The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-26
DisIoyaI Women of Cuba.

i
I am told that every Cuban woman is
disloyal to the government. have d.scov-
cred by a brief experience that some OF
them are not afraid to express their views
even in the presence of strangers and have
heard language spoken In the freedom Of
the drawing-room that perhaps would
mean cell in the fortress of Cabanas or
Punishment from the island, or perhaps
| death, 1t It were repeated in police head
i quarters
These are the words Of ". E. Curtis
writing to the Chicago Record from Hava-
ma. Continuing, Mr.. Curtis writes:
When / started for Cuba was told that
the people were in such state of terror
ism that 1 would not be able to get at
| public sentiment: that no man or woman
dare breathe their real thoughts, and that
| everybody would sustain the Spanish au-
thorities in all respects. on all occasions.
| That is mistake. While prudent men
| do not go to the houstops and below their
condolences any more than they do in the
| land OF freedom, and while they are very
careful not to criticise the capta.n-general
| and his policy in public, I have found no
dif1iculty in persuading men OF all shades
| OF opinion to talk with the greatest degree
OF frankness upon nearly every question
that proposed, provided that they were
satisfied that 1 was worthy of their con-
fdence. and the conversation was not over
heard. And IL is sufficient to say that
among all the people have met in Ha-
vana only two have been loyal enough
and charitable enough to defend General
Weyler and his policy. The most of them
| have assured me that he is human butch
er and thief; that he is numbering Gu
hans and rohhirp Spaip
And as for the women, they usually talk
as freely in their own homes as IL they
were 10000 miles from Moro castle. They
are generally indiscreet, and their bitter
ness against the Spanish government, and
particularly against the captan-general.
makes one shudder. If the women of Wash
ington had talked half as badly during
our war as have heard them in Havana.
Secretary Stanton would have needed doz
en- prisons like that of the old capitol
The other day 1 was discussing the re-
forms for half an hour with a business
man of this city. and was hearing him ex-
press his confidence that they would be
adopted and that everything would go
right. when his pretty daughter broke into
the conversation and exclaimed:
Father, you know you don't believe any
such thing. You wish that what you are
saying was the truth, but you know 1t Is
not You are speaking from your heart
and not from your head. You know per-
fectly well that these reforms are meant
to humbug US, and that Spain will send a
lot more people over here to hold Office
and steal money under new titles, and will
call that REFORM
Even the Marquis Ahumada is not al
ways powerful enough to rescue the women
who fall into the hands Of the soldiers and
the police. The government at Madrid,
represented by Gen. Azcarraga, minister
OF war in the present cabinet and the
man who is said to have been selected as
Weylers successor is now making war
upon girl of II years old because she re-
sisted the lust of Col. Berriz, his nephew,
who happens to be governor of the Isle of
Pines. The facts are as follows:
Fernando Cuiso, a man Of the middle
class. of excellent reputation, living in one
OF the interior provinces of Cuba, was
arrested some months ago, and sent as a
prisoner to the Isle of Pines, just south
Of Cuba, which is used as a sort OF penal
colony for political prisoners There wa.
no overt act charged against him, but he
munication with the insurgents. HIS fam
lily consisted of one daughter, Evangelina
Cuiso, between Is and II years old, and he
was permitted to take her with him. The
girl Is remarkably beautiful. Several peo-
pie here who have made her acquaintance
agree that she is the most beautiful crea-
ture they have ever seen. That is the
opinion of Consul General Lee, who has
good judgment in such matters
Unfortunately for her the beauty of Evan
gelina attracted the attention of young
Col Berriz, soon after she passed under
his charge and he begun to make love to
her. The girl admits that she encouraged
him. first because his attentions hattered
her vanity, and second because she thought
Ii was good policy to do So as he might
use his influence as governor to assist her
father to secure pardon. and to return
to their home. But the passion of the gov
ernor mastered him, and one evening,
when she was alone with him in the room
that had been assigned to her for lodgings,
he assaulted her. She resisted, escaped and
ran screaming into the street Her father
who was near by. excited by her frantic
exclamation, ran into the room and at
tackled the governor with his fists. 1t is
said that he tried to seize the governors
Pictoi S"Ofu II was perfectly natural
If he did so. Prisoners are not allowed to |
have arms. A number of other prisoners |
came to his assistance. and, although Col
BerTiz escaped with his life, he was very |
badly handled. and was laid up |
for several days. In the meantime the sen. |
tinels on duty gave an alarm, a number |
Of soldiers ran to the rescue of their COM /
mander, fired into the crowd, and killed |
three or four men.
Fernando Cusio and several others were |
arrested for mutiny and conspiracy to kill |
the governor. They were sent TO Havana, |
and are now awaiting trial in the fortress /
OF Cabanas. The newspapers reported a /
serious insurrection among the prisoners |
on the Isle OF Pines and the governor made |
a similar report. Evangelina Cuiso was
sent TO Havana with her father, but, in
stead of being imprisoned IN the Cabanas
she was committed to the woman's prison.
where her only company were negro prosti-
tutes.
When General and Mrs Lee went "a Gee