The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-29
SOMNAMBULISTS CAN SEE

A Star writer was asking the physi-
clan great many questions and get
ting answers to them, while the physi-
clan wasn't getting cent Of pay for
the part he was performing.
"By the way" inquired the Star man,
"do you think that a somnambulist can
seer"
"Do you mean when he is awake or
when he is communicating, 80 to
speak?" smiled the physician.
"While he is communicating, OF
course. I'm not talking about blind
men,"
swell, I won't answer your question
directly, but I'll tell you q story which
may 60 as an answer. About ten
years ago I had as q roommate a
young fellow who was student in the
medical college, and bright fellow he
was, too. He was fond Of shooting,
and to keep up his practice he had a
fine air gun and he converted the hall
on the third floor, which we occupied,
into shooting gallery. I used to take
hand myself every time had
chance, and sometimes for an hour at
a time he would be banging at the tar
get he had fixed at the other end of the
hall.
"One morning I came in from q
patients about 3 o'clock and found
the whole upper story dark. lit the
gas in the front room, which we used
as sitting room and was about to 60
| out and light the gas in the hall, whom
| the young fellow came walking in from
our sleeping room, attired in his night
clothes, and with his eyes wide open.
I spoke to him, thinking something
was the matter with him, bat he did
not answer, and in a minute l saw that
he was walking in his sleep.
"This was not altogether unusual with
him, but I had never caught him in the
act before, and concluded l would
watch him. He came directly across
the room, going around chair and
a table that stood in his path, and
opening a drawer where he kept the
air gun, he took it:out, and then loaded
it, getting the small bullets we used
out of the box on the mantlepiece.
This box he stuck iuto what would
have been his coat pocket il he had
had coat on, but as he didn't the box
fell to the floor, which he took no note
of.
"rhen he went into the dark hall,
carefully avoiding all furniture in his
way, and going as straight to the door
as il he had been awake. 1 followed
him cautiously into the hall, and when
he had reached the usual point from
which we did our firing, he stopped,
! took careful aim and fired. The slight
snap and shock Of the gun seemed to
have quite different effect than
either my voice or the bright light OF
| the room. for on the instant he
dropped the gun, made half step for
ward and fell into my arms, just about
: as he would have fallen out OF bed IL
he had been walked suddenly on its
edge
ale was wide awake in a minute and
} began laughing and asking me what
, had happened. / told him, and we at
once lit the gas in the hall and ex-
: amined the target. The target had been
: repainted after our last Practice, SO
that we could see plainly where his
bullet had hit, and Iassure you he had
: almost m ada center shot. How" con-
cluded the physician, sin the lighted
room he missed all the furniture in his
way, and in the dark hall he hit the
: target. Do you think he could see, or
couldn't he?"
. The answer wasn't quite satisfactory
as an answer, but it made a problem to
wrestle with, and the physici kindly
consented to let his questioner figure
it out to suit himself.-Washingt
J Star.