The herald., 1897-09-04
But Is Perfectly Willing to
Talk
WILL NOT BUY OUTSIDE F0JD
BECAUSE THE PRISON FARE rs
SAFER
A World Reporter Visits Miss Cis-
neros in prison-She Needs
Just Letting Alone
associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
NEW YORK, Sept S.-A special to the
World from Havana says: The World
correspondent went to see Evangelina
Cosso Cisneros in her prison. Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays are visiting
days at the women's jail and the ante
room on these days is full of people from
~ to o'clock p. m, who have come to
oondole with and bear good tidings to
their relatives ard friends.
When the World 8 correspondent asked
to see Miss Cosso he was allowed to pass
through the outside iron gate into small
room with a stone floor. on one of the
walls of which was painted in large let
ters, "Sala de Justicia.
Evangelina was sent for upstairs, and
while waiting the correspondent had the
opportunlt" TO notice some of the other
women V Q were receiving visits. One
was WI dressed woman who had
murdered her husband.
Sitting next to her was a good looking
woman who had been caught selling
ammunition and supplies to the insurg-
ents. She was political prisoner. Next
house in Havana and had rented room
to two men whom she did not know.
While their baggage was being moved
into the room the police seized two Of
their trunks and found arms and am
munition. The men escaped, but the
landlady was arrested She knew moth
ing of the ase, but was held responsible
and is now waiting for the result of the
full and long investigation.
A few minutes after the arrival of the
correspondent, Evangelina came trip
ping down the stairs and walked grace
fully across the end of the courtyard and
out through the gate into the reception
room. She is pretty beyond question.
She is petite of figure and graceful in
movement. Her self-posse ession is Won
derful.
She said she could not make any state
ment on paper because her friends had
told her not to, but she talked quite free
ly of her hopes and fears and answered
questions seemingly without reserve. She
did not receive her meals from the out
side she said, because she was afraid
of treachery and preferred to be con-
tent with the rations of the jail. There
are about eight or ten women in this
same big room. All looked clean and re-
spectacle and all were white women.
One of them was distin guished-look
lady of about so, with handsome gray
hair. Some alleged political offense is
the cause of her imprisonment. Evange-
lima is the most animated of all. She is
the star boarder and receives more at
tention and has more visitors. She says
that the letters she received from Col
BeTris on the Isle of Pines and which
contain evidence of his guilty intention
toward her were all sent by her friends
to Austria and from there direct to Spain
to the Queen Regent. She says if they
could be produced before fair court his
conviction would be certain. The Col
onel says that he wrote her but one letter
and in that granted the permit to her
father to trael as a peddler.
She would not describe the events OF
the night of July 26, 1896. further than
to say that she knew Col Berris waa
coming to her house that night because
his secretary told her so. She opened
the door when he knocked. AS to how
he was seized or by whom she would not
say. She escaped from the house and
was caught and arrested the following
lilOIIblIS anu UlOuSHl 10 havana. SIt
says the greatest favor any one could
do fer her would be to secure for her ar
Interview with General Weyler
She said: II could convince him if
he would only hear me-"
In government circles nothing has
been heard from Madrid in connection
with transferring her to a convent
Opinions differ as to whether such a
change would be of benefit. If her case
is let alone for awhile she will be re-
leased and perhaps ordered to leave the
island.