The National tribune., 1902-09-11


that it was impossible that man could
have been there; that the door had been
locked all the time; that no one would
dare or could go up without his permis-
sion, and finally that it was impossible for
any person to get out to that position OH
the roof.
To prove the absurdity of the last prop
osition, Immediately stepped through the
window, lowered myself to the roof and
proceeded to the very spot indicated, with
out even unbuckling my sword, and then
| returned. He simply shrugged his
shoulders in Spanish style and reiterated
that it was impossible for man to have
been there.
We returned down the several fights Of
stairs, after giving positive orders to have
the trap door in the belfry nailed down
and the door below kept locked. and an
hour later l returned to see that the or
ders had been carried out. He was also
told that if any person was thereafter
seen on the roof of the church acting in
n suspicious manner he would personally
be arrested and put in Jail as being re-
sponsible for it. We had no further
trouble from the Franciscans.
One night about o'clock it was re-
ported to me by the Sergeant of the Guard
that several sentinels on different posts
had reported signals with red and white
lights from the south windows of the Rec
oletos Convent. l went out and inter-
viewed the men, and the one who was the
most certain was one whose view was 4
light was strong one, and was projected
from the window, like a calcium light with
!. strong reflector,
l reported it to Col. Summers, and he
directed me to go up to the place indi-
Gated and make an investigation. Taking
an interpreter, and leaving a Corporal and
two men in the street in front of the door,
with instructions to come up if they heard
sounds of trouble or we remained too long,
l crowded my way through the Spanish
soldiers who were Quartered in the halls
throughout the entire building, and finally
reached the room on the third floor from
which the signals were said to have been
given. This proved to be a sort of club
room for the Friars. In it were an ancient
billiard table, about which several fat
Friars were engaged in game, and sew
eral small tables for cards, checkers, and
chess. The room was lighted by several
bracket lamps on the walls, and over the
center of the billiard table was suspended
very large lamp with a round burner,
throwing a powerful light. l could find
no signs of anything that had been used
for signaling in the manner reported, and
demanded that all rooms in that portion
Of the building be opened for inspection,
but nothing was discovered. The Friars
were apparently both amused and indig-
nant that they should be suspected Of
making signals for the benefit Of the in
surgents. Empty handed l returned and
made my report. l was then given in
structions to charge the sentinels to be
specially on the alert in the matter, and
g special order was put on the guard book.
Reports Of red light signals continued
to come in from various sources. Especial
ly convincing was one that came from the
hospital just outside the wall and facing
the east side of this building. An officer
Of the Signal Corps then in the hospital
made report that while lying on his cot
he had a view through the window Of the
windows of the Recoletos Convent, and
that his attention had been attracted by
signal lights in the form of flashes. He
said he recognized the dots and dashes of
the Morse code, but could not make any
thing out of them. This seemed to settle
the matter, and orders were given to the
sentinels on Mosquito Hill to shoot at any
signal light they observed, but to be very
sure that it was one before shooting.
/ always had my doubts about these
signals, at least about their being kept up
so persistently after such warnings as had
been given, and these doubts were
strengthened one afternoon by the narrow
| escape a sentinel had on Mosquito Hill
from shooting one of the Friars who had
stood in front Of window while folding
up the white cover of the billiard table
preparatory to beginning a game. The
| sentinel was about to shoot him under
| the belief that he was signaling with a
white cloth. The Corporal being near, he
called his attention to it before shooting
and thus the tragedy was averted. As
signals in the day time with a white cloth
were among those reported, this incident
made me more than eve: doubt the red
lights.
Another doubter was Capt Heath, Of
our regiment. One evening, while he was
serving as Officer Of the Day, he came into
quarters and asked me il l would like to
60 with him and see the red-light signals,
as he had discovered Just where to see
conducted me through the south gate and
to the wall Of the roadway approaching
It. and took station facing the wall, Just
above which could be seen the windows Of