Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-12
@. H.Berry & Co..
Main and Tenth Streets.
ESCAPE OF sENoRITA CossIo.
Set on Foot and Carried Out by n
New York Newspaper,
CWashlngton PostD

washington Post)
The escape Of the Scnorita Eyangelina
Cosslo from the Habana prison. La Casa
de las Recojidas. takes US back TO the
DAYS of romance and adventure, Of
knight errantry and intrigue and poetry.
1t reads like a chapter from Dumas pere,
or Walter Scott, or lie Sage. 1t recalls
the days Of the lettre de catchet, or even
the time treated in Froissart's Chronicles,
and passes before ones mind the tragic
pageantry Of underground dungeons, and
castle meats, and secret passages and
deeds OF reckless gallantry. Nothing
more out of tune with the prosaic age
could be imagined.
We know little Of the real merits Of the
case The Senorita may be as beautiful,
as innocent. and as charming as she is
representatives, likely she is. But
there can be no doubt that tor some rea-
son or other she has been invested with
extraordinary Importance, not only by
the Spanish authorities in cuba. but by
public sympathy in this country. The
facts concerning her and her offences
have been enveloped in a sombre mystery
difficult to understand in this land OF
liberty and commonplace. No one here
has ever been able TO understand why
the young woman was not publicly tried
a year ago; why, If guilty, she was not
punished according to her deserts and
why, If innocent she had been for
thirteen months confined I'm a prison with
the lowest criminals of Habana. That
the Spanish authorities had their reasons
for this apparently ineXplicable course
we cannot doubt. What those reasons
were we have no means of knowing. The
days Of the Minotaur are over and 1t Is
incredible that such wantOn cruelty and
persecution as have been alleged in the
case of the Senorita Cossio can have any
real existence. 1t is both rational and
charitable TO suppose that General Wey-
Ter was inspired by something more than
savage caprice in what he did. lie does
not impress US as a wise ruler or great
general. but we do not believe that he
is monster or that this is modern in
stance of Andromeda and Perseus.
The fact of the rescue remains, how
ever. and it is unquestionaby a most
romantic and sensational episode. We DO
not recall an exhibition of greater cour-
age. ingenuity. and daring than is rep
resented in this extraordinary affair.
That il was set on foot by New York
newspaper 0he Journal and carried into
execution by correspondent, only adds
TO the excitement and the wonder. The
case had aroused an almost passionate
Oueen Regent and to the venerable Pom
tiff i'm the fair prisoners behalf. All
these and other influences had produced
no visible effect. But the Journal took
mn the enterprise single-handed, and III
foreign capital. I'm the midst of vlgilant
guards. and I'm the very stronghold OF
military government, worked out Its
scheme Of rescue.
OF course. we shall, after the applause
of the newspapers achievement has sub
sided have to confront the question OF
propriety. of law, of international comfy.
whether American citizens can 90 to a
foreign country with the fixed purpose or
committing a violation of the law;
whether the United States can harbor
those offenders. should they succeed i'm
regaining United States territory;
whether we shall not have to treat both
principal and agents as though the
OFFENCE had been committed here; all
those are matters for sober second
thought 1t looks romantic and dashing
enoueh on the surface, but how would
euch a rescue be treated by our laws had
the subject thereof been confined in an
American iail. and had the rescuers
attended against American rules and
REGULATIONS? The incident might still
have been fraught with sentiment but
would not the actors and accessories De
liable TO punishment. Notwithstanding?
Irnon these points we do not care TO
dwell No doubt they will be elaborated
ond illustrated in the diplomatic CORE
spondence that must necessarily ensue.
For the present il is enough to consider
onIv the daring and gallantry OF the
achievement.