Iron County register., 1897-10-21
A THRILLING STORY
OF the Escape from Havana OF
Carl Decker,
The Reseaer of COssIO Cisneros-FOrged
the VIss 60 His Passport. Used Diplomacy
as 20 the Seal aud Sailed Home In
the Spanish Steamer Panama.


the Spanish Steamer Panama.
NEw YORK, Oct 15.-Carl Decker. one
Of the rescuers of Evangelina Cossio y
Sisnesos from the Casa de Recojidas,
Havana, arrived in this city on the
Spanish line steamship Panama yes
aerday afternoon. Here is his story.
Il was commissioned to go to Cuba
and deliver Senorita Cossio y Cisneros
from the filthy Recojidas prison. ]
started from New York August 2s, de-
sermined to free the woman, though I
did not see my way clear as to the plan
20 be adopted. After reaching Havana
many plans suggested themselves to
me. but each one proved impracticable.
tried to bribe the jailer or alcalde,
but he wanted SIC, 600 for the job, and
positive assurance that he and his
family could get to the United States.
This was too rich q proposition for me. y
MIR. Decker repeated the story of the
rescue from the Jail as already told in
his dispatches, and then related what
happened 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 a carriage waiting outside
and drove to the house of friend.
The friend was holding a reception
that night, which was a part of the
plot. The man who drove the carriage
was one of the cOnspirators. Senorita
Cossio Cisneros was exhausted from
excitement when we reached the house,
but did not give way.
On Thursday morning she was
taken to the home of a friend, where
she remained in secrecy until Satur-
day afternoon.
TO reach the steamer for New York
she was obliged to walk down Obispo
street, the principal thoroughfare OF
Havana. at time when the street was
crowded and yet take her time and
smoke a cigar. If she had skulked
about the back streets she would i'm
mediately have been suspected.
1t was over a mile from the house to
the pier. She had a passport made out
under an assumed name. All the steam
ships anchor out in the stream. Tho
Senorita walked down from the house,
clad as a rancher, and my companion
and I followed. She sauntered along
leisurely and once in while turned
about to see if we were following. We
motioned 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
a charm.
''The day after the Jail break the
town was astir over the escape of
Senorita Cossio Cisneros. House to
house search was begun, and would
have been kept up had not telegram
from Minister Dupuy de LONE at
Washington informed Weyler that the
girl was on the high seas and expected
any day at New York. Then Weyler
was mad. He threw the jailer, Jose
Qaintana into jail, whereupon the
jailer told about my attempting to
bribe him. This, in connection with
the surmise of De LONE, placed suspi-
cion on me. I gave it out that was
going to take q steamer for Mexico.
There was only one steamer leaving
Sunday, and that was Spanish steam
er. 1 waited for instructions Fl ON
New York. and had almost made up
my mind 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 re-
vised and stamped with the seal of the
secretary of the captain general. ]
knew that my passport would never be
signed, and learned that an order for
my arrest was determined, and that !
was to be arrested at five o'clock Mon
day. L was in a bad pickle. got q
glimpse of the writing of Senior
Carjovsl, the secretary of Weyler,
and copied it so that 1 had
it down fine, then 1 forged the wise
signature. L determined to do with
out the seal. at the last moment I
went to the wharf and took the launch
for the steamship. The inspector
looked at my passport and asked where
the seal was assumed nonchslant
air as best could and told him that
Senior Carjoval was at the Ingleterre
hotel and, having no seal, he signed
his name to a statement saying it was
ali right. The inspector hesitated and
showed the signature to another in
spector and he said, all right and /
was safe.
The Spanish authorities never
thought for a moment that would
take a Spanish steamer. Nearly all
the Americans take the American line.
They did not think to guard the
Panama and watch for me. They ar.
rest all prisoners at five o'clock in the
morning. They were sure l would be
in town on Monday and they were
fooled"
Senorita Cossio Y Cisneros received a
number of visitors at the hotel Wal
dorf, yesterday, among them Gen.
Julio Sanguilly, Henry George, Tom l.
johnson and ex-Postmaster Chas. w.
Dayton.