Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-18
THIRTY YEAR SLEEP.
THE RIP VAN WIkkLE LIKE SLUMBER
OF A NEW JERSEYMAN.
Since His Wedding Night. In 1895. John
stippie Has Been Apparently Dead. but
stiii Lives-Occasionsl Brief Periods Of
Semiconsciousness.

stili Occasional Brief Periods oi
semiconsciousness.
In the Flemington river valley, two
miles from tho little town Of Ringoes, N.
a., lives a man OF the name Of John Stip.
ple, who has slept almost continuously the
last 80 years.
The case is remarkable one, and it has
puzzled good many physicians, who have
visited tho little farmhouse In which Stip-
pie does his slumbcring from time to time
for the purpose Of making q study of his
case. The man Is now about 80 years old,
and but for the fact that he looks haggard
and pale his face has tho same appearance
that II had 30 years ago.
supplies long sleep began under pecul-
lar circumstances. 1t was In the winter of
1868. He had married the daughter of a
farmer who lived In the vicinity OF Cop
per Hill, and the wedding party, consist
ing OF. dozen OF so young friends of the
couple, decided to take sleigh ride on the
Bloomington river, which was frozen over
and supposed to be safe.
During the trip Stipple's horse stepped
into an airhole, and In floundering around
broke up the leo so that the sleigh contain
ing the bride and groom went into the wa
ter. The young woman was saved with
some difficulty, and Stipple was at last got
out, but no was unconscious and to all ap-
pearances dead.
H6 was taken to the home that he had
prepared for his BRIDE and after couple
of physicians had worked over him sever
al hours In the hope of restoring him they
declared that he was beyond human aid,
and In less than IL hours he had apparent
ly ceased to breathe. Stipple was supposed
TO bo dead, and heWas prepared for burial.
The night before the man was to be
buried Henry Wilcox and Jason Dalton,
two OF his friends, were sitting up with
the corpse. They had euchre deck and
were doing their best to pass the time
pleasantly with the cards. About o'clock
In the morning Wilcox had picked up the
cards to shuttle, when a voice In the room
where Stipple's remains lay shouted,
"Whoa, there!'
That was all, but 1t was enough to
bring Wilcox and Dalton to their feet with
their hair up In the air and their eyes
hanging out. They finally braced up and
went into the room with tho purpose Of
finding out where the voice came from.
There was nobody In sight but Stipple,
and to the amazement OF the two men he
had turned over on his side. He was ap-
parently dead, and after trying all the ways
with which they were familiar to discover
II the man breathed, and failing, the
watchers Strengthened Stipple out on his
back, covered his face again and left the
room to talk 1t over. No more sounds came
from the room that night, but In the
morning the supposed corpse was found
lying on his side again. The story of what
the watchers had heard and .en was told,
and Mrs. Stipple refused to allow her hus-
bands body to be buried.
The physicians tried every means known
to the profession to restore Stipple to his
normal condition, but without avail, and
at last they gave up the undertaking, de-
claring again that the man was dead.
This, however, the wife refused to believe,
and she could not be induced to consent to
the interment Of the body.
Six weeks Stipple lay without manifest
ing signs Of life, and then one morning,
while his wife was attending to household
duties in the adjoining room, she heard
somebody shout, "Whoa, therep' She hur
ried into the room where her husband was
and found him sitting up, with his arms
extended, as II he were driving horse.
Overjoyed at the sight, Mrs. Stipple
threw her arms around her husband and
fell to weeping. Stipple showed no signs
of recognition, but called for something to
eat and drink. His wife brought him some
meat and glass of milk He refused to
eat the food, but drank the milk and call
ed for more. He eagerly swallowed sew
eral glasses OF milk, and then, lying down,
resumed his apparently breathlcss sleep.
1t was two months before Stipple was
again heard from. One day preacher,
who had a wide reputation for being able
to cure obstinate diseases through prayer,
came to the Stipple residence at the re-
quest OF the sleeper's wife, and knceling
by the bedside began to pray. When he
had reached point In his appeal for the
restoration of Stipple to health, he was in
terrupted by the man crying out, "Whoa,
thercP The preacher stopped praying.
StippIe sat up In bed as before, and with
an expression Of great anxiety on his face
appeared to be struggling with horse.
He soon fell back on the pillows and fee
bly, called for food. AS before, meat and
milk were brought to him, but he swallow
ed only the milk. He drank nearly gal
lon OF 1t before he was satisfied and then
became unconscious again.
One day, about 90 years ago, Mrs. Stip-
pie was engaged In sweeping out the room
In which her husband lay, when he sud
denly cried out, "Thank God, Susie, you
was savedp'
Mrs. Stipple was wild with joy, believ-
Ing that the spell upon her husband had at
last been broken. He appeared to be In
full possession of his mental faculties and
talked with his wife about the occurrences
OF the eventful night ten years before.
What had taken place since then was q
blank to him. and he talked as II he had
awaked from nights sleep. He asked II
the farmland had MIXED, and how long
before breakfast would be ready. Fearing
the effect that the knowledge might have
on her husband, Mrs Stipple did not tell
him how long ago It was that those affairs
he had been talking about took place. She
sat on the edge Of the bed with her arms
around her husband, when his head sud.
denly fell forward, and no was once more