Boris Sarafoff was quickly suspected of being involved in the kidnapping of Miss Stone. The British minister, acting on behalf of the United States (since the U.S. did not have an official representative in Sofia), informed the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Relations about his suspicions. He officially demanded that Sarafoff either be arrested or placed under surveillance so that he could not leave the country until an investigation was carried out.
However, the Bulgarian government did nothing about the request, possibly because they were afraid of Sarafoff. Within a few days, Sarafoff left Sofia and traveled to Budapest. Later, he was reported to be in Paris. Although the police knew where he was, they were too afraid to take action against him Sofia Sightseeing Tours.
Mr. Dickinson’s Efforts and Challenges
Mr. Dickinson, the American consul, was a man of integrity and highly trusted by the American colony in Constantinople. However, from the start of his efforts to secure Miss Stone’s release, his approach was ineffective. Mr. Dickinson believed that diplomacy could solve the problem, and instead of negotiating directly with the brigands, he tried to get the Bulgarian government involved. However, he should have known that the Bulgarian government was unable to handle the situation.
After two months of unsuccessful attempts, it became clear that Mr. Dickinson’s strategy was not working. His inability to resolve the issue led to his recall from Bulgaria, and Mr. Leishman, the U.S. minister at Constantinople, was sent back to his post. Mr. Leishman arrived in Constantinople around the 1st of January and took a different approach.
Mr. Leishman’s Practical Approach to the Situation
Once in Constantinople, Mr. Leishman quickly understood the situation. He decided to abandon the diplomatic debates and instead applied business methods and common sense to the problem. He recognized that the Bulgarian government was powerless to help and therefore shifted his focus to directly communicating with the brigands.
Mr. Leishman appointed a committee to manage the situation. This committee was made up of:
Mr. Gargiulo, the chief dragoman and interpreter of the U.S. legation in Constantinople,
Rev. John Henry House, D.D., a respected missionary who had worked in Macedonia for twenty-five years and was in charge of the American Board’s mission work there, and
W.W. Peet, the treasurer of the Bible Society and Missionary Board in Constantinople.
This team worked together with great skill and tact. They decided to take a more practical approach, focusing on dealing with the brigands directly, which ultimately proved to be the best strategy for Miss Stone’s release The Kidnapping of Gerasim Kirias.
The efforts of Mr. Dickinson to rely on diplomatic means ultimately failed, as he did not recognize the limitations of the Bulgarian government. However, Mr. Leishman’s practical approach by directly negotiating with the brigands led to progress. His decision to form a skilled team helped to resolve the situation more effectively, demonstrating that common sense and business-like methods could sometimes be more useful than traditional diplomacy.
