Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-02-09
A GalIego's Shelter
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A party or American army Oif1cerS ordered to Cuba when the United States intervened in Cuban affairs were sitting In an open air cafe when the funeral of peasant went by A Cuban told the officers that the coffin was hired and would doubtless be used over and over again. the corpse being buried without covering, whereupon Portuguese remarked that a similar custom prevailed in his native country. He went on 10 explain that fin Lisbon the coffin Is substantially made. cover ed with red leather and studded with a profusion of brass nails. The lid has hinges so that it may he opened and shut like a trunk. When a funeral pro cession reaches the grave at the Pra- zeres cemetery the undertaker's men lift the coffin lid, take out the corpse and lower It. The empty coffin remains where it is till Gallego, native of Gallicia, in Spain, comes and takes it away With this preface the Portu- guese told the following story:
 One rainy afternoon the guard at the gate of the Prazeres cemetery. who had paid more attention to keeping from getting wet than attending to his du- ties, glanced up the road and saw a suspicious box lying on the ground on one side of the road close under a wall. The rain had driven every one inside, and there was not a person in sight. Doubtless smugglers had been carrying the box and, having been sur prIsed or frightened, had dropped it and run away.
 Npw, the guard was q dapper little fellow who WIS dying to enact some piece of bravery, so he drew bis sword and walked slowly up the road toward the box. Every now and again he would pause and look about him, as if expecting to see some person or per sons emerge from hiding places to re- sume their burden. But nothing stirred except the branches of the trees with the wind. and nothing was heard ex- cept the batter of the rain. The day was dark, and since 1t was late In the afternoon n gloom was beginning to settle over everything. There lay the box, oblong in shape, five or six feet in length, two, possibly, in breadth and height. From his smuggling theory he began to have fears from the box it. self. It might be an internal machine. but he rather dreaded something su- pernatural than mechanical.
 Ia aI bent forward and peered through the deepening gloom at the object which 80 profoundly interested him. He saw that the box was oblong, covered with red leather and studded with brass nails. If was coffin. But this did not conflict with his theory More than one smuggler had carried dutiable goods into the cemetery in coffin and hidden them there till he could get them away. The officer advanced a few steps, when he again halted. ter TOT stricken. Tine lid of the coffin was opened from within, and corpse look cd out.
 Here was something no sword thrust could injure. The guard turned and took to his heels, never stopping till he had reached the cemetery. There he called to his comrades to go with him to see corpse that for some reason, having been abandoned instead of talk en in and decently buried, had opened It's coffin.
 The men. not realizing that powder and ball are not ineffective in such cases. seized their carblnes and march ed out of the gates. their doughty com. mander leading the way. But he h4d no sooner come to view up the yoad than he saw the corpse advancing with his coffin on his shoulder. Turning, his face blanched, bis eyes starting from their sockets In terror, he ran straight through the ranks. Panic is easily communicated, and .he men, seeing their commanders flight and a tall spectral looking creature coming toward them bearing his coffin, broke and ran as fast as their legs would carry them.
 Rushing into the cemetery, they soon collected the men employed there and told them that deserted corpse was coming to bury itself. All gathered at a convenient distance from the gate to watch the specter's entrance and see how he would dig his own grave and by what supernatural means he would get the earth over him. But when the corpse reached the gate he set his cof- fin on the ground on one end under a covering and looked up at those watch Ing. There was something more hu- man in his appearance than had ap- peared to the officer under the inf1u- ence of his imagination, and he was emboldened to advance a few steps and call out:
 "Who are you|
 "A Gallego. Whats the matter with you people?"
 Did you come out of that coffinf"
 "Yes."
 What were you doing inside of itT'
 q was carrying it to the shop after a funeral, and the rain came on. I'm victim of lung trouble, and, fearing to get wet, set the coffin down, open ed the lid and got in Hearing some one approach stealthily, thought trick was to be played on me-that I would be locked in. So just lifted the lid to see. I didn't understand what you fellows were running away from