, 1883-09-01
An ERCuT noNns' NAP.
4 Csnnerticas Man VIE Has Been A>iecp
staee ChFfsimaH. Wakes Up.


|
A telegram from Bridgeport, Conn to
the New York Times says: In december
last, two days before Christmas, Sherman
W. Platt, well-to-io farmer Of Morgan $
Fous Corners, town Of NcHtcwn, txen,y-
three miles distant from this eisy, fell
asleep after retiring early, as was his hab-
it. Had he awakened with next morn
ings sun, as people generally do, the cir
cumstance would have attracted no atten-
ton, but he did not Continuing IN
sound repose, his parents, and afterwards
his friends and neighbors, became alarm
ed q. the long slumbering and began
studying as TO what induced it. The case
WAS put In the care of the best physicians.
buI the wisest of them, after diagnosis,
| could give 10 Intelligent solution. Mr..
Platt, who is thirty hve years old, and un-
married, was at work in a hay field. The
sun beat down with force, affecting his
head. and he was assisted to the house
and res;ora,ives applied. Nothing availed
to alley late In the autumn he had been
attacked with mslarial fever, and it is be-
lieved the two causes combined tended to
bring about his comatnse condition and
render him TIE most protracted sleeper Of
modern times From Christmas till March
he scarcely moved in bed, and took no
nourishment save What was forced into
his month. With lenstheSng days he
exhibited signs oi returning animation,
but not Till the arrival Of May did lie
move from ais recumben: position, utter
an intelligible syllable, or open his eyes
Presently, however, he submitted TO be
bolstered up in bed, and finally, like an
infant, was put In his clothes and led to
chair He could Rot be induced 10 speak,
and the muscular effort, II such il may he
called, required for him to pass from the
bed to the chair, was invari-
ably followed by deep sleep In
June, hunger asserted Itsrlf. and
during his brief wlkeful moments he dai-
ly found his way, unassisted, To the pan
try, to apP,ase the SANE, his eyes closed,
and, returning 10 his chair, resumed the
sleep which his friends were impellcd t.
feel wouiG never know waking. Thus he
continued TIL July 10Th, when, t" the
surprise Of his family, he strobe 10 the
font vvrauda. Seated IN rustic chair,
he hea'd Il passing tesmsier address bis
cattle, snd, as il III mimicry, sang out,
''Whoa - the first exclamation he had
maize in two hundred aud thirteen days.
GA Monday night last week lie went 10
his r,om As usual. During The nssht he
left iI s;ealthIly, and. clad IN his thin gar
menrs, slippers, an apology for a iIat and
No money, started to walk 10 the city
He must have reached Haw!eyville before
midnight, o'herwise the depot wstehman
there would have seen him, and following
the tracks Of the HoGsa,onic Railroad,
reached here Tuesday morning. Among
the crowds at the station III this CITY he
nd bot attract attention az first, but after
d While George Arnold of the |, lice force,
saw his actions, and, convinced that there
was something wrong, took him into Gus
tcdy. The. description of Sherman ".
Piatt and the story Of his long sleep we're
familiar 10 the officer, and he set abont
the task Of identification. hIr. Arnold
called in ex-Mayor Daniel n. Morgan,
who formerly Hved in Newtowu, and one
glance OF that gentleman suihced. II was
indeed Mr. Plat, At the Office of Chief
Marsh various expedIents were adopted
to extort words from Mr.. Platt He
danced, walked, and smoked a pipe when
asked to do so, but exhibited no inclina-
tion OF desire to speak, and, it is aseer-
tanned, did not utter 4 word while in
Bridgeport. WeBzsr Platt, his father,
was notified, and he conveyed the hero
of the Longest nap heard OF, by railroad
train 10 his home.