Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-10-08
Haily Tirainiau.


An incident Of thrilling and almost terrible In.
tercst combining in itself oil the palpitating chan
ccs Of hair breadth escapes and the strange roman
tic ventures of the wierd sen,blance Of life, SOM
nambulisn, il thus related by the Detroit Free
Press Ms having occurred in that city . few nights
ago:
The scene was on Catherine street, at the resi-
denee OF Mr.. Israel Morcton. Al about half past
two a. mr. he was awakened by knocking at tho
front door, and found man on tho steps. who, 10
u very incoherent aud excited manner, requested
him TO walk across tho street and look at the top
Of the house. lie declined, and was about rctir
ing, suspicious of foul play. whom his eve caught
n moving shadow ON tho front ofthe opposite house
1t indicnted that some moving. living thing was
walking noselcssly along the narrow ridge 0f his
roof. An ndcscrbable chill crept over him. Tho
shadow stole the front Of the opposite bull
ding. and was lost for a moment in the darkuess.
and then crept into view again, returning in an
opposite direction with the same slow gliding mo-
tion. His companion had regained the opposite
sidewalk aud stood gazing up in silencc. seeming
ly struck specohless with horror and with trcm
bling steps Mr.. More,on gained his side.
when his gaze foil upon a form, shroud.
ed from head to foot in long white night dress,
about which mass of long har fell In wild con-
fusion.
The spectral form paced slowly to and fro on
the narrow ridge.board which covered the apex Of
tho roof. approaching In frightiul proximity ~ the
abrupt termination at the ends aud calmly turning
about to retracc the distance. The house was
high one, and n misstep or step ton far would
have plunged the night walker down to certain
destruction. The walker occasionally raised her
hand to hcr head, N though engaged in thought
or troubled with pain. The bead always main
tanned the same position. chimney stood d.
reotly in the middle Of the roof around which shc
passing with ease, placing one hand upon its top,
and walking down the soping roof to get around.
Once, in this spectral walk, shc paused at tho
edge Of the roof, and looked straight ahead.
A waving n,ovcmcnt of tho right hand accom-.
panied the net. when the walk was again renewed
The same spot was reached again fow moments
after, when the fgore again paused, and again
paused. aud aGnin gaEod out into tho darkness
aud then with slow motion, stretched out
hand, and with outspread fingers clutched at some
thing which had no existence except in tho fever
ed mind If he sleoper. The other hand wns then
extended In like manner, and the body went for
ward in such n wny that the upper portion hung
over the ahyas, while the fingers reached out. un-
til there wns no further reaching, and then clutch
ed again with a quick, cnnvulsiye snatch. and
were withdrawn. The form was mutonlcss mo-
ment; and then commenced its walk again. con-
tnuing a. Iar NJ the middle Of the roof when it
turned towtrd the rear Of the house. and moving
down the slope ofthe roof was lost to sight.
Mr.. Mor.ton recognised the features and form
Of his servant girl, about l8. named Jano Mooney.
She descended through sky-light to her own
room. Ilnstening in he aroused bis wife. and
went with her to tn, girls room and found her
sitting on the side Of the bed. wide awake. and in
n s,ute Of mind bordering on distraction. She
had no knowledge of the occurrence. but had been
awakened by the noise of her employer entering
the house, md found herself standing in tho mid
die Of her own room in the condition described. -
The girl had been suffering from n brain fever,
from wh"h she WINS gradually recovering