The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-25
Secret Chambers
Victor Murdoch Describes
Guanaiuato and It's TombS.


which led from the walls of the palace Il
an outlet which no one now knows the
location of and interest in which wa:
here so slight that no one cared to ex
plore it, if indeed such a curious one
could have secured permission to do so
The underground passage descended be.
meath a former hollow wall, but the rock
cap with which it is now closed. anG
which will be hidden by the floor, occu-
pies central place in the reception hall
and directly at the foot of the wide stair
way.
The two men who were setting this cap
rock were not concerned. and were two
thousand leagues away from the thought
that they were sealing up half dozen
romances, a tragedy or two. and a story
so old it had lodged out OF memory Of
all men, for not until the old palace was
torn down, and its great walls leveled,
did any one know that in its walls were
secret panels, through its walls were long
passageways, leading to subterranean
halls, which in turn led where now no one
can guess or care TO, but in all probaoil-
fty to the cathedral or some point of
common defense.
Over its main doorway there had kept
guard, as there now keeps guard over a
companion palace next door, a coat-of-
arms in rock, a page Of heraldy consist
ing of armOr, speer and shield Once a
rich and noble family lived here: knew
the house, its secret panels; its always
ready retreat; the stone arch beneath the
ground upon which set a row Of earthen
in r1rnfC Io Hor-
and gold. One could imagine as he watch
ed the unsuspecting workmen plaster the
closing rock down, how many romances,
how many scenes had here their setting
stage and dress. In the very old days
when the banditti ruled everything out
side four walls in Mexico, and took with
a mingled oath and a joke all the other
man could not keep in spite of them, this
city and this palace were built. A wan
derer here in this gulch found silver
where nature had laid open a mountain.
as with sharp knife, and here came the
adventurers from all parts hoping to
share this mans discovery. And once on
the ground scanned with silver. here they
huddled, at the very mouths of their
silver-cOated mines. Outside the mouth
fingered, bouncing on burro trains Of sill
Yer. and mining the minted coin, with the
end of a blunder-buss or club. And while
there is no English record Of it and per
haps no Spanish, there must have been
time when, the inhabitants of this
GuanajUato having ceased to go out upon
the plain to divide with the robbers. the
robbers came Gathering up the canyon
and stormed the town. We can imagine
such an initial attack and its many sue
cessors. Over three hundred years there
echoes, as you look and listen, the clat-
ter Of the horses of the attacking party,
ragged out-casts. with old bits or armor
partially covering their shreds and
patches carrying lances, perhaps the
broad-ax, perhaps cross-bows. You can
fancy the charm of GuanajuatO. How the
great doors came grooming to, with
Knockers Tapping in agitation; how the
bolts creaked into place and behind the
barred windows the big shutters closed: |
how every man became behind his six
foot wall, not only his own policeman but
his own army. You can fancy the SER
wants grouped against the front door
armed with all sorts of implements The
houses are still here, the big doors. the
barred and suffered windows. the knock
ers on the doors the draw bolt and the
servants quarters on the first floor near
the door You can fancy the robbers
clearing the streets and making for the
house with the coat-of-arms over its
doors. the house of the rich, fancy them
charging through the narrow streets,
mis-
from the houses which rise terrace upon
terrace. For the streets are still there,
not as wide as the average hotel hall in
the United States, and the houses still
rise terrace upon terrace, so that you may
enter many a building on the first floor
on one street. climb four stories and walk |
out of the rear of the same building on
the next street. You can fancy without |
much trouble, for all the scene save the |
actors. is here, the assault on the door of |
the palace, the torch. the sally. the thrust |
Of pike, the hiss Of arrow and the tinkle |
OF sword against sword. You can fancy, |
too, the fine-eyed Spanish ladies Of the |
household in rich gowns. waiting in ter /
ror until there can be no doubt of the |
issue ana then opening the panel and |
can see them crouching. or feeling their /
way along the passages, when. with a !
bang the door comes down and the |
plunge through the house bent |
on robbery and worse, and defeated in |
part. feeling the walls for the secret Of /
escape, and stamping the floor for a hol-
low sound to reveal a hidden chamber,
Rich in loot and drunk the robbers went
clanling down out of he gulch again. to
live up their gain and gamble it away.
These are pictures Of the agination Of
course, but walls which are six feet thick
doors which would turn a cannon ball. a
city damned up into the end Of a blind
with an inviting fat townsite on
the plain just below, all these license the
to this. and more.
The free-booters' attack must have hap
pened in one generation and another and
many times. The secret chamber Of the
palace and its outlet must have been
used many times. The earthen ware
Jars. the family Golfers, which 2 week ago
We're found empty on an underground
arch. and were foolishly broken by the
workmen. who threw them aside had
been FILLED and redied many times.
Some time, no one knows when or how,
Adversely threw its moose around the neck
u this noble family, and strangled it.
There was time when the family march
d out ofthe palace of their ancestors and
eft the purchaser in the front door,
which their fore-fathers had so often de
ended. bowling them adieu. But the de-
,amping aristocrats had one consolation.
The purchaser had bought the house but
not its secret 50 other generations pass
d and rrnnle lived within thesa walls