Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1908-07-02
THE HAUNT Id
NTRY BOX
A Porto Rican Romance.

/ Writing in the Journal of the Mill
arr Service Institution, Capt. Arthur
P. S. Hyde of the coast artillery tells
his curious story of the haunted SEN
.ry box of Fort San Cristobal the an
;ient Spanish-built fortress which
guards the entrance to San Juan, Por-
% 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 long and dark tunnel
rom the interior of the fort is popu.
arly known as La Garita del Diablo,
IL the Devils Sentry Box, usually,
though incorrectly, translated the
haunted sentry box This name was
given to it by the Spanish soldiers
Tor the reason that number of sen
tries stationed there disappeared in
most mysterious manner, and were
never again heard from Their disap-
pearance was ascribed to the devil,
who was supposed to have come and
-aken them away.
An American officer was once on
duty that took him into the remote
interior of the island, and while spend
ing one night in a small settlement, he
engaged in conversation with a num-
Der of the inhabitants of the place
One old man, on learning that the Of
hcer was stationed at Fort San Girls
tobal. became especially interested,
and in the course of the conversation
told the following story:
L used to be soldier in the
Spanish army and was stationed at
Fort San Cristobal. A number of sol
dlers while on sentry duty, had mys-
teriously 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 it 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 mis-
givings that l went with the corporal
of the guard and relieved the former
sentry. When they left me listened
to the sound of their footballs rever-
berating from the walls and ceiling Of
the dark and narrow passage, ever
growing fainter and fainter as they
receded, until, finally, the noise of the
storm and the sea completely drowned
it, and | was left alone with the mad
elements.
1T was a wild night and one we'll
calculated to add to the feeling of awe
that the DEVILS Sentry Box always in
| stilled into the man on duty there at
| night | was not afraid but | felt
creepy, as a person does when he ex-
poets something to happen which no
human power can forestall-some-
| thing supernatural
Presently my attention was at
tracted by some lights in small tav-
ern on the shore below the fort, where
many of us were wont to go when off
| duty for glass of rum. Then | be-
gan to think that | might be able to
climb down over the rocks to the
shore, get glass Of rum at the tavern
! poral of the guard should make his
tour of inspection at one o'clock
The more | thought of it the more
determined | was to go, so finally,
leaving my rifle and belt in the sentry
| box, | climbed over the wall and down
on the rocks, and SO made my way
with great labor and difficulty and no
| to ha
the occupants were merrymaking with
dancing and drinking | soon fell to
and enjoyed myself with them
"When one is dancing with a fair
senorita he sometimes forgets the
passage of time-as | did on that fatal
highland not until long after one
o'clock did l begin to think of re-
turning to my post. Then, realizing
that the corporal had made his in
spection and had found me gone from
nly post, and with my rifle and belt
left behind, | saw only court-martial
and the garrote staring me in the face.
"'To go back was out of the ques-
ON. There was only one thing left
or me to do, and that was to desert.
My heart sank within me. If l should
be captured the same fate would be
melted out to me; but, | reasoned, if
| were to go back the fate would be a
certainty, whereas, if | deserted, at
least | had chance of keeping out of
sight of the authorities. | deserted,
and before morning was out of the city
and on the way to the mountains.
81 have lived in this little hamlet
for years and have never been back
to the capital since that day, nor have
| ever told my story to single soul
until tonight, but now that the Span
iards are gone / no longer fear for
my life
Thus we have the story Of the
DEVILS Sentry Box from one of the
very men who SO mysteriously disap-
peared from it, and it would seem to
be more probable that the other dis
appearances could be accounted for in
| a similar manner were the truth