Evening journal., 1896-08-07
FLED IN BOYS ATTIRE.
Cecil Charles Escape From the
Island Of Cuba.
oUTWITTBD THE SPANISH SPIES.

She Was tho Correspondent Of New
York Paper-Hcr story Of the Cruel
Treatment to which Prisoners Are Sub
jected at Cabanas.
NEW York. Aug Among the pas
scngers who arrived on the Ward line
steamship City OF Washington were Miss
Cecil CHARLES and Alexander @. Brice,
United states consul at Matanzas. They
were detained at Hoffman island, as they
did not have acclimatiyation papers, and
camo up TO the city yesterday. Miss
Charles IS n slender yivacious, nervous
looking woman, who arrived here with q
limited wardrobe as she left Cuba rather
hastily. Sho went to the disturbed island
about II months ago for the purpose OF
gathering material for a book which she
Is writing about Cuba.
Sho travelled over tho island without
molestntion for como time, but finally tho
Spanish authorities set spies TO watch her,
as they believed she was sending dispatch
ss TO American newspapers. Recently
Miss Charles stopped at a hotel on thc out.
skirts Of Havana, but the actions Of the
spios became such that, following the ad-
cided to seek other quarters. She first
visited Cabanas prison. securing entrance
by subterfugo The treatmont the prison
crs received there. sho said, was horrible.
Tho men are crowded 40 or more in a cell
only % by 20 feet, where the stencil is al
most beyond human endurance.
Among the prisoners there she saw sew
cral of the members Of the III fated Com
pottor expedition - Alfredo LabOrdo
whose brother arrived here some time ago;
Owen Milton, the newspaper correspond
ont; William Kinlea and Elias Bedia. Tho
men were kept on short rations and, as
sho expressed IL, appeared to be dying on
thoir feet Miss Charles was emphatic In
her description of the Spanish outrages.
Miss Charles also saw Julio Sanguilly In
/ prison, but he had cell TO himself and
was treated with some degree Of consider
alton.
A Deplorable Condition at Matanzas.
She then went to the city OF Matanzas,
where things are, according TO her descrip
! tion, in horrible condition. The streets
were filled with cartloads OF the dead bod
los Of paoihous, many of them badly do
composed and they were allowed TO re-
main unburiod for days at a timo. Thii
was done, she said. in order TO have a re-
straining effect upon the oitizons, or rGth
or subjects of the island Miss Charles
said that tho ontire island was in horri
bic condition. and that the half had move
been told From k@atanzas she went e
Havana and returned to the hotel, wher
she had been previously staying. In Ha
vana she declared, people were dying b.
the score from yellow fever, smallpox ant
other diseases arising from the terrlbl.
| Offensive condition of the streets
The Spanish spies again began TO worr
her, and, getting an inkliHg of the fac
that they were about TO arrest her, tn
young woman donned suit of boy
clothes, and leaving the hotel by roa
door, mndo her way In a small boat 10 IN
City of Washington, which was lying j
the harhor, and succeeded In gettn
aboard by means OF a rope ladder. She n
mained concealed on the steamship mt
it had sailed she left everything bohin
except skirt and few othor things thu
she could carry with her In a small bur
de Miss Charles regards her escape as
narrow one and oongratulatos herself thi
she got away at al, baggage or no baggage
She went TO 324 East Thirteenth street
where she will remain until she has roct
pereted somewhat and purchased nel
wardrobe.
According to her account tho people {
Cuba who are not in open rebellion are s
torrorized that IL is practically impossibl
TO get any information from them. Th
Spaninrds have thoroughly frightene
them into silonco even the most courage
| oue