Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-07-11
A TALE OF PORTO RICO
Curious Story of the Haunted
Sentry Box.
LIGHT ON THE OLD LEGEND.

pearances From Fort San Crlstobal
Accounted For by the Revelation OF
the Lost One Himself.
Writing In the Journal Of the Mill
tary Service Institution, Captain AT
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 mlnarets 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 a most
mysterious manner and were never
again heard from.
"An 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
fcer was stationed at Fort San Girls
tobal. became especially interested and
in the course Of the conversation told
the following story:
"T 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 . / become
convinced that 1t was haY4ted by the
devil, who, we thought, used to come
and steal the soldiers away.
"'One stormy night it fell to my
lot to 90 on duty In the devils sentry
box. as we called it, at midnight, and
Il was with some doubts and misgly-
ings that | went with the corporal OF
the guard and relieved the former sen
try. When they left me listened to
the sound Of their footballs reyerberat
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 1t
and I was left alone with the mad ele
ments.
"Tt was a mad night and one wei
calculated to add to the feeling OF awe
that the devils sentry box always in
stilled into the man on duty there a
night.
Presently my attention was at
tracted by some lights in a small tay
ern on the shore below the fort where
many Of us were wont to go when OF
duty for a glass Of rum. Then be
gan to think that I might be able t
climb down over the rocks to the
shore, get a glass Of rum at the tay
ern and return to my post.
"The more I thought Of it the more
determined / was to CO. so finally
leaving my rife 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. l sool
fell to and enjoyed myself with them.
"'When one is dancing with a fai
senorita he sometimes fOrgets the pas
sage of time, as | did on that fata
night, and not until long after l o'clocl
did | begin to think of returning I
nv post. Then, realizing that the cor
poral had made his inspection and ha
found me gone from my post ant
with my rife and belt left behind,
saw only a court martial and the gal
rote staring me In the face, for Il
those days for a sentinel in the Span
ish army to quit his post meant sur
death, even in peace.
"To go back was out Of the ques
tion. There was only one thing LEI
for me to do, and that was to deserI
NV heart sank within me. II shoul
he captured. the same fate would b
| meted out to me; but, l reasoned, II
were to 60 back the fate would be
J certainty. whereas II | deserted
least had q chance Of keeping ou
! Of sight Of the authorities. deserte
, and before morning was out or I'd
city and on the way to the moui
] tainS.
81 have lived in this little haml'
for years and have never been back
q the capital since that day, nor have
ever told my story to single soul III
: I'll tonight, but now that the SpaniarG
D are gone no longer fear for my life.
"Thus we have the story OF the de
q IFS sentry box from one of the vel
, men who so mysterlously dlsappeare
0 from It, and it would seem to be pro
able that the other disappearance
= could be accounted for in simil'
e manner were the truth known. Quie
/ sabeW
o Captain Hyde mentions an interes
Ing fact that, although for centurl'
Porto Rico was considered the legl'
mate prey of freebooters and was q
Is tackled at various times by regular
ID organized expeditions Of the Engll'
n and the Dutch during times OF wa
II with more or less success, Fort
MORO has never been captured by 9
enemy, and its only surrender was
the Americans, together with the su
er render Of the whole island.