The evening world., 1889-02-06
LAST edition:
HER LONG TRANCE.
The Crisis in Emma Althouse's
Strange Case Approaches.
Eighteen Months Without Food
and Motionless.
This Is Her Thirty fifth Day Of Sleep,
and She May Not Survive 1t.
rspEc1AL TO THE EVENING WORLD

ArTIcA. N. Y, Feb. 6.-Mrs. Emma Alt
house, the sleeping wonder who has bafled
the inquisitorial skill of q dozen doctors, 10
now enjoying, If it may be called that, the
last long sleep of the many she has had, for
the general impression is that the present
trance will end in death.
A o'clock this morning Mrs. Althouse
completed her thirty-ffth day of uninter-
rupted repose. There were then no indica-
tons that she would awaken except an almost
imperceptible movement of the chest and an
occasional gasp for breath.
The EVENING WORLD correspondent expe-
rienced considerable difficulty in getting into
the house where the victim Of this strange
malady is slumbering.
Mrs. Althouse is not living with her hus-
band, who is drifting about somewhere in the
oil regions, but STAYS with her father and
mother In their humble home on West Main
street., at the top of Bennington hill, a few
rods from the Attica Post Office. Her little
four-year-old boy is there, too.
The patients father is John Toms, an aged
stone.mason who came to America from
Germany some thirty-fve years ago, and has
since lived in this neighborhood, Mrs. Alt
house, the oldest daughter, will be twenty
six years old on July %, and she has two
NouhHS hAt oho eeHNNp 1AS ~
were inclined to firt and used TO promenade
to church together. The village dudes
dubbed them Faith. Hope and Charity, and
were attentive to them.
1t was Miss Kate Toms, a good-looking girl
of medium height. an oval, olive complex
toned face, with prominent features: who
came to the door when The EVENING WORLD
correspondent asked admission.
My sister is still asleep" said Kate, with
a simplicity that was naive, and we do not
allow strangers to see her; There was a
newspaper man here the other day and we
What, objection have you to letting
Only that two men tried to poison my
sister"
1t was only after q long argument that Miss
Toms consented to let me climb the short
stairway TO the low upper story of the little
house and glance in the darkened m
On the bed was Mrs. Althouse. When
well she weighed ITS pounds, it is said. but
to-day she seems to weigh 100 or so.
The body was perfectly rigid, the jaws i'm
movable, and there was no apparent exer-
else of any vital function except that of
breathing feebly, systematically and inter-
init emily.
The face seemed sallow and was considera-
bly, emaciated, though not so much SO as one
would expect in the case of q woman who
had partaken Of no solid food in a year and a
half. She has not been visited by any physi-
clan for several days, and on the last occa-
sion n futile effort was made to arouse the
sleeper.
DR.. Retel sent a strong current from a gal
vanic battery through her frame, threw cold
water on her face, and resorted to every
means of which he could think to awaken
was noticed on the body, and the cold,
clammy feeling disappeared. Her head
turned almost imperceptibly, but there was
turned on until it was strong enough to raise
the dead. but that was all the good it did.
She looks now Just about rs she did
when the doctor got through" said the at
%tendant. The face was colorless, If not sal
low; the expression was peaceful, and the
sleeper did not seem to be resting uncom-
fortably.-
case. "Emma's first sleep was in August,
1887" said she, " and she hasn't been of that
bed since. nor has she taken any liquid food.
just before that she was attacked with
nation Of the stomach. When these were
relieved she fell asleep. generally sleeping
for three days and then awakening for q day
and a night. Then she would gradually re-
enter the trance state and remain in 1t for an
other three days.
During her conscious moments she par
took of nourishment in the shape of milk,
which was fed to her by the spoonful, and
the quantity given in that way seldom OK
ceeded half a gill"
The trance periods increased in duration
and lasted seven and ten days frequently.
Her sisters Judge that she knows what is GO
~ - al IA hNlh bhN ~ hpiuhNOs w
prove that this knowledge is not limited to
local events by any means.
A local Spiritualist believes that she is a
mlsdirected medium and that her spirit trav-
els all over the country during the frances.
lie bases his opinion on what the sisters say.
Her grandfather died last summer while
she was III q trance. When she awakened
quired:
What did you see or hear while you were
asleep?"
Her lips moved, but no audible sound could
Dc heard. She seemed too weak to talk.
How Is grandpa 7" she finally whispered.
He Is worse, u said the doctor.
I No he is dead" she whispered :"
know he is dead" She looked surprised as
she said this. Miss Toms saws that the death
was never mentioned nor alluded to in the
SICK room. Similar Instances are vouched
Tor by the family.
What was her longest sleep p l asked.
II began ON March IL, 1885," was the re-
ply, and lasted thIrty-tive days, just as this
one has now She was awake for eight days
before this sleep and partook Of more nour-
lnment during that time than she had IN the
whole preceding time of her Illness"
when she awakened that time 1t was only
after persistent efforts on the part of the doc
Tor, end when she opened her eyes she whis-
pered To the doctor For heavens sake
oont let me go to sleep again or | shall never
wake mp" She then could not see with her
eyes open nor could she distinguish n.y.
thIng' but these senses soon returned to her.
When coming out of q trance the symptoms
eHnlnlted are bleeding at the nose. high tenn
Perature, strong pulse and mutterings. She
STAYS awake q while and then takes o short