The evening Republican., 1902-04-11
AGAIgoy NATIVESoIL
Miss Stone, Freed From Brig
ands, Reaches New York.
SIX MONTHS SPENT IN CAPTIVITY,
Nissionary, Returned From Buixa-
ria, Tells story of Her Capture -
and Treatnaent-Will Lecture
to Pay Price of Ransom.


rJn, Tells story of Her Capture
and TreatMent-WIn Lecture
to Pay Price of Ransom.
NEW YORK, April 11.-Worn out
with the strain of her ocean voyage
and not vet fully recovered from the
nervous strain ensuing f:om her six
months Of captivity, Miss Ellen NJ.
Stone. the American missionary who
was held for ransom by Bulgarian
brigands, arrived Oh the Hamburg
American liner Deutschland from
Cherbourg. She will immediately pro-
ceed to her home in Chelsea, Mass, 10
see her aged mother.
Miss Stone was met ut quarantine
by her brother, Charles A. Stone, and
the Rev. Henry o. Dwight, whom she
knew in constantinopie years ago.
At the pier in HOboken DR.. Charles
G. Creegan, secretary of the American
board of foreign missions, and Secreta-
ry Barton, from the Boston branch,
greeted ller. Major Pond, who will
manage her lecturing tour, announced
that the money she made In that way
would be applied Immediately to re-
paving the amount OF her ransom,
$4,000.
When seen on the steamer, Miss
Stone showed plainly the traces OF her
awful strain. although, as she said,
just at present the effects Of the ocean
trip bothered her considerably.
She talked freely Of the circum-
stances of her capture and captivity.
"The day we were taken,' said Miss
Stone, was a market day, the safest
of all days to travel. There were ten
in our party and three drivers. 1t was
late in tle afternoon, and we were 60
ing along 4 lonely road when suddenly
the brigands jumped ont of the bushes
at the roadside and surrounded us.
crying: 'Dour! Dour" which means
'St0p Hold onr
"They were fully armed, while Mr..
Tslka was the only one in our party
who mad reyOvers. He prepared to
use them, but the rest Of us, seeing
that resistance was useless, begged
him not to. They all had rifles.
"rhen the brigands left guard
around the rest and hurried Nine. Tsli-
ka and myself off. 1t was all done 50
quickly that hardly knew what hap
pened.
Mime. Tsilka was taken because
they had to have married lady to
chaperon me-" said Miss stone, with
smile.
'"There was another woman with us.
a Bulgarian Bible worker, Mrs. Woo
sheya, but she was sick, and they
couldn't take her.
"Elle brjgands still have some of that
old world chivalry, and so in some
ways they treated us kindly.
"After we were in the wild districts
we marched only at night Not once
did | know where we were. When l
wrote what | did seeking ransom, it
was because they forced me to ut the
point of a rife.
"rhe birth of Nine. Tsilka's baby
was our salvation The brigands are
very SllpeTSlllIObh anu ItNS q pS'ASA
that curse would be on them If they
harmed young mother or her child,
so when the baby came we were treat
ed better.
some day. continued Miss Stone.
81 hope to go back to my little home in
Salonika, which left SO suddenly for
others to close up. The future will have
to determine that, however,
Miss Stone was captured on Sept. 3
and released the 23d Of the following
February.
She made her first visit to Bulgaria
twenty-three years ago and has been
there frequently for long intervals.
Her mission was to train the native
girls to read that they might help in
the missionary work. She has not been
home for four years.