Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-08-04
\ OF THE SEVEN.
A Minnesota Man Who Has Slept for
Nearly Seventeen Years.

Ntafig var
Minnesota's modern Rip Van
Wrinkle, Herman Harms, of Quincy,
who has selpt almost constantly for
the past seventeen years, has once
more Weakened from his sleep. His
case is a most phenomenal one, and it
is attracting more and more atten-
ton from day to day. Within the
past year he has been visited by sew
eral prominent physicians who have
investigated his cast from a medical
standpoint.
1t is now about m year since he
last awoke, at which time he
remained awake for a period of two
weekS-takIng the usual amount of
sleep. Mr.. Harms is now living on
the Buzmann farm, one mile and a
half east of Quincy. He moved here
from near Utica.
Some seventeen years since, when
Harms was living in Illinois, he was
attacked by a severe fever and he had
intense pains in his head. After the
febrile symptoms had passed away
this sleepiness came upon him. His
physicians advised him to try a colder
climate, ~whereupon he moved to Min;
nesota. This was in 1878. During
his stay in Illinois he did not sleep
all the time, but since coming to this
| state he has slept necessarily with
the exception of eighteen months
beginning with 1881, two months OF
1889 and two weeks of last July.
While he is sleeping he can only be
awakened by his wife touching him
lightly OF the head. Calling or shak.
ing will not rouse him in the least.
In this particular alone his is strik'
ingly strange case. He takes nc
nourishment at all to speak of, but
when he does eat it is always in the
night. After eating he Immediately
falls asleep. He has become terribly
| emaciated Of late and has aged greatly
in the past year. Mr.. Harms was
born in Germany in 1888. In 1868 he
was married to Miss Lydia Bazman.
Five children have been born to
them, the last one in 1891. All the
children appear to be as bright as the
average child. The eldest boy,
Willie, was a victim of melanchOlia
and in 1882, at the age of only twelve
years, committed suicide by hanging
himself to the pillow handles while in
the field blowing. 1t is generally
thought that the boy inherited this
morbidness. This affection falling
upon the poor wife and mother almost
Frustrated her. Through all these
years of her husbands torpidity the
faithful wife has zealously guarded
him and has labored on with Chris
tfan resignation and fortitude. The
family is in almost destitute circum'
stances Ia befltting object for the
bestowment of charity.) Last sum
mer a representative of a well known
CIRCUS Cdlltu upoh VIC Aio'ihS ohN
offered her $3.50 per month and
expenses for the family if they would
travel with his show, but she would
not listen to his proposition. She
has likewise received similar offers
from museums in Chicago and othel
cities. Mr.. Harms case has thus fan
baflled the skill of the best physici
ans and is one which presents a vast
field for medical research. Medicine
and fervent prayer have alike proved
inefficient to arouse him from hi.
comatose condition. The vita
spark of heavenly flame" is slowly
but surely ebbing away, like the
ocean tides, but with this essentia
differences, that there is no correspond
ing influx.