The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-09
SENSATION IN HAVANA
Over the Escape of the Young
Cuban Woman.
TWO YOUNG MEN IN IT
THEY DRUGGED CANDIES FOR
HER PRISON COMPANIONS.
THE JAlLER HAS BEEN ARRESTED
And Spanish Authorities Along The Coast
Communicated With to Prevent Es-
cape From the Island.


Havana, Oct. S.-The escape of Sen
orita Evangelina Cassie, otherwise Cas-
sio Y. Cisneros Exclusively reported in
cablegram to the Associated Press last
night has caused quite sensation in
Havana.
The investigation made by the author
tiles has developed number of addi-
tonal facts in the case. 1t is now as
serted that the young woman escaped
between IL o'clock and midnight of
Wednesday, over the roof of a neighbor-
ing house and through it to the street
below, O'Farrell Lane, and not into the
street where the police found hand
ladder.
On the roof of the adjoining house the
authorities found three planks, each a.
bout three feet long and IS inches wide,
joined together by strong hinges, so as
to serve as a bridge, enabling a person
to pass from the roof of the prison to the
roof of the house referred to. The au-
tnor;ties also found on the roof Smith
and Wesson revolver of large calibrc,
having its six chambers loaded and y
new knotted rope, which had evidently
been used as life line, or guiding rope
to enable the escaping prisoner to cross
the plank bridge which had heen ex-
tended by her accomplices from the house
near the Cassa De Recojidas to the roof
of that prison. The revolver. the kuot-
ted rope and the portable bridge as well
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 communica-
ton with those who enabled her TO es-
cape from the Cassa De Rccej.das, where
she was imprisoned with eleven other
women.
Some of the details of the young Gu
bans escape are quite romantic. 1t ap-
pears that real estate agent named
Mariana Fernandez who was in charge
of the house, No /, 0'Farrell Lone de-
clares that he recently rented that build
ing 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 build
ing WIS poorly furnished, the principal
room in it containing only AN old table,
wash-stand, a wardrobe, an antique
side-board, six old chairs, six plates and
two cats. But the young men seemed
to be perfectly satisfied with their sur
roundings and little or no notice of them
was taken by the neighbors or by any
body else, in spite of the fact that the
house was situated close to the prison
in which young Cuban girl, whose sto-
ry caused such a sensation in the United
States, was confined. When the rooms
of No. O'Farrell Lane were searched,
the police, in addition to the articles
described, found a bag of lime, a can
of paint and large brush, which might
be used for the application of either lime
or paint. Inside the window through
which Senorita Cassie escaped, the pol
ice discovered a bed sheet, and as this
apartment was her sleeping room, the
authorities are inclined to believe the
sheet was used by the escaping prisoner
to envelop herself, with the object of
deceiving her room mates, if she was un-
lucky 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 Cassie is known
as the New Hall, for the reason that it
was constructed only seven months ago
1t was set apart for the use of political
pftSOUtTS anu WIS uulle COullOTtdDlSy
compared with other Spanish prisons.
The companions OF the young Cuban
woman whom she left behind say that
the day before Senorita Cassie escaped,
she received a package, believed to have
contained drugged candies.
In any case the Senorta, contrary to
her usual custom, did not at once dis
tribute the candies to her prison COM
panions, but waited until Wednesday
night when she urged each of them to
partake of the c0nfections. The prison.
ers did so and they express the convic-
tion that the sweets were drugged, for
they soon afterward fell into a deep
sleep and did not awaken throughout the
night, although the filing of the iron bar
of the Senoritas bed room window must
have caused enough noise to have awak-
ened the prisoners under ordinary cir
People living in the vicinity of the
CASA De Recojidas have informed the
that they heard the noise
of carriage wheels shortly before mid
night ON Wednesday and, this fact is
supposed to have a connection with the
prisoners escape.
There is a division of opinion as tn
whether the escape of the Senorita was
effected 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 an attempt may he made to embark
the Senorita upon some vessel lea wing
Cuha for the United States or elsewhere.
Fernandez. the iailer in charge Of the |
DE Recojidas and four employees
a