obtained in a Massachusetts court, and as the question presented seems to be whether a similar judgment obtained in the Canton of Vaud would be executed in Massachusetts, the opinion of the supreme court of that State in the leading case of Bissell v. Briggs (Massachusetts Reports, 462) is pertinent. In that case the court said: A foreign judgment may be produced here by a party to it, either to justify himself by the execution of that judgment in the country in which it was rendered or to obtain the execution of it from our courts. * * * If the foreign court rendering the judgment had jurisdiction of the cause, yet the courts here will not execute the judgment without first allowing an inquiry into the merits. It is impossible to furnish the declaration of reciprocity which is requested. ALVEY A. ADEE, Acting Secretary. I am, etc., TURKEY. ABDUCTION BY BRIGANDS, RANSOM, AND RELEASE OF MISS ELLEN M. STONE, AN AMERICAN MISSIONARY. Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, September 5, 1901. (Mr. Leishman reports that the United States consular agent at Salonica has advised him by telegraph that Miss Stone, an American missionary, has been carried off by brigands while traveling from Raslog to Djumabala with a lady companion, and that the matter has been actively taken up with the Porte by Mr. Leishman.) No. 73.] Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, September 13, 1901. SIR: I beg to inclose you copy of correspondence from the consulgeneral which will give you all the information I have been able to obtain so far in regard to the abduction of Miss Stone by brigands in the vilayet of Salonica. Although it is about ten days since the outrage was committed, no demand for ransom has yet been made. It is quite within the range of probabilities that the brigands are Bulgarians, not Turks, as the place where they were stopped is quite close to the Bulgarian frontier; but at this writing it is impossible to make any positive statement. Although the delay must be terrible to the family and friends of Miss Stone, I am quite of the same opinion as the consul-general and consular agent at Salonica that any great activity on the part of the Turkish troops would only force the brigands deeper into the mountains, and if pressed too closely they might kill Miss Stone rather than allow her to be rescued. As soon as the brigands feel safe they will in all probability send the native woman who is with Miss Stone back with a demand for ransom, and in case I am unable to induce the Ottoman Government to pay same, I have notified Mr. Peet, the secretary of the Bible House Society, that he should be ready for emergencies, and that the question of getting the money back will have to be left for future consideration, as I could make no guaranty or take official action in regard to ransom without first receiving instructions from the Department. Mr. Peet assured me that he was prepared to act promptly. JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. I have, etc., No. 556.] [Inclosure 1.] Mr. Lazzaro to Mr. Dickinson. UNITED STATES CONSULAR AGENCY, SIR: Last night at 1 a. m. Dr. House, an American missionary to the Bulgarians residing here, came to me with a telegram from Mr. Sedloeff, his correspondent at Razlog (vilayet of Salonica), stating that Miss Ellen Stone, also a missionary with headquarters in Salonica, but residing for the last couple of weeks at Razlog, had been carried off by brigands on the previous day while on her way to Djumabala. She was at the time traveling with three or four lady companions, Bulgarian teachers. Some of these ladies were presumably not molested, but allowed to return to Razlog, where they brought the news of the outrage. One, however, of Miss Stone's companions, named Mrs. Tsilka, was also carried off. The place where the outrage occurred is called the great rocks, and the brigands escaped with their prisoners to the mountains near by. On hearing this news I immediately wired you last night as follows: "Have been just informed that Miss Ellen Stone, American missionary here, on her way from Razlog to Djumabala, September 3, was carried off with lady companion by brigands. No details. Shall interview vali early morning." This morning I obtained an interview from the vali in his private dwelling and brought the matter before him, especially drawing his attention to the necessity not to send troops after the brigands at present. The fact is that in every case when troops were sent after the brigands before the release of the prisioners the latter were put to death. The object of the brigands is indubitably to obtain a ransom, and if hard pressed by troops before the release of the prisoners the lives of the latter are certainly jeopardized. I further pointed out to the vali that the calamity would be much greater if loss of life occurred, and that the Government ought to do everything in its power not to incur further responsibilities. The vali promised to do everything I asked him, and wired in my presence to the mutessarif of Serres requesting him to have troops dispatched toward the neighborhood of the outrage, and that said troops were not to molest the brigands, but keep a watchful eye on their movements, and only interfere in case they could help the prisoners without endangering their lives. In similar cases, when a foreign subject was carried off by brigands, and these cases have been quite frequent in our region, the Turkish Government has always paid the ransom; but owing to the penury of the treasury the foreign governments have generally advanced the money in order to avoid delay. I would strongly recommend this course, and shall wire you as soon as I hear that you come to an understanding with the Government in Washington, so that you may be able to dispose of a certain sum should this prove necessary. I further suggest that you also insist with the Porte on the nonadvisability of sending at present troops after the brigands. I am inclined to think that the brigands have kept Mrs. Tsilka in order to transmit through her their demands and that this lady will be shortly released for the above purpose. I shall wire you as soon as I have anything new to communicate. I understand Dr. House has wired to the secretary of the Evangelical Society in Boston, to which both he and Miss Stone belong. I have, etc., P. H. LAZZARO, United States Consular Agent. [Inclosure 2.] Mr. Baird to Mr. Dickinson. SAMAKOV, September 7, 1901. SIR: We were greatly pained yesterday at noon to learn from a telegram from Dr. House (Salonica) that Miss Stone and Mrs. Tsilka, the wife of the Albanian preacher, were captured and carried off by a band of brigands on September 3, about 4 p. m., while on their way with quite a company of friends from Banska to Djumabala. I went to the government here and informed them so that they might be on the lookout for these outlaws should they attempt to bring their captives into Bulgaria. Just before sunset September 7 two of our students from Bansko arrived. They were with Miss Stone when the brigands captured the party. From their accounts, by the aid of questions, I got the following: The whole party, about fifteen or eighteen, were suddenly stopped in a narrow valley and as soon as possible all were compelled to wade a river and ascend the wooded mountain side as fast as threats could make them for about an hour. Not all the captors could be seen, but twenty were counted at one time and it was the opinion that there must have been forty of them, dressed like Turks and talking bad Turkish. They spoke occasionally in good Bulgarian and were glad to find among the provisions carried by the party several okes of bacon and ham. They knew Miss Stone, showing that they were mainly after her. She and Mrs. Tsilka were taken on further and seen no more. The remainder were relieved of money and watches and compelled to stay all night under strict guard. After sunrise the brigands who watched them went up the mountain and the remainder of the party were free. Our two students passed through Djumabala and on across the border to Bulgaria; the remainder of those released returned to Bansko. It seems that this detention of all the party kept the Turkish Government from getting any knowledge of even the presence of brigands till about noon of the 4th, and gave the outlaws a chance of hurrying their captives to a place far distant from the scene of their capture. A Turk captured just before this party was taken up the mountain with them and beaten to death before their eyes. I know nothing as to which direction the captives were taken. I think it most likely that they will be brought into Bulgaria; because, first, it is very probable that a large proportion of the brigands make Bulgaria their headquarters; second, when the Turkish troops get thawed out enough to chase the brigands these latter will naturally prefer to be in Bulgaria; third, if they can get quickly across the border into Bulgaria they can peacefully secrete their victims and by keeping quiet live honorable (?) lives till they get their ransom. What those two women will suffer can be imagined. May God guard them. A Bulgarian officer came to-day, sent by the government, to learn about the brigands. He said they had special instruction and that they would guard their border very closely. Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. J. W. BAIRD. No. 75.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STates, Constantinople, September 20, 1901. SIR: Although it is now two weeks since Miss Stone was captured by the brigands no word has as yet been received about her and no demand for ransom. Numerous reports have been received, some to the effect that they were Turkish soldiers in disguise, some that they were Macedonian agitators instigated to commit the crime by the central Bulgarian committee in the hope of stirring up foreign intervention, and others that they were Bulgarian bandits who had crossed the frontier, and that the delay in making their demands was caused by the difficulty they were experiencing in getting back into their own country or finding a secure place of retreat. The latter theory is the one I am most inclined to credit, but it is impossible at present to form a definite opinion. The Ottoman Government is doing everything that could be expected. They have already captured three men who, it is claimed, acted as guides, and hope through them to locate the band, but are compelled to act with caution for fear that if pressed too closely the brigands may injure or kill Miss Stone, their idea being first to locate Miss Stone, negotiate for her safe delivery, and then pursue the band afterwards. Regretting my inability to furnish you with more definite information at present, JOHN G. A. LEISHMAN. I have, etc., Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Leishman states that no definite news concerning Miss Stone has been received, but that the best obtainable information indicates that the brigands were Bulgarians who recrossed the frontier after capturing Miss Stone. Mr. Leishman has advised Mr. Dickinson, United States consulgeneral at Constantinople, to proceed to Sofia and take the matter up with the Bulgarian Government there.) No. 79.] Mr. Leishman to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, September 24, 1901. 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 shared 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 I can 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 |