Mr. Leishman to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, September 24,
1901.
No. 79.]
Sir: Referring to the abduction of Miss Ellen
M. Stone by brigands, you will observe from copy of correspondence
inclosed herewith that the scene of operations appears to have shifted
from Turkish to Bulgarian territory, and judging from the best
information obtainable the miscreants who committed the outrage were
Bulgarians, or possibly Macedonians, living close to the frontier,
instigated by the central Bulgarian committee. I am not disposed,
however, to accept the opinion of a number of the missionaries, which
seems to be partly snared by Mr. McGregor, acting British agent at Sofia
(who up to the present time has been looking after American interests,
as Mr. Dickinson has not presented his credentials, although, as I
advised privately, all objections have been removed), that the outrage
was committed for political reasons under the direction of the central
Bulgarian Macedonian committee with the hope of stirring up foreign
intervention. I consider that it is quite within the range of
probabilities that the central committee may have had a hand in the
matter, but in all probability the principal motive was money; and the
only way lean explain the long delay in sending a demand for ransom is
that the Turkish Government not only acted very promptly, but with
unusual activity, keeping the brigands on the move and thus preventing
them from feeling secure enough to warrant opening up negotiations; but
now that they have succeeded in recrossing the frontier, notwithstanding
the assurance given me by Mr. Guechoff, the Bulgarian agent, that his
government was guarding the frontier so closely that it would be
impossible for the brigands to enter Bulgaria, it is reasonable to
expect that negotiations may be commenced that will lead to the prompt
and safe return of Miss Stone, especially if Mr. Dickinson can induce
the Bulgarian authorities to act with the same energy that the Turkish
officials have displayed, the latter having acted with so much energy
that the consul-general and several of the leading officers of the
missionary board have been to see me, advising against such great
activity, fearing that if too closely pressed the brigands might harm
Miss Stone rather than permit her to be rescued.
* * * I feel quite satisfied that it is only a question of money
[Page 1001]
and that the brigands will
take the best care possible of Miss Stone and return her unharmed to her
friends as soon as the question of ransom is settled.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. McGregor to
Mr. Leishman.
His
Britannic Majesty’s Agency and
Consulate-General,
Sofia, September 16,
1902.
Sir: With reference to my telegram of
yesterday morning, which I presume was duly communicated to you by
His Majesty’s ambassador, I have the honor to report that,
immediately on learning that the American citizen, Miss Stone, and
her companion had been captured by brigands within a short distance
of the Bulgarian frontier, I wrote to Mr. Daneff, the Bulgarian
minister of foreign affairs, requesting that the necessary vigilance
should be exercised by the frontier guards, and was informed the
same day by Mr. Daneff that measures in that sense had, from the
first moment, been taken by His Excellency’s Government.
Since then the local newspapers, and among them a journal said to be
inspired by Mr. Daneff, have announced that the outrage is supposed
to have been perpetrated by Turkish deserters, an announcement which
has been taken advantage of by the Reforme, the organ of the
Macedonian central committee, to publish a diatribe against the
evils of Ottoman administration in Macedonia.
On the evening of the 14th instant, however, I received from the Rev.
Robert Thomson, a British subject in the employ of the American
mission at Samakoff, a letter, of which I have the honor to inclose
a copy, putting quite a different and, in my opinion, a much more
serious complexion on the whole matter.
Mr. Thomson, whom I believe to be a cautious and trustworthy man,
quotes facts pointing unmistakably to the act having been the work
of the secret committee in Macedonia which, as Mr. Daneff admitted
to me lately, has had relations with Boris Saratoff, ex-president of
the central committee, as well as with several other members of the
same committee. Now, it has been hinted in several newspapers which
profess to be acquainted with the views of Saratoff and his henchmen
that it had been decided, in the hope of provoking a European
intervention, to render existence in Macedonia impossible for
foreigners, and the circumstances of Miss Stone’s capture, viewed in
the light of Mr. Thomson’s letter, seem to me to afford strong
grounds for assuming that Saratoff has begun to put his scheme into
execution. It is also stated here in many quarters that Saratoff is
contemplating leaving the country for Odessa, and, in consideration
of the desirableness of ascertaining whether this crime can be
brought home to him and his associates, I have thought it my duty to
acquaint the Bulgarian Government with the facts which have come to
my knowledge, warning them at the same time that under these
circumstances they would incur a grave moral responsibility by
allowing Saratoff to quit Bulgarian territory for the present.
Not having found Mr. Saratoff, the acting minister for foreign
affairs, at home yesterday morning, I called on Selim Bey, the
acting Ottoman commissary, and, on learning that he had no news to
give beyond the fact that the brigands were believed by the Turkish
authorities to be Bulgarians, I confidentially communicated to him
the information I had received, without, however, disclosing the
source, and urged upon him the importance of preventing the brigands
from escaping into Bulgarian territory. Selim Bey promised to inform
his Government forthwith and said he would do his best to obtain the
particulars necessary in order to establish the connivance of the
Macedonians here, whose undoubted complicity in the outrages daily
committed in the province had already formed the subject of much
animated but sterile correspondence with the Bulgarian
Government.
Having subsequently made two unsuccessful attempts to see Mr.
Saratoff (the minister) I finally called this morning on Mr.
Vernazza, secretary-general at the ministry for foreign affairs, and
on ascertaining that he had no news regarding the identity of the
brigands or the result of their pursuit, I communicated to him the
contents of Mr. Thomson’s letter and stated my reasons for
suspecting the outrage to be the work of individuals acting under
orders from Sofia. I told Mr. Vernazza that, under the
circumstances, it would be regrettable were Boris Saratoff or any of
his more noteworthy associates allowed to put themselves beyond the
reach of Bulgarian jurisdiction
[Page 1002]
so long as involved directly or indirectly in
Miss Stone’s capture, as in the event of such proving to be the case
I had no doubt that, in the eyes of the United States Government, a
grave moral responsibility would be at the door of the Bulgarian
authorities.
Mr. Vernazza took a note of my representations which he promised to
communicate to Mr. Saratoff, and I shall have the honor to acquaint
you with the minister’s reply at the earliest opportunity.
I should be glad to know if my action so far has your approval. I am
sending a copy of this dispatch to the Marquis of Lansdowne.
I have, etc.,
James McGregor,
His Majesty’s Chargé
d’Affaires.
[Inclosure 2.]
Mr. McGregor to
Mr. Leishman.
His
Britannic Majesty’s Agency and
Consulate-General,
Sofia, September 19,
1902.
Sir: In continuation of my dispatch of the
16th instant, I have the honor to report that I called yesterday on
Mr. Saratoff, the minister of the interior, who is at present acting
as minister of foreign affairs, and repeated to him the facts
already communicated to Mr. Vernazza regarding the circumstances of
Miss Stone’s, capture, adding that according to information I had
just received the brigands were supposed to have taken refuge in the
Rilo Mountains, and were, perhaps, at this moment in Bulgarian
territory. I should mention that I had this information from Selim
Bey, the acting Ottoman commissary, who has, moreover, received a
telegram from his Government confirming the suspicion that the
brigands are Macedonians, and is about to address a note to the
Bulgarian Government demanding a strict inquiry.
Mr. Saratoff thanked me for the information and promised not only to
send immediate instructions to the military authorities in the Rilo
district, but also to have Saratoff and his associates carefully
watched by the police. He said, however, that in the absence of a
specific accusation it would be difficult for the authorities to
refuse Saratoff a passport supposing it to be true that he intended
to go to England, as the minister professed to have heard was the
case. Saratoff was completely ruined as far as regards his influence
with the Macedonians, and it was highly improbable that he could
have had a hand in this business.
It is possible that Mr. Saratoff may be right in saying that his
namesake is no longer all-powerful, and that he is out of favor with
the newly elected committee; but he is still the center of a circle
of admirers, and it can not be imagined that he will renounce what
has hitherto been his means of livelihood. I therefore reminded Mr.
Saratoff that neither his Government, nor any of his predecessors,
had ever been at a loss to devise administrative measures when
circumstances seemed to call for them; I had considered it my duty
to aid the Government in its efforts to repress the excesses
attributed to agents of the committee and the responsibility for
taking action or remaining quiescent would rest with the
Government.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 3.]
Mr. McGregor to
Mr. Leishman.
His
Britannic Majesty’s Agency and
Consulate-General,
Sofia, September 20,
1902.
Sir: With reference to my dispatch of
yesterday’s date, I have the honor to report that, according to
reliable information received just as the bag is closing, Boris
Saratoff left Sofia on the 15th instant en route for Odessa, a fact
which must have been known to the acting minister for foreign
affairs when I attended his reception on the 18th instant.
I have, etc.,
[Page 1003]
[Inclosure 4.]
Mr. Dickinson
to Mr. Leishman.
United States Consulate-General,
Constantinople, September 20, 1902.
Sir: Referring further to the capture of
Miss Stone, Agent Lazzaro sent me last night a further telegram, as
follows:
“Vali informs brigands’ agent caught Banitza. Stone kept some time in
huts at Obesnik, whence by Kresne crossed toward Melenik. Evidently
not passed Bulgarian frontier. Authorities Melenik, Djumabala,
Nevrecop, Serres continuing search.”
The statement that the agent of the brigands has been “caught” and
the authorities are continuing the search justifies the inference
that the latter may be pressing the matter so closely as to
jeopardize the life of Miss Stone. Naturally they are bent on
catching the brigands, both for vengeance and the hope of reward. *
* *
If the agent of the brigands has been caught, he should be set at
liberty and negotiations for ransom opened at once. I telegraphed
Agent Lazzaro to the foregoing effect on receipt of his telegram,
and also to urge Vali to prevent escape of brigands across the
Bulgarian border, but not to press the search too vigorously. In
harmony with our personal conference, all our efforts at first must
be directed to the rescue of Miss Stone. This will lead to
sufficient identification, and the punishment of the guilty parties
can be vigorously and safely pursued thereafter.
Agent Lazzaro also reports by written dispatch that one of the guides
of the brigands testifies that just before the capture of the Stone
party he heard Dentzo, the leader of the brigands, say that they
expected to make their fortunes by this capture. This, and the
appearance of the agent of the brigands, seems to settle definitely
their purpose, and his appearance also indicates that they believe
they have reached a place of hiding where negotiations for ransom
may be safely opened.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 5.]
Mr. Leishman to
Mr. Diokinson.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, September 24, 1901.
Sir: I beg to acknowledge receipt of your
No. 414 of even date and note contents with interest.
As all the information obtained during the past two weeks tends to
prove that the brigands who carried off Miss Stone were Bulgarians
who, according to the telegram you received last evening from agent
Lazzaro, have succeeded in recrossing the Bulgarian frontier and are
now supposed to be in the neighborhood of Batak, I would urge upon
you the advisability of your going to Sofia at once in order to take
the matter up personally with the Bulgarian Government; for while
Mr. McGregor is no doubt doing everything in his power, I am
inclined to believe that representations from the accredited agent
of the United States might bring the Bulgarian Government to a more
prompt realization of the importance of taking the most active and
energetic measures to secure Miss Stone’s release.
While I have no positive information on the subject, I am inclined to
believe that the man arrested by the Turkish soldiers, supposed to
be an agent of the brigands, is still in custody. I spoke to the
minister for foreign affairs on Saturday in regard to this man, and
was informed that outside of the man’s own admission that he was an
agent of the brigands they had been unable to obtain any
information, as the man denied all knowledge of their whereabouts
and of the fact of his being the bearer of any demand for
ransom.
I can only add that the minister for foreign affairs again assured me
that every effort was being made to locate the brigands, and that
the first care would be to secure Miss Stone’s safe return to her
friends.
I do not share your fear that Miss Stone’s chance of rescue has been
materially lessened, being rather inclined to take the reverse view,
for the reason that the brigands are quite sure to commence
negotiations for ransom the moment they feel secure, which the
activity of the Turkish troops may have prevented so long as they
remained in Turkish territory; for even if later developments should
prove that the Macedonian committee has been the instigator of the
dastardly outrage, sordid gain in the shape of a ransom is no doubt
the main factor which induced the miscreants to commit the deed.
I am, etc.,
