Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-02-16
The
Devil'C Inn.
BY M. QUAD.
COPYRIGHT, 1900, by C. B. LEWIS.

If you have ever visited the city OF
Zacetacas, Mexico, you have heard the
story of "The Devils Inn and been
mystitied over it, II you have not
heard the story by word of mouth, you
will be interested 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 1884. For ten years previous to
that the inn was unoccupcd and grad
ually falling into decay. The name
given it when it was built and opened
for business was The Holy Rest The
name had no peculiar significance. If
holy men ever came that way, they
found the place full of sinners. The
landlord and most of his customers
were n hard lot and during the four or
five years the place tiourished it had a
bad name. The authorities had about
determined to close the inn up when it
was suddenly abandoned by the owner.
The most that could be learned from
there one night and had a long and
confidential conversation with the land
lord, and next morning both were miss
ing. The place was Ovcrhauled, but no
traces Of murder were found. The
servants scattered. the doors We're nail
ed up. and The Holy Rest was left
to darkness and the bats. OF course it
soon had the reputation of being haunt
ed, and after Il couple of years an in
cidcnt occurred that gave it a still
worse name y young man belonging
to one of the best families of Monte
rcy, who happened to lie in Iacetacas
on Il visit. made n wager that he would
pass night alone in the inn. He rode
out before dark. well armed and pro-
vidcd with lights, and was seen to en-
ter the place by window. Next day
his naked body was found on the high
way in front of the house. lie had
been terribly dealt with. His ribs had.
been crushed, his face bitten as if by
dog, and his clothing had been clawed
off his body He had been dead for
hours, and it was the opinion of the
doctors that he had been attacked by a
wild beast.
\ company of 50 soldiers went out
and searched the inn. The search was
n thorough one. but no trace of man or
animal could be found. 1t was discOv-
cred that the young man had been at
tackled in particular room, and after
being killed and stripped. his body had
been carried out, but the facts stopped
4 a
not have shown such fcrOcity, and a
man must have left traces behind him.
If a wild beast, where was his lair?
How did he manage to carry the body
out? There was no manner of wild
beast in Mexico who could have done
such thing.
| was one of the four American civil
engineers employed by the local gov
ernment of ZacetacaS in the year nam
ed to make surveys for n drainage ca
nal, and of course heard of "The Dew
lis lnn," as it had long been called.
That the people were earnest and sin
cere in their talk made no difference
to me. | had no belief 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 Zacetacas.
He called on me one day in serious
vein and said
Il 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 mat
ter what you may think. Don't be silly
4, -
you contemplate doing"
had contemplated nothing of the
kind, but the chief had scarcely finish
ed when | was resolved to take that
very step. My chum was named Clark,
young man from Chicago. and had
no sooner brOachcd the subject to him
than he was ready for the adventure.
For fear that the authorities might
stop us we let only few people into
our plan, and one Saturday afternoon,
equipped with everything deemed nec-
essary, we were driven out to the inn.
After shaking hands and bidding fare
well with those who had accompanied
us we entered by an unguarded win
low. and the carriage drove off. 1t
Las rambling one story building con-
tanning II rooms, There was an office
or bar room, Il dining room. kitchen,
and the remainder were sleeping rooms.
There was a cellar under the kitchen
only, All the furniture had been left,
and everything was mold and decay.
Our first step was to carefully inspect
every room and the cellar, and we did
not find so much as a rat We looked
for secret panels in the partitions and
for hidden traps in the floors, but we
made no discoveries.
The dining room was about 1G feet
square. with long table in the center
and dozen stools about. There were
three windows in this room, but all
strongly boarded up. One door opened
from the office and another from the
kitchen. We lighted candles. braced
the doors securely and started n bit Of