Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-03-14
M|SSSTONrS CAPTORS
ACTION OF The TROOPS
DELAYED The RELEASE
Women Were Given the Best the
InhOSpitable Region Afforded
Long Trip Through
Snow.

Constantinople, March 2.-The fol |
lowing account of the captivity Of
Miss Stone has been obtained from
reliable sources, some of the informa.
ten having been secured from accom-.
plices of the brigands. After the cap
ture of the missionaries, near Bansko,
In September last, the brigands es
tablished themselves on the Mountain
of Gueltepe. in the Ellodere district,
Bulgaria, where the whole population
were in sympathy with the enterprise,
this fact enabling the band to live
comfortably and safely and to keep in
touch with the outside world.
While awaiting the result of their eff
| forts to secure the ransom, the bri.
| gands drew their supplies from the
adjacent village of Ledjuma. Feeling
perfectly secure, the members OF the
band used to show themselves openly
in Kamenica and neighboring villages
until they we're warned by their local
adherents to be more careful. The
prisoners, however were jealousy Sc
Cluded.
When C. NJ. Dickinson, United
States Consul General at CONSTANT.
nople arrived early in October last
and disclosed to the authorities the
whereabouts Of Miss Stones captors.
the result was nearly disastrous to
the prisoners. The Bulgarian Govern.
ment ill.advisedly pushed troops to the
vicinity of Gueltepe, forcing the bri'
gands to break off negotiations, and
the band changed its quarters to Kilo
The cold weather made travel in the
mountains a dreadful ordeal for Miss
Stone and Nine. Tsilka, incumbered
as they were with the latter's infant
Every change of camp occurred al
night. The mountain roads were fire
quently almost impossible, being Otter
deep in snow.
The brigands treated their captives
! as kindly as the circumstances per
mitted. but the food supply was neces
sarlly precarious, though the ladies
were given the best the inhospitablC
region afforded The strain and sus
. pense equaled the physical hardships
= The captives at no time knew theiI
. whereabouts. the brigands always tell
1 ing them that they were not in Bulga
/ ria, and they were in constant fear o
. attack by the troops. whom the friend
Y snip OF tne natives was not AWAY
; able to prevent from coming clos,
). upon the trail Of the band. An equa
5 cause of anxiety was the baby, whicl
D II was frequently feared would di
q from exposure.
p Not until November I'd did tn
p American emissaries come in toucI
z with the band. which was then estal
Il lished in a cave near Dubnitz: bu
Il fear of the troops forced the brigand
|. 10 another flight. This was made 1
r. a binding snowstorm. which covere
s the tracks OF the outlaws. but cause
h bitter suffering to the captives. Afte
s this the brigands succeeded in con
y pletely eluding the authorities. an
= toward the end of November. by Ion
e route. they succeeded in returning t
/. their old haunts in the Eledere dit
. trict. They then caused to be circl
|. lated a report that the captives wer
5 dead, and from that time managed
II keep Miss Stone and Nine. Tsilka SAT,
4. ly under cover until the actual releas
S of the captives took place.