contradiction of this statement comes the news that Bayamo, Holguin, Jiguani, and other towns held by the Spanish in Santiago province (which is Eastern Cuba) have all been abandoned by the Spanish troops since the fall of Victoria de las Tunas.

With these towns abandoned, the insurgents do not need such a large body of troops in Santiago, and so a strong force under the leadership of General Garcia is making its way westward to join the army in Havana and Pinar del Rio.

This army crossed the trocha without any difficulty, attacked the town of Taguayabon in Santa Clara, captured it and plundered it with very little opposition from the Spaniards, and marched triumphantly on toward Matanzas province.

The news has reached Havana that this body of men which is marching toward the city is the flower of the insurgent army. It is stated that it consists of infantry, cavalry, and three batteries of artillery, and is well supplied with arms and ammunition captured from Las Tunas.

A messenger from Cuba has arrived in this country, who states positively that the elections have been delayed, and that as yet no one has been chosen to fill the office of President. He adds that Señor Bartolome Maso is the favorite, and it is supposed that he will be the successful candidate. The news of the election of Señor Capote may not have been true, after all.

This messenger, who is named Aguirre, says he is the bearer of some important messages and papers to the Cubans in America, but he will not say what they are until he has laid them before the proper authorities. It is thought that they may have something to do with the exchange of prisoners, and the recognition of the belligerency of the Cubans by the Spanish army.

There has been great rejoicing during the last few days over the escape from prison of a young Cuban, Evangelina Cisneros.

This girl displeased the Spanish commanders, and in revenge they accused her of being a dangerous rebel, and had her thrown into prison.

She is a very young girl, but a little over fifteen years of age, but the Spaniards thrust her into the prison where all the worst women criminals were kept, and she had for her companions tipsy negresses and all the roughest and worst kinds of women, white and colored.

Every one who heard of this thought it such a shameful thing for a delicate young girl to be forced to spend her days in the society of such terrible companions that the women of this country got up a monster petition, thousands signing it, and sent it to the Queen of Spain.

This petition urged the Queen to have little Miss Cisneros removed to a more suitable prison, and to order that she be given a speedy trial, so that she might have an opportunity of proving her innocence.

Her Majesty, Queen Christine, did order that the girl should be less hardly used, but General Weyler saw fit to disregard the royal instructions, and the child was kept locked up in this horrid prison.

Finding that Weyler did not mean to help Señorita Cisneros, nor yet to give her a proper trial, some friends went to her rescue. Hiring a room opposite to her prison, two young men built a bridge of planks by which they were enabled to reach the window of her prison, and, as the story goes, after sending her drugged candies to give to her room-mates so that they might sleep heavily and not hear what was going on, these men sawed through the bars of her prison, lifted her out on the roof beside them, and hurried her away over the bridge to freedom.

She was kept in concealment for a day or two, and then, disguised as a boy, passed under the nose of the police officer who was watching the steamers to prevent her escape to this country. Once on board and safely out of sight of Cuba, she confessed her secret to the stewardess, who gave her some woman's clothes, and took care of her until she was safely landed in New York.

One of the New York papers, The Journal, claims the