The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-11
sY n QUAD

II you have ever visited the city Of
zacetscas. Mexico. you have heard the
story OF The Devils Inn and been mys-
titled over II. II you have not heard the
stery by word OF mouth. you viii be In
terested In it.
On the highway to San Luis, about
four miles out Of Zacetacas. are the ruins
of the inn. They have been ruins since
1854 For ten years previous to that the
inn vas unoccupied and gradually fall
ing into decay. The name given IL when
II was built and opened for business was
THE Holy Rest" The name had no
peculiar significance. II holy men ever
came that way, they found the place
full OF sinners. The landlord and most
OF his customers were a hard lot. and
during the four or Eve years the place
1ourished Il had a bad name. The au-
thorities had about determined 10 close
the inn up when IL was suddenly aban-
doned by the owner. The most that could
be learned from the servants was that a
stranger came there one night and had
long and confidential conversation with
the landlord. and next morning both were
missing. The place was overhauled. but
no traces Of murder were found. The
servants scattered. the doors were nail
ed up. and The Holy Rest" was left 90
darkness and the bats. OF course Z
soon had the reputation OF being haunt
ed, and after a couple Of years an Incl
dent occurred that gave 1t still worse
name. A young man belonging to one
of the best families OF Monterey. who
happened TO be in Zacetacas on a visit
made a wager that he would pass night
alone In the inn. He rode out before
dark, well armed and provided with
lights, and was seen to enter the place
by window. Next day his naked body
was found on the highway in front of
the house. He had been terribly dealt
with. His ribs had been crushed. his face
bitten as II by dog. and his clothing
had been clawed of his body He had
been dead for hours, and it was the opin-
Ion or the doctors that he had been at
tackled by a wile beast
company OF fifty soldiers went out anf
searched the inn. The search was a
thorough one. but no trace of man or ami
NAL could 'ne found. 1t was discovered
that the young man had been attacked in
a particular room, and, after being killed
and stripped, his body had been carried
out, but the facts stopped there A man,
unless lunatlc, would not have shown
such ferocity, and a man must have left
traces behind him. IL wild beast. where
vas his lair? How did he manage to car
~ the body out? There was no manner
of wild beast In Mexico which could have
dCne such a thing. Three months later
two young men of Zacetacas agreed 10
pass night III the inn together but an
hour after dark. when they had got set
tied for the night. they were scared off
They heard groans and screams, saw
doors open and shut. felt the presence OF
a something so strongly that they bolted
out of the house. During the four or five
years previous to 1884 many things hap
pened TO deepen the mystery surrounding
the inn. and at length he who dared even
pass 1t at night was considered a fool
hardy man.
1 was one OF the four American civil
engineers employed by the local govern
ment of Zacetacas in the year named 10
make surveys for drainage canal. and
Of course i heard of THE DEVILS Inn." as
it had long been called. That the people
were earnest and sincere in their talk
made no difference to me- / had no be-
lief in haunted houses, and my sarcastic
reflections made me enemies. Perhaps
things would not have gone as far as they
did but for the chief of police of Zacetac-
as. He called on me one day in serious
vein and said:
II want to warn you against making
any foolish move in connection with The
Devils Inn.' The place is surely haunted
and dangerous to life. no matter what you
may think. Don't be silly enough to pay
ii night visit, as / hear you contemplate
doing"
/ had contemplated nothing of the kind,
but the chief had scarcely finished when