Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-25
STORY OF MISS CISNEROS
Led the Cubans After Her Father Was
Taken and Was Betrayed.
A Governor I'm Love With Her-TOOls
Advantage of His InfntuatiOn
to LfbeRnte Cubans.

The fate of the little Cuban patriot
| Evangelina Cossio v Cisneros, now con-
| fined in the Casa de Ricogidas blouse of
| the Scrapings), in Havana, and whose trial
| by court-martial is exciting the interest
| and sympathy of Cuban sympathizers in
| the United States. is told follows by a
| writer for the New York Times as he says
| he heard it from her lips.
| Evangelina was born in the Province of
| Puerto Principe, near the city of that name
nearly nineteen years ago. Her mother
| died when she was but three years of age,
| and her training and that of three sisters
| was left with her father. Senior Cossio
| had been an officer on the Cuban side in
the ten years conflict. and when the war
| clouds again began to gather he again took
sides with the patriots. He was suspected,
arrested, and sent to the Isle of Pines.
| EvnnSelin: Headed the Troops.
He had been at the head of a small band
| of Cubans who were only waiting suita-
hle opportunity to join the increasing ar
mics of Gomez and Maceo. The Cubans.
| left without leader, were about to disor-
ganize, when Evangelina appeared on the
| scene. rs there not one among you who
can take my fathers placer" she asked,
| and they answered, mo, not one"
Then she exclaimed, sprnging upon
| casque rear by. 81 will lead you
Some one of her band betrayed her into
the hands of the Spaniards, and she was
sent to foin her father in the Isle of Pines
on July %, 1896.
She had been but a few days on the Is
| land when Gov. Berez became infatuated
with her, but the little Cuban deigned not
| to smile on the governor. This so enraged
| him that ne swore to have her. and set
| about to carry his resolution into effect,
but his plans miscarried.
Her Fnt,er Prepares n Trap.
| Senior Cossio observed the infatuation his
| daughter possessed over the governor and
| he determined to put it to good account.
| So it was agreed that she was to soften
her manner to the governor and permit
him to call upon her in a social way. AT
a sign from her, the Cubans who were to
be i'll hiding were to rush in upon him,
bind him hand and foot. then attack the
garrison, and capture the castle. The plan
worked well. The governor called Evan
gelna for the first time was civil and in
Vited him into the house. Scarcely had he
passed the threshold than he seized her in
mis- arms. Evange!ina screamed but her
cries were smothered almost as soon as
they began.
Suddenly the door burst OPEN and Senior
Cosslo, followed by his Cuban confederates
rushed into the room to find Evangelina
struggling to free herself from the COVER
nor The girl wept Historically The Gu
bans gesticulated, and the governor swore
vengeance on them ALL He was quickly
overpowered and bound In the meantime
the garrison had been taken by surprise
ana beaten back into the fort where IL
managed to hold out for two days until re
intorcements arrived. After some hard
nghtlns the Cubans were forced to surren-
der and Cossio was again taken prisoner
but his daughter escaped.
Hid In an Oven and Retrnxed
She hid herself in large oven. where she
remained for day and night, then. al
ia NJ -lal
way to the house of supposed friend, who
surrendered her to the governor To his
presence she was brought, bound hand and
foot The governor made an insultin.
proposition to her
L prefer Cabanas," she answered indis
nantiy. and you may send me away as
IN rage; you shall go directly" and the
guard took her back to her cell Scarcely
had the doors closed upon her than :hev
before her.
DO you realize the magnitude of your
oHense! he asked. DO you not know that
my uncle is Gen. Azcarraga. minister. of
war Of the Spanish government
1T matters but little to me-" she an
swered If you had been the King of
same
Tomorrow" he continued, "you will be
sent to Havana, and if you are not shot
as a traitoress you will be exiled and then
you will wish that you had treated with
more consideration the governor of the
Isle of Pines" and with that he left her.
Sent to Havana in Chains.
Miss Cisneros and her father were sent
to Havana, loaded with chains, and were
not allowed to communicate with each
other. She had been in Havana but a few
days when the priest who is supposed to
be in charge of the spiritual welfare of the
prison ers became himself smitten with her
charms, and the consequence was in 4
snort time his visits became unbearable
ana she refused to have anything to do
with him. She was transferred to the
Casa de Ricogidas, where, no doubt, she
will remain until her fate has been de-
cided.
There are three separate charges against
her: First, conspiracy against the crown
of Spain; second, an attempt upon the life
of the governor Of the Isle of Pines, and
last, but not least, for trampling upon and
destroying a likeness of Gen. Weyler She
is rorsalzen by all her Cuban friends, not
one of whom ould dare call upon her or
send her 4 message.
Gen. Lee interested himself in the girls
behalf, and he called upon Gen. Ahumada,
but to no avail.
Mrs. Lee and Miss Lee were constant Wis
itors to the Casa de Ricogidas to see this
Cuban girl, and they did all in their power
for her, making a special appeal to the
Bishop of Havana in her behalf Just be-
fore leaving the Island Miss Lee presented
Evangeina with a Spanish English gram
mar and upon the cover of which l saw
inscribed "Recuerda de la bella Srta Lee
a una presa politica, Mch. Z, 1891"