The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05

listen 70 my entreatiea. no became desperate
and raised a loud CRY Of help. which brought to
my house a group Of guerrillas, who were pa
trolling the streets. As we were unarmed we
were unable to make any resistance, and we
had to abandon tho house a. fast as we could.
Poor Vargas was captured when jumping over
the rear fence, and after being dragged TO the
street was killed on the spot. Other persons
who were simply looking on, and had nothing
TO do with the affair, were taken for c~onspira.
tors, and shot without mercy. Twelve Of them
perished thus. The guorrillas, In order to
create the impression that there was an upris.
ing in the town. raised the cry Of Cuba Librei'
themselves. and began firing right and left at
everybody found about the house.
81 managed TO escape out OF the town. and ro-
mained In hiding In a cave until 5 o'clock the
next morning. when I was discovered by the
soldiers, who bound my arms behind my back
and took me to the town. where I was locked up
In IA calabosa. Other persons lover 2O0l, who
were entirely ignorant of the affair, had been
arrested that night. and wero awaiting trans
portation to Havana, The next day. July 90.
in tho afternoon, they wore all chained together
and placed on tho steamer which was to carry
them TO Batabanoo on the mainland. I was also
bound and escorted to the steamer. On the
way we suffered terribly, rs we were badly fed
and had very little water to drink. On the road
from Batabano we were constantly insulted by
the guerrillas, In whose hands we were placed,
and who threatened to kill us II tho train was
fired upon. We arrived at Havana at 1850
p. NJ. the next day, and under tho escort of a
couple OF policemen l was conducted to tho
Casa de Rccojidas. This Is tho house of cor
rection for disreputable women.l
MY experience In the place beggars descrip-
ton. 1t Is too horrible to detail. Fortunately,
when l arrived there I met several ladies OF dis.
~tinction who received me with great kindness.
and cheered and oomforted mo In my misfor-
tune. Whom I arrived there was no distinc-
ton made Of classes or colors. and We were all
mixed up. to the extent that once It was ordered
that We should do the scrubbing and cleaning
as we'll as the rest Of them. This we fatty re-
fused to do, and on this account we were In
suited and pelted with all sorts OF missiles, I'M
til the police arrived and put a stop to the dis
turhance. This ARRAY created some excitement
in Havana, and tho papers taking up the case.
an Investigation was ordered, and the result
was that since then we have been placed in sep
arate quarters and have enjoyed better &C.
Communications than before.
"1f on any occasion you should write about
my case i wish you would mako 1t clearly and
distinctly understood that the charge OF con-
spiracy, and, worse still. that Of enticing Berriz
to my home. to get rid Of him. is a deliberate
falsehood on the part OF Berriz and his sup
porters to hide their cowardice and misdoings."
Such were Miss Cisneros's words at parting
when she left the Jail. As I was unable to
follow her case on account OF my detention, l
am not prepared to make any statement of the
facts concerning her trial. Nevertheless, it
would not surprise me II the Fiscal had really
demanded a twenty years sentence In Ceuta
for her. But I cannot believe tho Judge-Advo-
cato would have enforced the sentence. nor that
she would have actually been exiled to that tor
rible penal settlement in Africa. Her case was
too we'll known in Havana, and they would not
have dared to take such harsh measures with
her after so many persons had interested them
selves in her behalf. Foremost among her
friends and the first to interest herself
In Miss Cisneros's behalf I must mention
Mrs. Fitzhugh Lee, the noble wife OF the
American C~onsul-General at Havana, who,
nearly a year ago, when she heard of the fright
full condition in which Miss Cisneros was placed,
at once hurried and with the greatest solicit.
tude assisted her in such a way as to make her
life In that jail more bearable ever since. She
also on different occasions called on tho
Marquis de humada the second In COM
mand in theisland, and her entreaties were the
means of ameliorating the condition OF the es-
tablishment. A committee was ordered to in
vestigate Mrs. Lees complaints. and this re-
suited in the separation of the political prison
es from the common criminals. Another per-
son who has interested himself considerably
in Miss Cisneros's behalf in Havana Is the
Bishop, and I have been assured that his re-
peated requests in tho girls favor were tho
cause Of his rupture with weyler and the COOL
moss which still exists between the two.
EDUARDO GARCIA.