Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-09-04

Lady Macbeth2'
The reporter remarked that he had
been quite Mortified on more than one
occasion as 8 pair of CLASSY eyes stared
Vacantly over the fOOtiights.
''ThOse eyes in the real sOmnambullst
cannot see. They look, but do not sees
they have ears and hear not"
One Of the most interesting cases is re-
ported by Muratori. Says he:
''SignOr Augustin was an Italian noble
man, dark, thin, melancholy and cold
blOOded, addicted to the study of the abb
stract sciences. His attacks occurred at
the waning of the moon, and WerestrOng-
or in Autumn and Winter than in sum
mer. An eyewitness gave the following
description of them:
zone evening toward the end of OCto-
Der we played at various games after
dinner. SignOr Augustin took a part in
them along with the rest of the company
and afterwards retired TO repOse. At
eleven o'clock his servant told US that his
master would walk that night, and that
we might come and watch him. / ex-
anined him after some time with q can
die in my hand. He was lying upon his
back, and sleeping with open, staring,
unnlOVed eyes. We were told that this
was a sleep. 1 felt his hands and found
them extremely cold, and his pulse beat
so slowly that his blood seemed not to
CIRCULATE II Was aDOub Al44QA-ELAL WAC4L
Signor Augustin drew aside the bed cur
tains with violence, arose, and put on his
clothes. / went up to him and held the
light under his eyes. he took no notice
of it, although his eyes were wide open
and staring. He fastened on his sword
and warmed himself IN an armchair by
the fire. He went to his wardrobe, took
out some things got others disarranged,
put them In order again, locked the door,
~. l.. lie ~
went into q court and caught and brldIed
his horse. He appeared confused when
he did not find the saddle in its accus-
toned place, but finally mounted the
horse and rode to another side of the
court and tied his horse. From there he
went into the house and walked into a
parlOr, where he played several airs on a
harpsichOrd. After moving about for
two hours he went to his room and threw
himself on his bed, where he slept nine
or ten hours. The servants declared that
they could only put an end to his par
Oxyisms by tickling him under the soles
of his feet, or by blowing a trumpet in
his ears"
Negretti was a servant about twenty
four years old, and sleep-Walker from
his eleventh year, but his attacks only
| occur in March. He would arise In his
/ sleep, arrange the table, stand back of his
u
time to eat, and then clear the cloth. He
| could remember nothing Of his somnam-
! bulistic actions. He would awaken when
water was thrown in his face, and would
/ be faint and stupid for some time. He
/ acted from force of habit, and if a door
! through which he had passed was after
| ward shut he would run against it when
! he returned. If he carried a candle and
a bottle was substituted he would not
know the difference. Once he was eat
ing in his sleep and said:
"How can forget? To-day is Friday
! and I must not dine"
! He then locked up everything and
went to bed. On one occasion he ate
several cakes of bread and some salad,
/ which he Just demanded of the cook. He
then went with a lighted candle into the
cellar and drew some wine, which he
drank. All these acts ne performed as
usual, and carried a tray, upon which
were wine glasses and knives, turning it
Obhquely on passing through doorway,
but avoiding any accident.
1t is said of Negretti that he sat down
to eat a bowl Of salad which he had pre-
pared. 1t was taken from him and some
strongly seasoned cabbage put in its
place; but he ate without perceiving the
difference. He shifted ground coffee in
! the place Of snuff, which he had demand
ed. Other sleep-walzers have been
known to detect these deceptions.. In
! general, sOmnam bulistS do not hear per-
sons who talk aloud in their presence.
A young priest used to arise and write
his sermons in his sleep, reading them
aloud after doing so, and making cor
rections and interlineations with the
most remarkable accuracy, even correct
ing grammatical errors and incorrectly
spelled words. He also composed music
and wrote it while asleep, putting in
cleffs, sharps and flats.
Somnambulists have been known to
fall from dangerous heights, and even to
be killed on being awakened while tax
ing their sleep walks. The affection is
said to hereditary, and is sometimes
caused by incompetence.