The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-09
SENOHITA C!SNEROS' ESCAPE
The Details Of the Affair Of a Very RO-
mantle Nature.
WAS LONG AND CAREFULLY PLANNED.
Drugged Candy Given Her Fellow Pris>
onsrs, who Slept Heavily While the
Bare ofthe Windows Were Being Filed
Tbrough-Her Kescuers Unknown.


HAVANA. oct. S.--The escape Of Sen
orita Evsngelina Cossio otherwise Gas
slo y. Cisneros exclusively reported In
a cablegram to the Associated Press last
night has caused quite sensation in
Havana.
The Investigation made by the authori-
tics has developed a number Of addition
~ facts In Tho case.
II IS now asserted that the young wo-
man escaped between II O'Clock and
midnight OF Wednesday. over the roof
OF nelghboring house and through 1T TO
the street below. opposite O'Far-
rell Lane and not into the street. where
tho police found a hand ladder.
BRIDGE DISCOVERED.
On the roof OF the adjoining house the
authorities found three planks, each
about three feet long and eighteen inches
wide. joined together by strong hinges
so as to serve as bridge. enabling a
person 10 pass from the roof OF the
prison 10 the roof Of the house referred
10. The authorities also ound on the roof
a Smith and Wesson revolver of large
calibre. having its six chambers load
ed and a new knotted rope. which mad
evidently been used az a life line or
guiding rope TO enable the escaping pris-
oner TO cross the plank bridge which had
been extended by her accomplces from
the house near the Casa De Recojidas
10 the roof OF that prison.
The revolver. the knotted rope and the
portable bridge as well as other discov-
cries made by the police. show that the
escape Of SenOrita Cossio was long and
carefully planned. She must have been
in constant communication with those
who enabled her to escape from the Casa
DE Ricojidas. where she was imprisoned
with eleven other women.
ROMANTIC DETAILS.
Some OF the details Of the young Gu
bans escape are quite romantic. 1t
appears that a real estate agent named
Mariana Fernandez. who was m charge
Of the house, No. j O'Farrtd Lane. de-
clares that he recently rented that build
ing 10 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 loom in IL containing only an
old table. "A washstand. wardrobe, an
antique sldeboarf. six ole chairs. six
Plates and two cats.
But the young men seemed TO be per-
fectly 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 sensation in The United States was
confined.
When the rooms OF No. O'Farrell
Lane were searched the police. in addi-
tion to the articles already described
found bag Of lime. can Of paint, and a
large brush, which might be used for the
application Of either lime or paint. In
side the window through which Senorfta
Cossio escaped, the police discovered a
bed-sheet and as this apartment was her
sleeping room. the authorities are in
Clined TO believe that the sheet was used
by the escaping prisoner TO envelope her
self with the object Of deceiving her room
mates If she was cnluckv enough to
awaken them. IN TO 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 it wac
constructed only seven mon rs ago 1t
was set apart for the use of political
prisoners and was quite comfortable
compared with other Spanish prisons.
DRUGGED CANDY.
The companions Of the young Cuban
woman whom she left behind say that
the day before Senorita COssio escaped
she received package, believed to have
contained drugged candies. In any case
the Senorita. contrary 10 her usual GUS
tom. did not at once distribute the can
dies to her prison companions. but wait
ed until Wednesday night. when she
urged each OF them TO partake Of the
CONNECTIONS. The prisoners did So and
they express the conviction that the
sweets were drugged. for they soon af-
forwards fell into a deep sleep and did
not awaken throughout the night. al
though the filing OF the iron bar i'm the
Senorita's bedroom window must have
caused enough noise to have awakened
the prisoners under ordinary circum-
stances.
People living In the vicinity OF the
Casa de Recojidas have informed the
authorities that they heard the noise Of
carriage wheels shortly before midnight
on Wednesday night and this fact is
supposed 90 have connection with the
prisoners escape.
AMERICANS OR CUBANS?
There is a division of opinion as 10
whether the escape OF tfe ScRoIlta was
effected by Americans or by Cuban in
surgents. The police are hard at work
investigating the escape, and all the
Spanish authorities along the coast have
been communicated with I'm the belief
that an attempt may be made 10 embark
the Senorita upon some vessel leaving
Cuba for the United States or elsewhere.
Fernandez. the jailor In charge of the
Casa de Recojidas. and four employees
OF the government who were on duty
there have been arrested and are con-
fined incommunicado pending the result
Of the inquiry being made into the es-
cape.