The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-29

Cuban Seeks Refuge on a War Ship
Poor of Havana Starving.

Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
OFF HAVANA, June n, s p. M, on board
the Associated Press dispatch boat Cynthia
II, via Key West, Fla, June %, $40 a. m.-
There is a Cuban passenger on one of the
ships of the blockading squadron to whom
the phrase Cuba libre' has taken new
meaning. He is an escaped murderer Be-
tween and o'clock on Sunday afternoon
one of the auxiliary gunboats was cruising
slowly about a mile off Point Bacuranao,
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 1t
approached the shore one of the figures
darted suddenly off 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 Bentes, thir-
ty years old, a native of Consolation del
Sur, province of Pinar del Rio. Seven years
ago he killed a man. He told of the affair
in the most matter-of-fact way imaginable
without the CULVER of an eyelash.
1T was little dispute. No, we had not
been drinking"
"a love affair, perhaps?"
The words were magical The merest tinge
haggard from seven years confinement in a
Spanish prison. and glimmer of light came
into his dull eyes.
Perhaps" was the response. There were
words and l." he made a gesture like the
plunge of knife
The gesture told tale. He would say no
more. twenty -four years was the sentence.
For seven of these he lay in the Carcel de
la Pauta the Havana prison. month and
half ago he was put in a chain gang and
RI work M fortified tiOnS lie dI1tU
was wheeling sand at sand battery No l.
east of Moro They gave him nothing to eat
but few beans, he said, and he was al
most starved.
One day last week, while working at the
battery he saw among group of specta-
tors one who had known him in past years.
There was a glance of recognition and then
meaning look at the prisoners manacles.
day or two later the friend reappeared,
and when he departed Benites had concealed
in his sleeve a small file. The rest was
easy 1t was not long before the bars had
to convict comrade. and he. too. accom-
plished the same task. Their chance of es-
cape 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 be-
came panic stricken and ran back to the
woods.
Benites knew little of the war but when
asked If he was patriot he replied: "Tn
fight for America" There are between three
and four hundred men working on the sand
battery from which he escaped, he said.
and big forces are at work on all the forti-
fications around Havana.
Some information has reached him as to
the conditions prevailing in the Cuban capt.
tall THE poor are starving In the streets"
ne asserted. THE Spanish soldiers are on
half rations. Bread brings GO cents per
pound, beef costs 40 cents and pork is sold
for 80 cents a pound"
Benites has a brother at Palma, Island of
Majorica. The prisoner will be turned over
to Commodore Watson.
The German war ship Geier has not yet
come out of Havana harbor.