The herald., 1898-06-29
III FILED HIS SHACKLES
ESCAPED MURDERER REACHES
THE FLEET
Served Seven Years for Killing His
Rival-A Friend Finds Him
FLEA Queer Story

ON BOARD THN ASSOCIATED PRESS
DISPATCH BOAT CYNTHIA II, off Ha-
vana June q, s p. M, via Key West, June
2S, $40 p. m.-(Copyrighted, 1898, by the AS
ISOLATED Press) There is Cuban passen-
ger on one of the ships blockading squadron
to whom the phrase Cuba Libre' has taken
a new meaning. He is an escaped murder
err and he tells a strange tale of love, crime
and war.
Between and o'clock on Sunday after
noon one of the auxiliary gunboats was
cruising slowly about mile off Bacuranano,
east of Havana, when two figures were OBJ
served on the beach signaling with hand
kerchiefs fastened to the end of sticks. A
small boat was sent off to them, but as it
approached the shore, one Of the figures
suddenly darted into the bushes and was
seen no more The other mansfield his
ground, and was taken off to the ship, and
there told his story, with show of reuct-
ance. He is Babe Santana Benites. 40
years old native of Consolation Del Sur,
province of Pinar Del Rio. Seven years
ago he killed man. He told Of the affair
in the most matter of fact manner imagin-
able.
Killed for Love
at was little dispute. No, we had not
been drinking"
"a love affair, perhaps?"
The words were magical. The merest
tinge of color crept over his cheeks, pine
and sagged from seven years confinement
in Spanish prison. and a glmmer of light
came into his dull eyes.
perhaps" was the response.
"There were words, and Il - he
made gesture like plunge Of knife.
Served Seven Years
Twenty-four years was the sentence For
seven of these Benites lay in Carcel de La
Pauta the Havana prison. month and
a half ago he was put in a chain gang and
set to work on the Notifications. His duty
was wheeling sand at Battery No. l, east
of Moro. They gave him nothing to eat
but few beans, he saida and he was almost
starved. One day last week, while working
at the battery, he saw among a group of
spectators one who had known him in past
years. There was a glance Of recognition
and then a meaning look at the prisoners
manacles.
A Friend in Need
A day or two later the friend reappeared.
and when he departed Bentes had con-
cealed in his sleeve az small file. The rest
was easy. 1t was not long before the bars
were cut through. The file was then passed
to another convict, and he, too accomplish
ed the same task Their chance of escape
came at noon on Thursday last while the
guard was at lunch. They shook their
shackles from them, ran into the woods
and were soon safely away.
For three days they made their way
through thicket and brush, eluding 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.
Willing to Fight
Benites knew little of the war, but when
asked if he was a patriot, he replied:
"I'll fight for America"
There are between 300 and 400 men work
ing on the sand battery from which he es-
caped, and big forces are at work on all
the Notifications around Havana.
Some information had reached him as to
the conditions prevailing IN the Cuban cap
ital. 1.-THE poor are starving in the streets"
he asserted. 1.-THE Spanish soldiers are on
half rations Bread brings sixty cents per
mound. beef costs 40 cents, and pork Is sold
for so cents per pound"
Benites has a brother at Palma, island Of
Majorca. The prisoner will be turned over
to Commodore Watson.