New Ulm review., 1908-07-15
A TALE Of PORTO RICO
Curious Story of the Haunted
Sentry Box.
LIGHT ON THE OLD LEGEND.
One of the Many Mysterious Disap-
pearances From Fort San CristobaI
Accounted For by the Revelation OF
the Lost One Himself.


the Lost One Himself.
Writing in the journal of the Mill |
tary Service Institution, Captain Ar.
thur P. S. Hyde of the coast artillery |
tells this curious story of 'the haunt
ed sentry box" of Fort San Cristobal. |
the ancient Spanish built fortress
which guards the entrance to San
Juan, Porto Rico:
"a number of picturesque sentry
boxes built of masonry and appearing
| like minarets are placed at points of
vantage in and around the fort One
| of these on the sea front, and reached
only through a long and dark tunnel
from the interior of the fort, is pop
ularly known as La Garita del Diablo.
or the devils sentry box, usually, al
though incorrectly, translated the
haunted sentry box. This name was
given to it by the Spanish soldiers for
the reason that a number of sentries
stationed there disappeared in most
mysterious manner and were never
again heard from.
can American officer was once on
duty that took him into the remote in
terror Of the island, and while spend
ing one night In a small settlement he
engaged in conversation with num-
Der of the inhabitants of the place.
One old man, on learning that the Of
ficer was stationed at Fort San Girls
tobal, became especially interested and
In the course of the conversation told
the following story:
"I used to be a soldier In the Span
ish army and was stationed at Fort
San Cristobal. A number of soldiers
while on sentry duty had mysteriously
disappeared from the sentry box down
by the sea, and we had all become
convinced that it was haunted by the
devil, who, we thought, used to come
and steal the soldiers away.
"'One stormy night 1t fell to my
lot to go on duty in the devils sentry
box, as we called it, at midnight. and
1t was with some doubts and misgiv-
ings that I went with the corporal of
the guard and relieved the former sen
try. When they left me l listened to
| the sound of their footballs reverberat'
| ing from the walls and ceiling of the
dark and narrow passage, ever grow
ing fainter and fainter as they reced-
| ed until finally the noise of the storm
| and the sea completely drowned it,
| and l was left alone with the mad ele-
ments.
= "It was a mad night and one well
calculated to add to the feeling of awe
that the devils sentry box always in
stilIed into the man on duty there a.
night.
"'Presently my attention was at
tracted by some lights in small tav
! ern on the shore below the fort, where
many of US We're wont to go when Of
duty for a glass of rum. Then I be
gan to think that might be able tt
climb down over the rocks to the
' shore, get a glass Of rum at the tav
ern and return to my post.
"'The more l thought Of 1t the more
determined | was to go, so finally
leaving my rifle and belt in the sentr.
box, | climbed over the wall and dowl
on to the rocks and so made my wa.
with great labor and difficulty and n
little danger to the little house, wher
the occupants were making merr.
with dancing and drinking. I sool
fell to and enjoyed myself with them.
"'When one is dancing with fai
senorita he sometimes forgets the pas
sage Of time, as I did on that fata
night, and not until long after 1 o'cloc
did I begin to think of returning
my post Then, realizing that the col
poral had made his inspection and ha
found me gone from my post an
es with my rife and belt left behind
IL saw only a court martial and the ga
Vee rote staring me in the face, for i
n, ~ those days for a sentinel in the Spar
ed ish army to quit his post meant sur
nd death, even in peace.
MT "'To go back was out of the ques
=" ton. There was only one thing lei
ng for me to do. and that was to deser
h, NV heart sank within me. If I shoul
rt. be captured, the same fate would b
saa' meted out to me; but l reasoned, II
' were to go back the fate would be
nd certainty, whereas if | deserted {
least | had a chance of keeping OF
,se of sight of the authorities. deserte
and before morning was out of tt
city and on the way to the moul
tains.
81 have lived in this little haml
for years and have never been back
Ia the capital since that day. nor have
ever told my story to single soul III
or til tonight, but now that the Spaniart
are gone no longer fear for my life.
'"Thus we have the story OF the de
IFS sentry box from one of the We.
mo mo men who so mysteriously disappeare
cit from it, and it would seem to be pro
ard snd able that the other disappearance
md could be accounted for in simil
zee; manner were the truth known. Quie
sabe?'
nd Captain Hyde mentions an interes
ing fact that, although for centuri
Porto Rico was considered the legi