In the summer of 1901, Cilka helped Ellen Stone, who had to take a short training course for Bulgarian teachers in primary Protestant schools in her native Bansko. On 3 September 1901, Yane Sandanski and Hristo Chernopeev's chetas abducted both Stone and Cilka.[4] Their captivity lasted 4 months and became known as the Miss Stone Affair. They were set free on 2 February 1902 near the town of Strumica.
^Initially the membership in the IMRO was allowed only for Bulgarians. Its first name was "Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees", which was later changed several times. IMRO was active not only in Macedonia but also in Thrace (the Vilayet of Adrianople). Since its early name emphasized the Bulgarian nature of the organization by linking the inhabitants of Thrace and Macedonia to Bulgaria, these facts are still difficult to be explained from the Macedonian historiography. They suggest that IMRO revolutionaries in the Ottoman period did not differentiate between ‘Macedonians’ and ‘Bulgarians’. Moreover, as their own writings attest, they often saw themselves and their compatriots as ‘Bulgarians’. All of them wrote in standard Bulgarian language. For more see: Brunnbauer, Ulf (2004) Historiography, Myths and the Nation in the Republic of Macedonia. In: Brunnbauer, Ulf, (ed.) (Re)Writing History. Historiography in Southeast Europe after Socialism. Studies on South East Europe, vol. 4. LIT, Münster, pp. 165-200 ISBN382587365X.
^On 21 August 1901, Ellen Stone, an American Protestant missionary based in Salonika, and her Bulgarian colleague Katerina Stefanova, who was the wife of the Albanian pastor Grigor Cilka, were kidnapped by the cheta of Yane Sandanski between Bansko and Gorna Dzhumaya (now Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria). For more see: Stone, Ellene (Kidnapping off); an article by Raymond Detrez (2014) in Historical Dictionary of Bulgaria, Edition 3; Rowman & Littlefield, 2014 p. 469, ISBN1442241802.
^Katerina’s brothers, Constantine and Nikola were to follow their sister to Ellis Island. Constantine was recorded "Kosta Stefano" a 20 year old native of "Bulgary" who arrived on the SS Westernland from Antwerp, on August 15, 1893. Nikola was recorded "Nikola Stefanoff" a 19 year old native of "Banska" in "Bulgarian Turkey" who arrived on the SS Southwark from Antwerp on September 21, 1897. Her third brother, Alexander, arrived at Ellis Island on the ship Aurania, on September 10, 1903.
^For Freedom and Perfection (the life of Yané Sandansky), Journeyman Press, 1988, ISBN978-1-85172-014-9, p. 71.
