Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-10-07
-MISCEILANY Y.
A Case Of S0mnambuIism Thrill
ing Incident.
Fren The petroit g rress.

An incident of thrilling and almost ter
rible interest, combined in itself all the
palpitating chances of hair-breadth es-
capes, and the strange, romantic ventures
of that wierd semblarce of life, somnam-
bulism occurred on the night before last.
The scene of this unusual episode was on
Catharine street, at the residence Of Mr..
Israel Moreton, a gentleman in whose
veracity we have entire confidence, and
from whose lips we received the statement
Of particulars.
t At about ? ! o'clock in the morning, he
was awakened by knocking at the front
DIOR of bis residence, and. upon answering
the call, found man on the steps, who, in
very ineoherent and excited manner, re-
quested him to walk across the street and
look at the top of his house. The proposi-
ton was so strange that he declined, and
stood irresolute for few moments, and was
about retiring again, suspicious of foul
play, when his eye caught moving shad-
ow on the front of the opposite house, cast
by the moon which was shining dimly
through the feecy clouds of gathering
eduinoxial storm. 1t indicated that some
moving living thing was walking noiseless-
ly along the narrow ridge of his roof, and,
as he looked at its slow, creeping motion,
an indefnable chill crept over him. The
shadow stole across the front of the oppo-
site building, and was lost for moment in
the darkness, and then crept into view
again, returning in an opposite direction.
with the same slow, gliding motion. His
companion had regained the opposite side
walk, and stood gazing up in silence, SEEM
ingly struck speeches. with horror, and
with trembling steps Mr. Moreton gained
his side and turned his eyes in the same
direction. His CONSERVATION may be inn
agined when his gaze fell upon the form Of
a human being shrouded from head to foot
in o long white night dress, about which a
mass of long hair, which cleaned darkly
in the moonbeams, fell in wild confusion.
This spectral form paced slowly TO and fro
on the narrow ridge-board which covered
the apex of the roof, approaching in fright
full proximity ef The abrupt termination at
the ends. and calmly turning about 10 re-
trace the distance, always with the same
unfaltering step and easy gliding motion
The ho1se was high one and a mssiep
or a step too far, would have plunged the
night-wa!ker down TO certain destruetion-
as also would a casual sound, the shout of
midnight revelcr, or the crow of the
morning cock.
The walker was woman, and, as she
moved back and forth, she occasionally
raised her hand TO her heal, as though en-
gagged in thought or troubled with pain.
The head never moye ~ the right or left.
I up or down. but always ntained the
same position, erect and straight as stat
ue. a chimney stood directly in the mid
/ die of the roof. around which she passed
with ease, placing one hand upon iis top.
and walking down the sloPing roof 10 get
around. Once in this spectral walk she
paused at the edge Of the roof, and before
turning. looked straight out ahead into The
black night, as If peerins beyona mortal
vision, into some mysterious realm
4 waving movement Of the rfshf h2nd
accompanied tlsis act, which lasted but a
moment, when the walk was again renewed
and the light shadow passed across the
faces of the spelI-bound gazers as she aie
the moon for an instant from tiieir sight
The sane spot Mas reached again 2 few
moments aiters when the figure again
paused, zss sza.ss Eszed o1t inss tl's sa1k