The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-08-17
4 sOMNAMHULIST}C MUKDEHi:
a Very Singular CAsc In North Carolina
MAn Kills Another In hIs Siocp-Tho a,
cuacd DlsGhnrEexl BY tho CorOner's Jury.

| Il Very Singular Chsc In North Cnrolina-A
| MAn Kills Another In hIs Slocp-Tho 40
c"sctl Discharged by tho Coroncr's Jury.
| The following singular case. proba-
/ bly without Il parallel, comes from
Tyro, little village in Davidson coun-
| ty, N. G.:
At tho above named village, Uriah
Phelps has II store. n few nights ago
hc had Il difficulty with somo negroes
whom he and his brother Attempted TO
eject from his house. 1\nt;cipatinr
further trouble with them; niGi: Secured
the services ofO. W. Click, II Young
man who lives in the ncyhhorhooi,
pnd who is III tho habit of Walking i'm
His sleep. They lay in the store and
watched for half the night, and finally
fell asleep, having stretched themselves
across the bed. 1t appears from sub
scQucnt developments that Click, the
soinnamhuliSt, got up, and. scizing an
axe that had been placed near the bed
to he used in case ofcmcrgcncv, dealt
his bctl-tcllow two blows across the
itcck, nearly scycring Ills head from the
body.
The case crtdtcd considerable excite
ncnt in the community, aud over a
hundred people assembled i'll the coro-
| lict's inGutst and preliminary trial.
The body OF MIR. Phelps was found w.
ing nearly across the foot Of the bed
on tho right side, his head on his right
arm, with three cuts with an axe, two
OF which, il not tho third, were sutli-
clcnt to cause dcath--0nc high enough
| on the head TO reach tho brain. The
story OF Mr.: Click was that hc dream
cd the negroes had entered the store
as anticipated by him and Mr.. Phelps.
ihcrc followed, according to his rccol-
lection, II bloody and terrible fight
" hen he awolir, he was fleeing down
stairs, and gradually recovering con-
sclouSncSS, he rciuritcd to the room
where he and Phelps had been sleep
ing, and realized at glance tho full
horror of his decd. lie at once fled
screaming to the house Of Mr.. Grub,
near by, and was met by that gentle
man, who had been aroused by his
cries: Mr.. Grub said his lamentations
were hcart-rcntfinE and that he told
him at once that he laL killed his best
irlcndin in his sleep. The alarm soon
became general and the ncighbors COL
lcctcd from all quarters. They al
testified that Click exhibited ina mos;
violent manner his regret, and finally
became SO exhausted that he ha.l TO be
carried home.
In tho Preliminary trial it was
proven by both State and defendants
witnesses that Click was Il somnambu-
list anf had frequently injured his own
person by jumping from the house
window-Somrtimcs through the glass
from the second story, cutting himself
considerably. lie has also been known
to get up and choke some Of the flmi-
ly. saying that the bears in Texas were
after him; and then rWn quarter or
halta mile down near the river. and
wake to find himself aDnc. When he
went visiting he requested his neigh
borS to tic him, which they did. last
week he went to sleep in the room
where his dead uncle lay corpse
lie suddenly arose with terrible On
| prcsSions OF fear and started to seize
his dcad uncle. Ills Sister and a yrn-
tlcman caught him, got him awake
and he went back to bed. Many other
Instances were given. Mr.. Glen. .cmt
in tchalf of the defendant. addressed
the court i'll an impressive mannc..
setting forth the law in such cases and
, showing conclusivcly that somnam-
bulist was not accountable for his act
while unconscious. lie was followed
by My. IL. PimniX in short and point
cd speech. The court bcin" satisfied
from the evidence. that the prisoner was
not accountable for his actions while
asleep. pronounced the evidence in
sufficient; whcTupon Mr.. Click re-
turned to his home.
| -------%s s------
MCTH:ATEp. Co,N.--lt may not be
out or place, IN this connection, SAYS
the Chicago Times, to caution the pub
nc against taking bored and clipped
fractional coins The Treasury does
not redeem coins so mutilatcd at their
face value. 1t simply buys them as
bullion. Take thcst coins 10 the nomi-
nal amount Of $40, aid if they arc'not
mutilatca the Government will redeem
! them ut Nnr thOurl, fbo;r ~ ,,,,,,I ,.>,.