The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-12
SBNORITA CISNEROS' ESCAPE
CAUSES QUITE A SENSATION IN
HAVANA

Escape Believed 60 Have Been Carefully
Of the Details Of the Es-
cape Quite Romantic - The Jailer In
Charge and -Four Employs of the Govern
ment are Uuder Arrest.
Havana. October s.-The escape Of
Senorita Evangelina Cossio. otherwise
Cossio y Cisneros Exclusively reported
in a cablegram TO the Associated Press
last night has aus quite a sensa-
ton in Havana.
The Investigation made 10y the au-
thorities has developed a number OF
additional facts in the case. II is now
asserted that the young woman soap
ed between IL O'Clock n midnight OF
Wednesday, over the roof Of a neigh
boring house and through 1t to the
street below, O'Ferral lane, and not
into the street where the police found
a hand ladder.
On n roof Of the adjoining house
the authorities found three planks. each
about three feet long n eighteen
inches wide, Joined together by strong
hinges. so as TO serve as a bridge, en-
aiding a person to pass from the roof
OF the prison to the roof OF the house
referred to. The authorities also found
on the roof a Smith and Wesson revolv-
er OF large calibre, having its six cham
bers loaded, and a new knotted rope.
which had evidently been used As a life
line, or guiding rope to enable the es-
Gaping prisoner to cross the plank
bridge which had been extended by
her accomplices from the house near
the Caisa de Recojidas to the roof OF
that prison. The revolver. the knotted
rope and the portable bridge As we'll
as other discoveries made by the police.
show that the escape OF Senorita Cas-
sio was long and carefully planned.
She must have been in constant COM
m%unicatlon with those who enabled her
to escape from the Caisa de Ricojidas.
where she was imprisoned with eleven
other women.
Some Of the details OF the young
Cuban's escape are quite romantic. 1t
appears that a real estate agent nam
ed Mariana who was in
charge of the house. No. l O'Ferral
lane, declares that he recently rented
hat building to two well-dressed young
men. The latter seemed to be highly
respectable, hired the house for two
months and paid the rent in advance.
The building was poorly furnished, the
principal room In 1t containing only an
old table. a wash stand. a wardrobe.
an antique ~sideboard, six old hairs.
six plates and two cats. But the young
men seemed to be perfectly satisfied
with their surroundings. and little or
no notice OF them was taken by the
neighbors or by anybody else. In spite
Of the fact that the house was situated
close to the prison in which a young
Cuban girl, whose story caused such a
sensation in the United States, was
confined. When the rooms OF No. 4
O'Farrell Lane were searched the
police, in addition to the articles al
Yoa6v Described found a haD nf lime
a a Of paint and a large brush. which
might be used for the application OF
either lime or paint. Inside the window
through which Senorita Cossio es-
capped the police discovered a bed sheet
and, as this apartment was her sleep
ing ROOM. the authorities are inclined
to believe the sheet was used by the
escaping prisoner to envelope herself
with the object OF deceiving her room
mates, IL h was unlucky enough to
awaken them, into the belief that she
was moving about in her night clothes.
The quarter OF the prison which was
occupied by Senorita Cossio Is known
as the New hall. for the reason that II
vas constructed only seven months
ago. 1t was set apart for the use OF
political prisoners n was quite COM
Portable compared with other Spanish
prisons.
The companions of the young Cuban
woman whom she left behind say that
the day before Senorita Cossio escaped,
h received a package, believed to
have contained drugged candies. In
any case, the Senorita, contrary to her
usual custom, did not at once distribute
the candles to her prison c~ompanions.
but waited until Wednesday night
when she urged ach Of them to par
take Of the CONNECTIONS. The prisoners
did so and they express the conviction
that the sweets were drugged. for they
soon afterward fell into a deep sleep
and did not awake. throughout the
night, although the filing OF the iron
bar Of the Senorita's bed room window
must have caused enough noise to
have awakened the prisoners under a.
binary circumstances.
People living in the vicinity OF the
Caisa de Recojidas have informed the
authorities that they heard the noise
Of carriage wheels shortly before mid
night on Wednesday,, and this fact il
supposed to have q connection with the
prisoners escape. There is a division
Of opinion as to TO- the escape was
enected-by Americans or by Cuban in
The police are hard at work
investigating the escape and all the
Spanish authorities along the coast
have been communicated with, in the
belief that al attempt may be made
to embark the senorita upon some ves-
sci leaving Cuba for the United States
or elsewhere.
Fernandez, the jailer in charge OF
the Caisa de Recojidas and four
employees Of the government who were
on duty there have been arrested and
are confined incommunicado. pending
the result OF the inquiry being made
into the escape.
RnnnA Ov>r En- The Nva~ryu>p rc~.