Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-19
A STRANGE DREAM.
An Uncomfortable Experience with n
Somnambulist.

From the Atlsnta journal
A German student Of the university Of Hell
delberg sat in his room late one night. deeply
absorbed in his studies Just across the hall
and opposite his own, was another bedroom
occupied by two fellow-students. The clock
in the great building had Just struck the hour
OF midnight, when his attention was attracted
to the door by the sound Of steslthy footfal,
in the hallway. Turning his head in that di-
rection, he was surprised 10 see the door open
slowly and noiselessly, and one Of the occu-
pants Of the other room enter his own with
glittering knife in his hand. On his face was
strange expression; his eyes were wide open
and lusterless, and he stared straight in front
of him like man engaged in deep thought,
unconscious of his surroundings
With q tread as soft as that of panther he
glided toward the bed, with the knife gripped
in his right hand and his left extended in front
OF him, as II feeling his way. The room was
well lighted BY the large lamp on the table
but apparently it did not awaken the power Of
vision in the sigbtless and staring eyes of the
somnambulist. He CROPPED his way at last to
the bedside. Running his left hand lightly
along the surface. as if measuring the distance
from the edge to where its occupant should be-
he suddenly raised the knife aloft and plunged
II to the hilt in the mattress. Withdrawing il.
he wiped the blade on his sleeve, and began to
feel his way back to the door. He passed out
across the hall and back into his own room
the door Of which he closed and locked behind
him.
Mortified at this murderous freak of somnam-
bulism, the student Immediately arose and
locked his own door. After satisfying himself
that it was proof against any more nocturnal
incursions from that quarter. he returned to his
seat; but he could not fix his mind on his
studies he was unstrung. He lay down and
tried to sleep, but it was no use, his nervous
system had received too great a shock: and he
was overwhelmed by the narrowness Of his
escape from a swift and terrible death.
At last morning came. Curious to see what
effect the night occurrence would have on the
sleep-walker, he resolved to keep silent. As he
entered the breakfast-room down stairs he was
greeted by the latter witha hearty good morn
ing"
do you know" said he, Il had horrible
dream last night?'
what was it?' the other asked
Il dreamed / went into your room and
stabbed you with knife while you were asleep "
'AhY"
"Yes; and tried to resist it but could not.
supernatural power"
We'll. you did go into my room and knife
me while asleep-at least il was no fault of
yours that you didn't-had been in bed. az
usual, you would have made short work of me- "
what do you mean?n
"Come and I'll show you"
He took him up to his room and showed him
the hole in the mattress; he was horror-struck
he could scarcely believe the evidence of his
own senses. Tell me how it happened?" he
asked.
His companion related it to him as he had
witnessed it.
Exactly as dreamed it." be said
1t is needless TO add that his fellow-students
bolted and locked their doors after this as long
As the somnambulist was at the university