The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-10-16
DECKER'S
CLOSE CALL.
Barely Escaped After ResCuing
Senorita CiSnerOS.
wEYLER'S MEN WE'RE AFTER HIM
AND THE PLUCKY CORRESPOND
ENT HAD TO FORGE SENIOR
CARJOvAL:S NAME TO A PASS.
PORT IN ORDER TO LEAVE HA-
VANA-THRlLLING EXPER FENCE
AFTER THE RESCUE.
AFTER THE RESCUE.

New York, Oct. 15.-Karl Decker, of
WASHINGTON, known in Havana rs
Charles Duval, the rescuer of Evagelina
Cossio Cisneros from, the Casa de Reco-
jidas, Havana, who arrived in this CITY
yesterday, WAS met down the bay by a
number of new Supper men, and said:
II was commissioned by the New York
Journal to go to Cuba and deliver Sc
ntorita Cossio Cisneros from the filthy
Recojidas prison | started from New
York August %, determined to free the
woman, though | did not see INV way
clear as to the plan to be adopted After
reaching Havana many plans suggested
themselves to me, but each one proved
impracticable. tried to bride the TAILOR
or alcalde, but he wanted Sl6.0OO'for the
Job and positive assurances that he and
his family could get TO the United States.
This was too rich proposition for me- Z"
Mr.. Decker repeated the story OF the
rescue fiom the Jail as already told in his
dispatches, and then related what hap
pened after the girl was out of the prison.
He said:
"When Senorita Cossio Y Cisneros en-
tered our shanty adjoining the Jail we let
her rest few moments and then took
her TO carriage awaiting outside and
drove to the house of n friend. The friend
Who ItCcpllOu lDHC DlEnU. Wn1Ck
was part of the plot. The man who
drove the carriage was one of the conspi-
rators. Senorita Cossio Csnercs was
exhausted from excitement when she
reached the house, but she did not give
way
son Thursday morning she was taken
to the home of friend, where she re-
manned in secrecy until Saturday AFTER
noon.
''To reach the steamer for New York
she was obliged to walk down Ohispo
street, the principal thoroughfare of Ha-
vana, at time when the street was
crowded, and yet take her time and smoke
cigar. If she had skulked about the
back streets she would Immediately have
been suspected. 1t was over a mile from
the house to the pier She had a pass
port made out under an assumed name.
All the steamships anchor out in the
stream. Senorita Cossio Cisneros
walked down from the house, clad as
rancher, and my companion and follow
ed be hind. She sauntered along leisurely,
and once in while turned about to see
if we were following We motioneti her
to go'on. She grew more confident AS she
went along, but we could see that she
was under strain. She got on the
launch and we waited, and when the
launch returned from the vessel and she
was not on it, we knew that the scheme
had worked like charm.
The day after the jailbreak the town
was astir over the escape of Senorita
CosSo y CisnerOs, a house to house search
was begun and would have been kept up
had not telegram from Minister Dupuy
de Lone at Washington Informed Wevler
that the girl was on the high seas and ex-
pected any day in New York Then Wey-
Ter was mad. He threw the TAILOR, jose
Quintana, into Jail, .whereupon the jailer
told about my attempting to .bribe him.
7 his, in connection with the surmise of
De LONE, placed suspicion on me. gave
it out that was going to take n steamer
for Mexico There was only one steamer
leaving Sunday, and that was Spanish
steamer. l waited for instructions from
New York, and had almost made up my
i"ind to start Sunday, instructions or no
instructions. My instructions came,
happily.
"My passport was made out in the
name of Karl Decker. In order to take
the Panama Sunday night and run the
gauntlet must get my passport vised and
stamped with the seal OF the secretary of
the captain general. 1 knew that my
passport would never be signed and I
learned that an order for my arrest was
determined on, ind that was to be ar
~ested at . o'clock Monday morning.
the writing of Senior Carjoval, the secre-
tnry of U'eyler, and copied it so that
had it down fine. Then I forged the wise
Signature. determined to. do without
the seal. At the last moment I went to
the wharf and took the launch for the
steamship. The inspector looked at nv
passport and asked where the seal was
assumed nonchalant air, as best
could, and told him chat Senior Carloval
was at the Ingleterre Hotel, and having
no seal, he signed his name TO a state
ment, saying it was all right The in
spector hesitated and showed the sigma
ture to another inspector, who said all
right, and was safe.
1.-The Spanish authorities never
thought for m Oment that would take
Spanish steamer. Nearly all the Amer
leans take the American line They did
not think to guard the Panama and
watch for me. They arrest all prisoners
at 5 o'clock in the morning. They were
sure would be in town on Monday. and
they were fooled"
Washington, Oct. 10, Correspondent
Decker sent the following dispatch to
Havana:
"New York, Oct IA.
"V. Weyler, Esq, Havana.
"My Dear General: Please return nv
44-calibre revolver, which forgot on the
roof of the Casao de Reconjides, last
| Thursdy morning, while calling ON Miss
Cisneros. l think broke a window.
Please have it reset and seud bill with
gun. Yours as ever, DECKER"
Breakfast, 25 cents; dinner, 25 cents;
supper 20 cents. Meal tickets, 81. 7.
j. Cabo0nf's restaurant