The times., 1898-09-16
WHILE COMMISSIONS DAILY.
Thousands of Political Prisoners i'm
Cuba Wait Evacuation.


Havana, Cuba Sept l5.-Several thous-
and political prisoners in Cuba are anx-
iously awaiting the assumption of control
by Americans as a signal for their release
This statement is made by the Rev. HAM
mond English, Baptist minister as COM
ing from Gen. Solano, Capt. Gen Blanco's
chief of staff Among these are two we'll
educated Cuban women of good family
and refinement, who have been confined
respectively for five and three months In
Casa de Recojidas. Both women are wild
ows of superior education and intelligence.
Sonora Rosario Collazo was arrested
three months ago and imprisoned withou,
trial on the charge. which she now ad-
mits as true, of aiding insurrectionists in
correspondence. Sonora Penarredon6a
took more active part in the insurrec-
tion, helping her countrymen obtain dv-
Mantle, though. she says, the only charge
was one of forwarding a bundle of clothes
10 the insurgents. She also had no trial
relative tell me she frequently smoke "a
him OF having fifty or sixty pounds of dv-
Mantle in the room of the clearinghouse
where she lived, and laughed as she told
OF the hasty exits the other boarders
would make if they knew.
BY the order under which she was COM
nftted she was kept five days incom-
unlcado, and to this three weeks were
added by the chief keeper. who tried 10
squeeze money out of her relatives in that
way Her relatives complained To Cen
Blanco, and 1t resulted in the removal of
the keeper and the substitution of a more
humane man
frlor 10 his advent she had little food.
ana the nrSt keeper punished her because
as Protestant, she was f1isincIiued m
attend Catholic services by making her
scrub the floor and do other menial labor
in prison. Afterward her friends wara
able 10 send her one meal dav and 70
provide a rough bed for her to sleep on in
place OF the floor, on which she had slept
tiil then. as all others do in the recoiidas
or woman's JAIL of the city, in which ali
sorts or female prisoners are herded TO-
gether.
Inc present occupants include three
murderesses, one who killed her husband
ne lowest order of women are sent to
these prisons. The odors, filth and dis
comfort of these places beggar descrin-
ton.
livery eHort TO procure the release of
Sonora Penarradona from this enforced
companionship failing, her brother-in-
law, Senior de Chaguaceda, a prosperous
dentist, with fine house in the Padre
said today: "N'
When l heard of the case I went vas-
terday to the palace to see Gen. BJanco
l was received by Gen. Solano. who told
me Gen. Blanco was out l urged on him
the grand opportunity for Gen. Blanco to
snow the bigness of his heart by releas.
ing the helpless woman now before the
Americans assume control
he rang a bell and sent for a fIa of
.he charges against Sonora Penarre-
donda, at least three inches high. which
contained upward of twenty accusations.
lie said he did not see NOW Gen Blanco
could positively discharge the woman
honorabiy, but made an appointment for
me to see him today, which / am now
on my way to keep. He told me that
the cases of several thousand political
prisoners here and elsewhere in the ISL
and were docketed ready to hand to the
Americans as soon as thev take hold
adding that he expected his own work to
end in the very near future"
Ihere are about ten male political pris
oners in the city jail 1t is impossible
to ascertain the number in Cabanas and
elsewhere.
The 'Cubans are showing much more
confidence in the reality of peace since
eiiC AecSoiuee drTlNeu- Inc Iee1nS or Sc
curity grows daily, and this is especially
noticeable in the crowd on the nightly
promenades.
Those who kept in seclusion In the
houses or the back streets now venture
forth, with the result that there is dis
tinct increase in the proportion of Cubans
in the stream of pedestrians In main
thoroughfares like the Prado. The influx
of Cubans from the country is also re-
markable.
Another indication is that since the ap-
proach of American supremacy there is
shown eager anxiety by employees of the
present government, ranging from pri-
Yates In the orden publicos to high Off
cials, to obtain position under American
rule. Any person supposed to have the
smallest influence is approached with
great frequency by all sorts of public
placeholders with this end in view.