Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-06-23
HAVANA SFAA0US PRISON
The "CabanaS" Where Many
of Cuba's Sons and Daugh-
terS Met their Fate.
GREWSOME DUNGEONS.
Cells Whose Secrets Are More Dread
full Than Were Those of
Ancient Venice.

Prisoners Walk Whore General Leo Con-
fcrred With Competitor Prisoners-The
Famous "Fosse de Los LaureIes" Where
Executions Took Place-Faced Wall With
Backs 40 Firing squad.
Tue Moro and the Cabanas, as they
rear their drear walls above the harbor
and city of Havana, frowning down at
the hundreds of American and Cuban
flags. seem to cast still lingering
shadow over the dawn of Cuban indie
pendence. Although the red and
yellow of CASTLE no longer floats over
those battlements, the grim fortresses
still represent the shackled menace Of
Spains vanished power Within those
walls, deep down in the rocks recess
SEES, many a budding aspiration and
thought of liberty has been foully
crushed out.
The story of Moro and Cabanas
prisons can never be adequately told.
1t contains such depth of human mis-
cry, such refinement of mental torture,
such barbarity of physical suffering en-
forced by inhuman jailers, that the
full truth must ever hide its head
from the scrutiny of civilization.
The entrance to the Cabanas Is
reached by a narrow passageway,
winding round the face of the cliff
from the rickety wharf at the waters
edge. Zinc covered and paved, this
road has been way of sorrow for
many a prisoner who has YEARLY
tramped up the steep incline. Few have
returned along that path. The major
ity have faced fate more or less bray
ely, with their backs to the firing
squad and a cry Of Cuba libre!'
Forty feet from the summit of the
cliff IA small grass covered plot is
reached. In front are two gnarled and
rugged laurel trees. their roots stretch
ing down the slope and showing
through the scantY soil like the bones
of some partly eXhumcd mammoth.
To this spot such of SPANS prisoners
who had been allowed the privilege of
communicating with their friends We're
led. shackelled and guarded. four sold
icrs to each man, and for a brief mo-
ment permitted to breathe the clear air
and enjoy the bright sunshine. For
thirty precious minutes they had a
gliml So of the world outside, before
being thrust back into their dungeons
in the inner walls of the Cabanas. 1t
was here that General Lee conferred
Win the competitor prisoners, ana
here where Julio Sanguilly, after many
months confinement, proposed to break
loose from his guards and escape down
the cliff. Preferring the risk of immedi-
ate death by Mauser bullet to con-
tinuc longer subject to the insuiferable
horrors of his prison.
Crossing this grass plot, narrow
gateway to the left gives admttance to
the outer works of the fort. TO the
right the Landslide towers Il huge wall
cut out of the solid rock. forming
posse. or ditch between the land APP
proaches and the outer works. From
the top of this massive outer defence
the ground slopes inland. the only APP
proach to the castle being n smooth,
sloping sWard, raked at all points by
guns mounted on the walls. This ditch
extends round the castle until it ends
in the sea. On the Moro side it is
crossed by n wooden draWbridge of
ancient construction, and raised and
lowered by an elaborate system of
weights and pullcys.
/ The southern portion of this moat is
the famous Posse de los Laurele. mar
tyr ground of Cuba's liberty \ long,
gloomy walk. grayellcd on one side. on
the other the long rank grass. Ei@l I:
and left are the frowning walls of =