Miss Stone Affair

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A postcard with the kidnapped Ellen Stone and Katerina Cilka
The participants in the Miss Stone Affair - Sava Mihaylov, Yane Sandanski, Krastyo Asenov and Hristo Chernopeev.
Ellen Maria Stone

The Miss Stone Affair (

pro-Bulgarian Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization.[3][4][5]

History

Background

In 1901, one of the main problems facing the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization was the lack of resources for armaments. This financial crisis was discussed at the meeting of the leadership of IMRO in

Süleyman Bey
, but due to his illness this action also failed.

Kidnapping

Sandanski was then drawn to the idea of kidnapping a Protestant missionary of

Krǎstyo Asenov carried this out on August 21, 1901. Two women—Ellen Maria Stone and her fellow missionary Katerina Stefanova-Cilka—were kidnapped somewhere between Bansko and Gorna Dzhumaya, then towns in the Ottoman Empire
.

The goal of the kidnapping was to receive a heavy ransom and aid the financially struggling IMRO. The detachment was pursued by the Ottoman and Bulgarian authorities and by a

Supreme Macedonian Committee. Ottoman authorities for a short time, arrested Grigor Cilka, husband of Katerina on unfounded charges of being complicit in the kidnapping.[6][7][8] Sometimes regarded as a case of the Stockholm syndrome[citation needed] (with the kidnappers even assisting Cilka in giving birth to her daughter), the affair ended after intensive negotiations in early 1902, half a year after the kidnapping. IMRO was paid a ransom of 14,000 Turkish gold liras on January 18, 1902, in Bansko, and the hostages were released on February 2 near Strumica
.

Widely covered by the media at the time, the event has been often dubbed "America's first modern

hostage crisis
".

References

  1. ^ In her memories about this event Cilka is described as a Bulgarian by birth. For more see: "Born among Brigands; Mrs Tsilka's story of her Baby", "McClure's magazine", New York, vol. 4, August, 1902.
  2. ^ In the biographical book about her life Richard M. Cochran, Ph.D wrote: Katarina Stephanova was born in Bansko, Macedonia, in 1870, of Bulgarian parents. For more see: Richard Cochran, Katerina Tsilka, Institute for Albanian and Protestant studies, 2014, р. 16.
  3. ISBN 9027293406
    , p. 361.
  4. ISBN 382587365X
    .
  5. ISBN 1442241802
    .
  6. ISBN 9780822308133
    .
  7. ISBN 9780821400630
    .
  8. ISBN 9780914710554
    .

Further reading
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