Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-07-23
A dangerous somnambulIst.

From the Mobile Register.l
We have had notes of a singular &C.
currence that took place some time since
| in this city in our possession for several
months, but refrained from giving it pub
licity for fear of too plainly indicating
the parties connected with it. Upon
perusing the facts as here stated, num-
Der of our readers will doubtless recall
the mysterious affair, as well as the COM
ment and excitement which 1t then
created.
Without naming the date OF the occur
renee, suffice it to say that highly res
pectable lady, her married son, and two
single young men were living in the
CITY. and occupying the house into which
the mysterious and daring entries were
made almost nightly.
The newly-married lady was one Of
the most excitable and nervous indi-
yiduals that ever lived, and to make
matters worse, her husband was equally
a coward, and, if possible, a greater one
than she was. The house was entered
night after night, silver, clothes, ETC.,
stolen, chloroform administered to the
inmates, and copious supply OF light
wood and kerosene found in some por-
ton of the house nearly every morning.
Private watchmen we're employed to
watch the premises, and the two young
men referred to spent almost every night
in walking around the house, or secreted
in il. resembling two movable armories,
but all to no purpose. Five or six times
during the night the young married man
would suddenly rise up in bed and fire
his pistols in rapid succession toward a
window, and break the glass into
atsms, while his wife would scream at
the top OF her voice and arouse the
neighbors. This state of affairs con-
tinued for two or three weeks, at
the end of which several mysterious
entries had been made-no one could
tell how the burglar got into the house
and all the glass was shot out of the
window and the blinds riddled with pis-
toll balls. Determined to put an end to
such unpleasant business, the young
mans wife, assisted by the two friends,
peruaded her husband to remain quiet
one night, no matter what he saw, and
let the Young men watch alone. The first
night after this arrangement the young
men were almost noiselessly creeping
behind a flower stand on the front gal
lery, when four shots were Tired through
the window, and woman screamed ter
ribly. Of course it was the young mar
ried man shooting and his wife scream
ing. and of course the escape OF the
Young men was very narrow. They de-
termined 10 watch no longer, unless the
pistols OF their friend we're taken from
him; and this being done, they com
menced their watch for the second
night. and had been on duty but
short time when they saw a man come
out of a closet in their own room.
They pursued him TO the room OF the
married folks, but never saw him after,
notwithstanding the thorough search
which was instantaneously made, and
tie fact of every door and window IN the
house, except the door between their
rooms, being securely closed. In the
morning over FIVE pounds OF gunpowder
was found under the steps in the young
mems room, besides large quantity OF
matches and kerosene. The young men
kept up a thorough watch nightly for
three weeks, at the end Of which time
the house was set on fire and totally
destroyed by FIRE and gunpowder.
No one has ever been able TO solve the
mystery, although we have heard con-
lecture after conjecture concerning it.
Of course we do not pretend to set it up
as a ghost story, but with many others,
we believe the ineendiary aud robber
was the young married man himself, and
that he was a somnambulist. he and
his wife are still living in this State, and
one Of the young men stands in the first
rank Of Mobiles energetic sons.