The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-14

three centens later got to her a package
of drugged sweets. Having established COM
munication with her. we began work with
cut losing a day. The Casa de RecOjidaS is
located in the lowest quarters of Havana,
and is surrounded by huddle of squalid
huts occupied by negroes and Cinnamon and
reeking to heaven by day and night. A
single alley. perhaps twenty feet in length.
zlgzags around two sides Of the building,
opening off in front of the main entrance:
CompOstela street runs along the rear or
the building north and south, and from this
/. leads off westwaTdy Sigua street. by which
dignifed name is known the alley running
along the south side of Recojdas. Turning
at right angles to the north, the alley tipsily
forgets its name and loses record on the
map Of Havana. At the north end of the
building and just in front of the big door
of the prison the filthy lane right angles
again, becomes O'Farrili street and strikes
straight forward, as though anxious to leave
the Jail as soon as possible 1t ends at Egido
street opposite the Havana arsenal
This was the scene of our operations.
There are single rows of houses in the alley
facing the side and 'front.' of the Jail, and
a double row both sides of O'Farrill
street.
A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.
A dozen times in half as many hours I
passed through this crooked alley trying
to find the solution of problem that would
not be solved Recojidas was apparently
inaccessible; its huge, thick walls lowered
far in the air, topped by high, thick
parapet The only windows to be seen from
the alley were about thirty-five feet from
the ground, and were protected, as are all
windows in Cuba, by massive iron bars
Although not known to any of us at that
time, as it was invisible from the street,
there was window opening from the sec
ond story on zotea. or fat roof, over low
er rooms in the front of the building.
Through this window the escape of Miss
(lSnprOS
not until a week after our survey that any
suggestion looking to the use of this win
dow was made.
For the first week we scanned and Ie-
scanned the outer walls, suggesting dozen
attempt was considered, and plans were
made to get Miss CiSneroS to the barred
door opening into a small court just off the
Don Jose, the alcade, was then to be
lured outside the door, lured further, into
state of temporary unconsciousness, and
our end accomplished by a wilde dash for
liberty. This scheme would probably have
worked but for the fact that Miss Cisneros
was incommunicado, and was nor permitted
to receive visitors, or even to come into
the Sala de Justicia on the inner side OF
the door.
The fact that the Havana arsenal, always
under a strong guard, stretched its long
front across the end of O'Farrill street on
the other side of Egido street, and that the
barracks of a company of the Orden Pub
lcos was located just back of Recojidas on
Compostela street, made this plan decidedly
AS it appeared at this time absolutely
impossible TO either get into the Jail our
selves or to get Miss Cisneros out, it was
considered to have become case of ''untar
los manos," and a sturdy attempt was
made to reach some of the guards or keep
ers with brides, but nothing was effected
Finally when it appeared as if the only
beautiful Cuban would be to dynamite a
part of the building. note was struggled
in to her a last resort, asking if she
could make any suggestion that could help
us.
In answer she sent the following mes
sage, i'm Spanish, of course: MY plan is the
following: To escape by the roof with the
aid of a rope, descending by the front of
the house at given hour and signal. For
this / require acid to destroy the bars of
the windows and opium or morphine so as
to set to sleep my companions. The best
way to use it is in sweets, and thus I can
also set to sleep the vigilants.
Three Of you come and stand at the cor
ners, lighted cigar will be the signal of
alarm for which / may have to delay and
a white handkerchief will be the agreed
signal by which I can safely descend.
will only bring with me the necessary
clothes tied around !. my waist This is my
SHE SENT A PLAN, TOO.
Accompanying this was a plan drawn by
herself showing the exact location of the
window referred to. 1t was at the end of
a second-story apartment running along
Sigua street on the side of the prison, but
tea, or fiat roof, on which it opens was about
twenty feet wide, and high parapet along
the front of the building hid this window
from sight in the street.
No time was lost in acting on her sug-
gestion. The idea of eating through an
iron bar with acid was dismissed and the
question then naturally presented itself as
TO how the bars of the window could be
cut so as to permit her to crawl through.
The height of the building also precluded
the idea of letting her attempt to come down
by herself Her plan was to use the rope on
the Flagstaff.
Consequently it became absolutely neces-
sary for us to gain access to the aZotea if
we We're to succeed. To do this, it became
Immediately apparent, would necessitate the
use of house in the crooked little alley
running around the jail By the rarest good
fortune l found on my next visit to the vi
cinity a vacant house Immediately adjoin-
ing the jail on the north side of OFarrill
street.
BY this time No. ! O'Farrill street is bet
ter known and more famous in Havana than
the palace ltsen. by the END or the next
day the house was in our possession. As
La Lucha naively remarks to-day: THE
1essees could find one to become respon-
sibe for them, SO paid two months in adj
vance"
Our gold pieces made this OFarrll palace
ours for the space of two months should we
care to occupy it that long. Next day the
deal was closed. A colored Habanero was
sent to the house to whtewash and, be-
sides the lime and brush he carried light
ladder about twelve feet long. The possess
sion of this ladder was all that brought him
on the scene. When he went away in the
evening he forgot it. and it remained in the
house.
Last Tuesday night we went into the
squad little den at No. l, fully prepared,
as we believed, for all possible contingent
cies.
Having the key, went first and reached
and entered the house without being noticed.
Hernandez and Mallory followed about an
hour later but We're so unfortunate as to
find the door of No. 3. the adjoining house,
standing open, with two of the occupants
gaping idly at the moon, waiting for the ar
rival of the last of their household. AS our
two men passed them and disappeared into
the house they became very much alarmed,
seeming to imagine the visit of the strange
men to the house next door foreboded some
pending calamity to themselves.
Although it was now 12.30, the occupants
of No 3 remained awake. busying them
in Finally however, the tardy member of
that household arrived and with much noise
and ciamor they barred themselves in aud
went to bed.
1t was fully 1870 o'clock before the noises
of the neghborhood quoted down and the
evil place fell into a semblance of repose.
AT this time the moon high in the
heavens and as bright the midday sun.
Down toward the corner of the front of the
Recoiidas a large gas-lighted bracket
against the side of one of the houses made
visible the smallest object in the dirty thor
oughfare.
A PERILOUS TRIP.
Notwithstanding these disadvantages,