The times., 1897-08-25

belonged to the best Cuban families aHd
Were inprisonedfcr political reasons. They
happened 10 have brothers or other male
relatives in the ranks of Cuba's army IF
liberation. Theremainingseventy-t we're
women of the lower class, mainly negresseS
who We're serving sentences ranging as higa
as twent y-five years foF the worst crimes
including murder, known TO the code
These latter We're all confirmed criminals
OF the West habits.
The economy of tile Casa dc Becojidds
| man agenent makes no allowance or pro-
vision for the separation of these two classes
| Of prisoners The delicate, refined woman
who is thrust within its wallis, like Miss
Cisneros, must not only associate with the
| criminals, but has to sleep by their side.
| The Eeeotidas is a low, one-story build
! ing that was constructed in the early da Us
| of the Spanish conquest as q convent
| The place is horribly dirty. There are no
| sanitary arrangements. \ shallow pretext
| OF keeping II clean is made In the way OF
compelling the inmates to scour the fiDors,
| hut this is more for their punishment than
| Otherwise, and cannot In any case, as lie
! place is constituted, be effe ctiYe as means
| Of removing foul odors. There are No pro-
visions for bathing, and the inmates n Ist
thus gc from week to week with only h..
simplest additions.
/ The prison authorities do not supply tie
| prisoners with hclothes. If those with which
| they enter the ReCojidas should fail fvj n
| their backs through wear or be torn off
| IN a fight and fights are OF constant uc-
currence-then the prisoners must gona Ecd
| There were ahout ten persons during TIN,
time that Mrs. Sanchez and Miss AguiIar
| were there that were absolutely without
clothes. They had no money to send out
to buy any. They had no friends TO bring
or send them any. They therefore had 10
go around like savages
Besides these ten that were without n
| stitch on their backs, there were ma ~
others no wore the lnerest rags. and wer
| hardly any better off Miss Cisneros' con
! dition in this respect was not far above
those latter wien these two women en-
tered the Recoltdas. They gave her some
OF their clothes, but since then there has
been Iohody to befriend her
Not onlyiss she without available relatives
| and friends, but the kindly disposed In
| Havana who would have helped the poor
| girl with food fit 10 eat and clothes fit C
wear havebeen frightened ava Y, and dared
not risk Weyler's wrath by even going &C
| see her, much less sending her things tc
| make life bearebls in the terrible Recojirlas
The order OF the day In the Recojidas 1:
| asfollows: At 6 In the morning these woraCT
open the doors, and the prisoners must
Immediately go out into the courtyard
There are two hours before the first meal
| These two hours are employed by some d
the women in washing their clothes. Al
must use the same large tub Others sew
The majority chat, lounge, sing, smoke
at 3 O'Clock each gets a piece of bread
and nothing more. At 10 two men brin,
IN huge tin pail containing a soup-lik.
mix ture of rice, potatoes and another vege
table. Each of the women has tin plate
and large spoon. AS they are called b.
name they go up to this pail and take as
much as their spoon viii hold. This latte
1rocessis repeated at 4 o clock, when a piece
of meat is added.
AT 8 at night the chief woman guart
blows a whistle and all must hasten Il
the dormitorles. Until this hour they ar
permitted TO pass their time as they pleas,
IN the courtyard and the air is filled
with que rrelings, cursings, chickering's ano
cries, for fights are of almost constan
occurrence, and fierce fights at that.
1t is among such women and amid sucl
surroundings that Miss Cisneros has had t.
live for SO many months.