Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-29
A REMARKABLE JUMP
Made by a Sleep-walking Los
Angeles Lawyer.
A Remarkable Experience of a Som.
nambulist.
He Jumps From a Train While Travel
ing at a High Rate of Speed-An
AstOnished Station Agent-A
Wonderful Story.

Probably if a collection of tales of the
marvellous performances OF sleep.
walkers, male and female, ancient and
mudern, were made, not one of them
would exceed in interest, or make a
heavier draft upon the average skeptic's
credulity than the well attested ex-
perience of young lawyer of the Los
Angeles bar, who, naturally, makes it
condition precedent to its publication
by the reporter, that his name shall not
appear.
"Since childhood, in my native town
in Illinois," said Mr.. D., II have been
the victim of somna nbulistic freaks and
could tell you of several episodes of an
embarrassing nature growing out of nv
propensity for nocturnal prowling in my
sleep, in which discovered myself out
of the house in scanty robe de mutt. But
I will not 'cumber the record with cumu-
lations, as Johnsonian j. P. in Illinois
used to say. You want to hear my trans
continental adventure, and really, 80 far
as l know, that was the only occasion
when my life was in peril in my sleep.
my mother and l were in Santa
Fe sleeper, bound for this coast, and
traversipg the state OF Kansas. 1t was
an August night, and the temperature
was high. l had postponed turning
into my berth until all the other pas
sengers had retired. hoping that tired
nature would assert her demands for
sleep over restlessness which always
besets me in summer travelling. 1 re-
moved all my clothes save light under
shirt, determined not to don my night
shirt until had comfortably cooled
off. l dropped into sleep without
much trouble, and without my nightie.
Cogitating over the matter afterward
1 recalled that dreamed the train was
rushing to destruction-to a broken
bridge not far ahead. 1t was about
midnight, and the train was speeding
down grade at the rate of forty five
miles an hour, as subsequently 1 learned,
when 1 slid out OF my berth, hastily
walked to the rear end of the coach and
jumped. 1t CHANGED that we were
whizzing by small station
where no night stop was made
when 1 took my leap. Fortunately
for me lie upon the most bulbous por-
ton of my anatomy and caromed across
the platform against the side of the
little frame station. This had ten
dency to awaken me to an extraordinary
extent, but, strangely enough, the con-
cussion did not stun me, nor materially
injure me internally or externally. l
sat up and turned my eyes in the direc-
ton Of the red lights of the swiftly re-
ceding train, already quarter Of mile
away.
II comprehended the situation at
nd heI
that | was able to rise, stepped up to
the window and looked into the little
lamp-lighted office and there, at his in
strument sat night operator, yawnipg
drowsily. put stop tc that. Ii you
doubt me you can address a letter OF in
qulry to him at Offerlee, Kan.
when my presence at the window
attracted his startled optics his hair
bristled, but he managed to gather
something from the table very quickly
and the next moment l was looking
down the barrel of the ugliest revolver l
have ever seen. Yes, l was scared
some. realized that as a coat of mail
my undershirt was rather diaphanous.
But I was in eXtremis, and deprecated
hasty action upon his part with so much
vivacity OF voice and manner that he
ceased to draw bead on me and guard
edly gave opportunity for parley. I
succeeded, at length, in pursuading him
that l was neither an escaped lunatic,
fugitive from justice, nor the wandering
wrath of some pale Apache from the
happy hunting grounds.
"He sympathized with me. l was a
stranger and he took me in. All that
had immediate occasion for was the
loan of pair of trousers and some
lightning talk on his instrument.
"My mother received surprising tel
egram from me at the next station,
thirty miles from my stopping place.
Her CONSERVATION can be imagined
when the conductor awakened her and
gave her the first intimation that | was
not in my berth, directly opposite her
own. 1 wired:
"'Am unhurt. Send me money,
clothes and ticket. Get stop-over, draw
back checks for berths. and wait for
me-
"My berth WAS examined, but super
fcially. l had folded my trousers, con-
tanning my money, ticket, pocketbook,
etc., with my vest, containing my watch.
and poked them under my pillow. In
their haste it wac supposed | had taken
them with me and finding my coat,
shirt, hat, collar and cuffs, shoes and
socks, they were sent back to me on the
next train in my valise. These were
acceptable in their way, but rather in
adequate. l sighed for my unmention-
ables, speeding on their way westward.
"To cut narrowing story short,
through the kindness of the Santa Fe
people, 1 succeeded in stopping my be-
longngs IN transitu in Colorado and
caught up with them the next day. At
La Junta l recovered all my effects in
tact. Have given up somnamb bulsm?
Well, hope so."