The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-02-27
LETTERS REACHED HER
Affecting Meeting Between
Nine. Tsilka and Husband.
Ladies Will Keep Garments a
Mementoes Of Their Adventure.
Washington oMcially Advised
Of Release Of Captives.

Ellen NJ. Stone and Nine. Tsilka will
start. without delay. from strumitza,
Macedonia, for Constantinople. In the
meanwhile, the liberated missionaries are
staying at the missionary headquarters.
where they are receiving the congratula-
tons Of their colleagues.
Miss Stone says the brigands swore both
of their captives to absolute secrecy re-
garding any Information calculated to es-
tablish the identity Of the brigands. the
location Of the places where they were
concealed or other facts likely to COM
promise their captors. As a matter of
fact, the prisoners themselves are very
uncertain regarding many details Of their
wanderings. They did not know when
they were released, in what section of
the country they were.
An arrangement had been made to re-
lease Miss Stone and her companion near
Sores, Macedonia, where Dragoman Gar
giulo and Mr.. House were waiting for
them but the brigands, owing to timidty
or otherwise, declared il was difYicult to
carry out the plan, and brought their
captives after a hard night march within
one and half hours Journey of Strumit-
"a. The two women were left under the
shelter of tree at $3.50 in the morning
of February %. The bandits pointed out
the direction Of the village and ordered
the captives to report themselves to the
village elder. who, on learning of their
identity, would provide for them. The
brigands then turned back and disap.
peared among the hills.
Miss Stone and her party travelled on
horseback from Strumitza to the nearest
railroad station. journey lasting i've
hours. The local missionaries and many
of the inhabitants of Suumitza accom-
panied the party for some distance, sing.
ing hymns. Nine. Tsilka's baby was
carried in a blanket by a servant, who
dismounted from his horse at the most
difficult portions of the mountain road.
At the request OF M. Gargulio the
Turkish Government at Strumitza return
ed to the ladies the cloaks and garments
with which the brigands had supplied
them. and which the governor took pos
session last Sunday. fhe ladies intend
to keep these garments as mementoes of
their adventure.
Miss Stone says she duly received all
letters Mr.. House sent her during her
captivity. Upon one occasion she sprain-
ed her knee by falling through a trap
door in a dark room. She was Nine.
Tsilka's only attendant at the birth of
the latter's baby.
Miss Stone also says that the brigands
always treated them we'll They built
a hut for the prisoners on the mountain,
provided horses for them when they
travelled and carried Madame Tsilka' s
baby whenever they were allowed to do
SO. The brigands never came into con-
tact with the troops although when the
party was obliged to halt few times
while on false alarms, Miss stones cap
tors made preparation for action.
The brigands especially asked the ladies
to convey their congratulations to M.
Garguilo. Mr.. Peet and others for the
ingenuity displayed In the payment Of
the ransom. AS the party from Strumitza
reached the top of the Chipelli pass,
nearing the railroad, the travellers were
surprised by the sudden appearance of
M. Tsilka, and there was an affecting
meeting between husband and wife. M.
Tsilka was then presented with his baby.
State Department Notified.
Washington, Feb. 26.-The State De-