, 1897-10-14
MISS C|SNBROS' ESCAPE.
SHE WAS DRESSED AS A MAN AND
PASSED THE DETECTIVES
CLEVERLY.
The Officers Were Given a Little G1od
Wine, Which Affected Their Eye
siglt-After Getting Aboard tho
Vessel She Borrowed Female At
tire.

New York, Oct. l2.-Miss Cisner1s'
escape and her safe arrival here on The
Seneca today was one OF the most OAR
ing feats ever attempted and successfully
carried out. While she was still n
prison her friends secured a passport
for one Juan SOFA" and state No.
8, on the Seneca. was held in the same
name. This was three days Before the
boat sailed. On Saturday when t he
Seneca was to leave Havana detectives
ton. All day long they remained at
their post, examining the passports.
which all passengers have to show be-
fore leaving Havana. Their vigilance
would probably have prevented the de.
E3rture Of Mss Cisnercs had it not been
.or a little refreshment which was seFv-
ed them by friends of Miss Cisneros, who
were aboard the Seneca. The refresh.
ments included wine. The chief Of po.
Ice Of Havana came aboard while the
'e.reshment part OF The plot was in Pre-,
gress. and he, it is alleged, to-, Eel; a
victim to the wiles o. the Cisaelos fac
lion.
A few minutes before the Seneca waA
ready to pull out from her dock a slim
young fellow came running across the
wharf. He had no baggage. and Wa
iashionably dressed. He walked quick,
ly up the gang plank. The detective.
stepped him.
my name is Juan Sola,' he said. atG
ne showed his passport. Everything was
satisfactory. so the senior was allowed
10 go aboard. Ii is said that If it had
not been for the wine the Strange and
rather curious figure OF Senor Sofa NIGH
have aroused the suspicious of same o.
the detectives. Blu! the scheme worked
successfully. Miss Cisnercs' friends,
when they saw everything was satisfac>
tory, disembarked and watched The ship
pull slowly CUT under the frownine
Spanish guns carrying the fugitive q
safety under the Stars and stripes.
Miss C!sneros did no: court danger
any more than was necessary, and at
once went TO her cabin. The next day
when Moro castle was left behind sha
appeared on deck. transformed INFO
Senorita Juano Sofa, alias Cossio y Cis>
neros, and dressed in a becoming red
gown.
Captain Stevens. commander OF the
Seneca, was angry when he discussed
the Cisneros incident with a reporter.
Said he:
Since the commencement; OF the pres
ent insurrec;ion it has been the custom
OF the Spanish authorities to pest a cou.
pie Of detectives al the head OF the gang.
way Of ships lying at Havana. We ar
rived AT 6 a. m. on Saturday and left at
8 p. m, during which time the detectives
did no leave the head of the gangp,ank.
Just before the Seneca sailed the cAie.
Of police. his deputies and his secretary
came aboard. Senorita Cisneros had es-
capped two days previously, and yet they
asked no questions and made no search
for her. although upon three former oc-
casions they had searched the Seneca
from stem to stern while looking for
suspects"
Captain, Stevens said tina. TO the best
OF his knowledge the only persons who
went aboard at Havana were the Lastie
family. the Del Real family. eight China
men and a man whose name appeared on
and who must have had a passport, 9TH
erwise he would LOT have got aboard.
When II was discovered that .Junan
SOFA" was the girl the Juan" was
changed to Juana, and Miss Cisneros
came in under that name.
Miss Cisneros was given som ar.
ticles o. feminine wearing apparel by the
s;ewardess Of the Seneca.
"a. Mr.. Stewart, an Englishman, who
emparked at Tampico. said that he sat
opposite Miss Cisneros at the table dur,
ing the voyage, and when she saw the
Cape Hatteras light she fell upon her
knees on the deck and prayed devoutly.
Mr.. Stewart said he found the rescued
Cuban a most pleasant companion.
She had her hair pinned up in a coil,
worn under a sombrero when she en-
barked disguised as a ranchman.