The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-29
AN ESCAPED MURDERER.
A Cuban Refugee with a Wonderful Story
Story He Didn't Tell.

On Board the Associated Press Despatch
Boat Cynthia H., off Havana, June 81,
p. m.-Key West, Fla, June 2s, 9. 10 a.
m.-There is a Cuban passenger on one OF
the Spanish blockading squadron to
whom the phrase FCuba Libre'' has taken
a new meaning, He is an escaped muir
derer and he tells strange tale Of "Love,
crime and war"
Between four and five clock on Sun
day afternoon, one of the auxiliary gun
boats was cruising slowly about a mile
off Point Bacuranao, east of Havana,
when two figures were observed on the
beach signalling with handkerchief
fastened to the end of sticks. A small
boat was sent off to them but as It APP
preached the shore one of the figures
started suddenly into the brush and was
seen no more. The other man held his
ground and was taken off to the ship and
there told his story with no show of re-
luctance. He is Pablo Santana Benites,
20 years old, native of Consolation del
Sur. province of Pinar del Rio. Seven
years ago he killed man. Benites told
Of the affair in the most matter-of fact
way Imaginable, without the culver OF
an eye-lash.
1T was q, little dispute. No, we had
not been drinking"
IA love affair, perhaps?"
Tire words were magical The merest
tinge of color -erept over his cheeks, gaunt
and haggard from seven years confne-
ment IN Spanish prison and a glimme1
OF light came into his dull eyes.
1PerhaDs," was the response. "There
were words and 1 -" he made q
gesture like the plunge of knife. He
would say no more. Twenty-four years
was the sentence. For seven of these he
laid in the Carsel de la Paula, the Havana
prison. A mouth and half ago he was
put in chain gang and set to work on the
fortlcations. His duty was wheeling sand
in barrow at sand battery Nc. /, east
of Moro. They gave him nothing to eat
there but a few beans, he said, and he
was almost starved. One day last week.
while working at the. battery, he saw
among group OF spectators one
who had known him in past years
There was d glance of recognition
and then meaning look at the
prisoners manacles. A day or two later
departed Benites had concealed in his
sleeve q small file. The rest was easy.
1t was not long before the irons had
been cut through. The file was then
passed to fayorite comrade convict of
Benites' and he, too, accomplished the
same task. Their chance of escape came
at noon on Thursday last while the guard
was at lunch. They shook their shackles,
ran into the woods and were soon safely
away. For three days they made their
way through thioket and brush, GLIDING
the Spanish soldiers. until they reached
the water front on Sunday. But at the
last moment the other man became panic
stricken and ran back to the woods.
Benites knew little of the war; but
when asked il he was a patriot, he re-
ii fight for America.
There 4eare between 300 and 400 men
working on the sand battery from which
he escaped, he said, and big forces are
at work on all the Notifications around
Havana.
Some u information had reached him as
to the condition prevailing in the Cuban
capital, !, The poor are starving in the
streets, he asserted. Bread brings 60
cents pound, beef costs 40 and pork is
sold for fifty. The prisoner will be
turned over to the disposition of Commo.
dore Watson.
The German warship Geier has not yet
come out of Havana harbor.