El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-05

young lady, with the result that she
was discovered two days later and i'm
prisoned in the jail at Nueva Corona.
With this act began series OF indig
mites as most surely have crushed the
spirit of q less courageous girl than
Evangelina Cisneros. Worse
treatment than she received
could scarcely have been accorded the
basest criminals, restricted as she was
to dark, loathsome cell, barely large
enough to admit of her lying down
when her weary limbs refused longer
to support her. Yet by one word it
would have been in her power to ex-
change this dismal prison for palace,
her Spanish prosecutor repeatedly Of
fering her liberty-at the sacrifice of
her honor. And when that bride fail
ed this demon in human form led forth
her captive oOuntrymen who had been
taken at her home on that fateful
night, and shot them to death, after
which he boldly declared that unless
she submitted to his will, hers should
be like fate. And her answer? was
but scornful curl of lips which his
cruelty had bereft of their erstwhile
winsome smile-a defiant flash of eyes
from which death alone could bsnish
the brightness. EvanPelina Cisneros
would have suffered thousand deaths
rather than voluntarily deliver her
pure life, on any terms, into the hands
of such q monster.
SPANISH JUSTICE.
Meanwhile the insurgents about the
island, incensed at the Alcalde's re-
pested atrocities, determined to arise
In force and attempt the young lady's
rescue. Before the movement could
be executed, however, the Alcalde be-
came fOrewarned and removed the fair
prisoner under heavy guard to Hava
ma, where she was placed in the re-
cojidas jail to await trial. In the
court martial proceedings which i'm
mediately followed. her chief accuser
was the Alcalde of Nueva Corona, up
on whose evidence she was especially
convicted of the charge of high trea-
son, and sentenced to twenty years i'm
prisonment at q Spansc penal sta
ton.
The harshness and brutality of such
q sentence at once aroused the bitter
est indignation On the part of the
civilized world, and particularly of the
women of America. From this latter
glorious sisrerhood, be is said emanat-
ed the inspiration which eventually led
to the rescue of the unfortunate
maiden. Hardly had the news of her
incarceration reached this country when
that devoted band of heroines, the
Woman's National Cuban League, is
sued through the medium of the
public press throughout the land
spirited yet pathetic appeal for her de-
liverance. It ia unfortunate that space
will not admit of reproducing in its
which the following extracts are quot
ed:
AN APPEAL.
Thrilled with horror at the awful
fate which awaits Evangelina Belan-
court Cisneros at the hands of Spain,
the Nomsn's National Cuban League
appeals t. the president, the cabinet.
to the first woman in our land, and to
all mothers and daughters to cry aloud
for the freedom OF the tender girl. Or
ganized as we are to aid the suffering
women and children of Cuba, we feel
that duty demands that the civilized
world near our protest. We call upon
the young men of the country to arise
and prevent this outrage upon Christ
ianity and decency. We call upon all
fathers of virtuous daughters to inter-
fere.
what could such tender girl do
that could deserve such fate? It is
against the laws of nations. 1t is
against the rules of warfare. It can
not, it must not be. In the name of the
Almighty Father and His divine Son,
in the name of the sacred motherhood
of the Virgin of Judea, we ask of the
public, the press, all good people, pub
lie and private, to aid US in righting
this great wrong. We are sick with
horror that such a thing could be in
this century on American ground.
sin the name of our great immortsls
who rendered all honor to womankind,
whether friend or foe, we call halt to
the barbarities in Cuba, and denounce
the authors of the cruel wrong. In the
majesty of motherhood, we say that
Evangelina BelancOurt Cisneros shall
be free, If the power, the pleas and the
wit of the American woman can COM
pass it and we pray Increasingly to the
great and most merciful God to avert
this terrible calamity from one of the
sweetest, bravest, puress and most in
nocent of our race and seq.
National Cuban League.
"Clara Bell Brown, director general.
"Mrs. M. D. Lincoln Bessie Beech),
vice director general"
THE RESCUE.
So eloquent a petition could not be
voiced by the noble daughters of our
land UNDECIDED. The response-not in
words, but in action-was promptly
Within week after the
publication of the appeal Mr.. Carl
Decker, daring young American
Havana to undertake the perilous task
of rescuing the unfortunate girl.
Shortly after the arrival of Decker,
with the aid of Senior Carlos Carbonel.
3 wealthy young business man of Hava-
ma and q stanch friend to the insurgent
cause, a message was secretly convey.
ed to Dona Evangelina informing her
hat an effort was to be made to liber-
ate her. and instructing her to be in
readiness on certain night to leave
the prison. AT the appointed time
Messrs. Decker and Car bonel the latter