Missionary; born in
Roxbury, Mass., July 24, 1846; daughter of
Benjamin Franklin and Lucy (
Waterman)
Stone; was educated in public schools; removed to
Chelsea, Mass., in 1860; was engaged in teaching, and for eleven years was a member of the editorial staff of the
Congregationalist.
She sailed from New York to the mission-field among the Bulgarians, Oct. 5, 1878; arrived at
Samokov, April 28, 1882; sailed for
Boston, May 24, 1883, arriving June, 1883; returned to the mission-field June 6, 1885, and was at Philippopolis in November, 1885.
On July 30, 1898, she sailed again to resume her work in Bulgaria.
About Sept. 1, 1901,
Miss Stone and a woman companion were kidnapped by brigands, and after they had taken the women to a place of concealment the captors announced what they had done, and demanded an indemnity of $110,000 for
Miss Stone's release, the money to be paid within thirty days. The news of the capture reached the
United States on Sept. 5, and the friends of
Miss Stone immediately communicated with the State Department at
Washington, and started a movement for raising the indemnity by popular subscription.
The United States government made forcible representations to the Turkish government and the Bulgarian authorities, and, as a result, orders were issued for troops to seek the retreat of the brigands and secure the release of
Miss Stone and her companion.
Through a fear lest the pursuit of the brigands by troops might lead to the torturing if not the murder of
Miss Stone, it was understood in October that the troops had been called off from the search at the instigation of the United States government.
The friends of
Miss Stone raised more than one-half of the amount of the indemnity, and it was intimated that the United States government would guarantee the payment of the full amount and afterwards demand heavy damages from the Turkish government for the outrage.
[
431]
In November, after protracted negotiations, $75,000 was offered to the brigands as a ransom, but was refused.
Miss Stone and her companion were still alive and reported that they were not illtreated.
