traveller on the same road who had perhaps attempted to give some report concerning the capture, hurried along by several of the brig ands, who had their bayonets fixed He had been wounded in the temple and the blood was streaming down the side of his face. The man was conducted to thicket nearby and then came the most terrible agonizing death cry which she had ever heard and which will al- ways be remembered and they then knew that the man had been murdered with daggers, which Is the customary manner of putting anyone to death. After time Miss Stone and Madame Tsilka were asked to sit down together by themselves. This they did and in a few minutes were conducted by several Of the men some distance away, being compelled to climb up steep precipices and get down others as best they could. even to being carried down on the backs of the men. From this time on began journey which did not end for about 172 days, that being the time which they were held in captivity. The rest of their party were released and to their homes late the next afternoon. By this time Miss Stone and her companion were many miles away. All travelling was done at night so that 1t was absolutely impossible to tell just where they were or over how much of the country they had been taken. After being confined in sheep pens. in cellars of old mountain cabins. never allowed to look out of the win dow except up toward the sky they were taken to & place, which, as one of the more kindly hearted men said, was SO secure from the outside world that not even a bird could find it. But the first thing they heard on the first morn- ng of their confinement in this place, ] hut which had been hurriedly and 'udely constructed, was the singing of bird. These huts, the one which Miss stone and her companion occupied and another which the immediate guard
 
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