Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-02-13
A Gallego's Shelter
[Original.]

were sitting in an open air cafe when
the funeral of peasant went by.
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
a Portuguese remarked that a similar
custom prevailed in his native country.
He went on to explain that in 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 be opened and
shut like trunk. When 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, a 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
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.
Now, the guard was a dapper little
fellow who was dying to enact some
piece of bravery, so he drew his sword
and walked slowly up the road toward
the box. Every now and again he
would pause and look about him, as IL
expecting to see some person or per-
sons emerge from hiding places to re-
sumo their burden. But nothing stirred
except the branches Of the trees with
the wind, and nothing was heard ex-
cept the patter Of the rain. The day
was dark, and since 1t was late in the
afternoon 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. 1t might be an Internal machine,
but he rather dreaded something SUI
pernatural than mechanical.
, He advanced another dozen yards,
bent forward and peered through the
deepening gloom at the object which
SO profoundly interested him. He saw
that the box was oblong, covered with
red leather and studded with brass
nails. 1t 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 q
few steps, when he again halted, ter
ror stricken. The lid Of the coffin was
3 opened from within, and corpse look
I ed out.
D Here was something no sword thrust
could injure. The guard turned and
took to his hSels, never stopping till he
had reached the cemetery. There he
called to his comrades to 60 with him
to see corpse that for some reason.
having been abandoned instead Of TAX
3 en- in and decently buried, had opened
its coffin.
The men, not realizing that powder
and ball are not ineffective In such
cases, seized their carbines and march
ed out Of the gates, their doughty COM
mander leading the way. But he had
4 no sooner come to view up the road
? than he saw the corpse advancing with
, his coffin on his shoulder. Turning,
\ his face blanched, his eyes starting
from their sockets in terror, he ran
straight through the ranks. Panic is
: easily communicated, and the men,
seeing their commanders fight 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 soor
collected the men employed there and
told them that deserted corpse was
coming to bury itself. All gathered al
a convenient distance from the gate t.
watch the specter's entrance and SEE
how he would dig his own grave anG
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 {
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 infiu
ence of his Imagination, and he wa
emboldened to advance a few step
and call out:
"Who are your
"a Gallego. What's the matter witt
you peopleY
"Did you come out of that coffin?"
EYES,"
"What were you doing inside of it.?
II was carrying it to the shop afte
a funeral, and the rain came on. In
victim of lung trouble, and, fearing
to get wet, set the coffin down, open
ed the lid and got in. Hearing som
one approach stealthily, thought
trick was to be played on me-that
would be locked in. So just lifted tn
lid to see. I didn't understand wha
you fellows We're running away iron
me for and came to find out"
The officer looked sheepishly at hi
h.. INA ~AI oh Ill. a.