The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-01
GREAT SLEEP WALKING.
a YOUNG WOMAN nv DENVER WHO
HOLDS TIE RECORD.
She Unties Ropcs, Picks Locks. wnndern
About. Writes Letters. Buys Hallway
ricketts,, All When SSe Il Sound Asleep.

system OF curative treatment snmnahulist
Annie Rossman Is being subjected TO In the
county hospital. This remarkable sleep walker.
whose unconscious iournoyinGs about the city
late at night have made her II familiar person
to the police and the public, has been in GUS
tody since Saturday evening. On the order
OF County Physician CLARK. she was removed
from Police Headquarters to the hospital. The
precautions taken by the attendants of the
latter Institution to keep her from Roing
abroad during her active slumbers arc certain
to prove effective. She Is kept all alone in n
ward that Is equipped with the most securely
fastened windows and doors In the entire hos
pital. Night and day a nurse Is within hear
Ing OF even her slightest movement.
Miss Ross1nan, although her helpless condi-
ton might. very properly make such II course
seem necessary, is not by any means detained
against her wishes. When DR.. Clark on Fri
day issued his order for her commitment, she
objected to acting in accordance with II. This
repugnance to becoming in any sense n public
charge was not unnatural to her. for the unfor-
tnnntc young woman Is of n most respectable
family. and were 1t not for her afiiiction, Is
thoroughly competent to take care OF herself.
On Saturday. however, sho took the moro
reasonable view Of the situation and agreed to
place herself under the eminent specialist who
has charge of the nervous disease cases at the
county hospital.
The physician is now studying her case with
n view to prescribing a regular system Of treat
mont. 1t l. agreed by the host ncurologists
in the city that Miss Rossmnn Is the most IN
t~ercstlng somnambulist.c subject that ever
came under their notice. Her history since
she came 70 Denver over two yeas ago strongly
bears out this sweeping assertion. She is TOW
IN nor 2,th year. and except for her irreprcS-
sible to. dency to activity while in the sleep.
ihK state and n sluggish circulation Of the
olo9h, she enjoys excellent health. She is
and comedy OF feature When normal her
mentality is of u high standard, and she f.
intensely rare psychological study, as som.
namoulists seldom. possess them.
Although dtsinclined to talk about her af-
from time TO time at Police Headquarters by
her have given the authorities a fair blographl-
cai knowledge OF Miss Rosoman. Her home Is
In Pecola, Kan. where some of her relatives at
present reside. She also has n brother living
Rossman first became n sleep walker. So far
as can be learned the malady had 10 definite
be aware Of; In the early stages OF her som
nan5uiisin Miss kossmnn was not attacked
with frequency. Il was only after her advent
IN Denver that the disease assumed til. in
tense phase in which it now manitests itself.
The altitude doubtless has bad IL great deal 10
do with its d~eveoument. When she first came
here Miss Rossmnn entered one Of the local
business colleges, from which. despite her
trouble, She was graduated in due time. Her
nocturnal travels. however. SO exhausted her
in mind and body that she was unable 10 hold
any OF the positions she obtained more than a
brief period.
During her stay IN the city She has teen con-
veyed TO her home or 30 City Hall by the police
her room until after midnight. Usually she
wandered about the business section of the
city, close TO which She always rather wisely
lived. until the police got her. She walked
straight ahead. with %antomaton appearing
strides. until some startled ci,izen drew the
nttpnttOn Dt II Policeman 10 her. AS Il rule, the
officers.
the attention OF even the least oh>rrvant pc-
~drstr,an. In her unconscious, irepnrat nhs for
or wrepner. Sometimes els" added stockings
10 this arGicle or apnarci. but was lever known
20 don either shoes Or heaiEear. Thus attirel.
her exprts.ionl.-s eyes wide ";ea, and her loose
mir ttssel about her neck and shoulders. She
stalSed aio;i:. needless OF vehicles or ether
street Instructions ! ke n spectre evolved from
the midnight atmosphere. More than one ter
ritied citizen who saw her under these circum-
stances TOOK her TO-" n rcriiahlc ghost,
When spoken 10 she ptid no attention. Her
@rst e%videnc. OF returning conscious she
rinni.e-lcd by feeling her own person with her
hands in IL Naglr. tentative fashion as II the
performance was inspired bv an intelligence
outSile q! her body.
The first time Annie Rossmnn came" under
my care said Police surgeon Mack yester-
dar. II wasted nearly nh holr In irving TO re-
known means for That purpose. but without
the least effect, Since then | learned that she
must III lllDN'fl 10 HWINt u l'r own accord,
a. aids TO that end are OF no avail whatever III
her case. Her first sign OF awakening comes
fcrent parts ut her body. She does ills a. il
her lind were tryinE 10 puzzl" ont who or
what she il In her physical existence.
when she became fully conscious she never
coula remember what she did or where she had
oeen while in the ~sleep-walking state. she
Away realized her position, however. and us. d
/. sk 5 where we had found her, and what
she had nccn doing. Our answers caused her
much apDarent modification. Invariably, she
hlrQt in IN tan ~ n nd Enn we'd aNp-N SIGN nf thu
TO my questions about herself she some
times gave Intelligent and truthful answers
only half awake, hut when entire %seif-con-
sciou iuess returned she closed up as Tight asa
sluggish condition OF the bl cd. When asleep
Ter face vas ALWAYS dcathly pale and cold.
as though the blood had almost cca ed ocir-
estirG and Perfect omnambulistic subject l
ever saw
A glance Oval the police records shows that
Miss io~sman's RttacSs of ~surnsmbulism
have increased steadily, both In a.eir frequency
and maltguancy for the pnst TIVE year.: Wnsn
walk steadily onward unit sho fell into the
ands or the police. Later ON she grew adept
could pick the lock OF her room c%xpcrtly.
write an ineligible, !cgibl" letter and mail
person aocompltshes only when broad awake.
One night about four months ago sh" wrote a
letter 10 her brother in Sheycnne. and was
box at the Post ONCE when "A policeman took
charge OF her. COusid"ring.the condition under
wni, IN il was written. the s~Omanmbulist' $ letter
was a marvel OF chirography and composition:
There was not n grammatical error to be found
in It. not an - without its dot or n ~ Lett
uncTosscd.
Very recently Miss Rossman was compelled
to get her livclihOo by working as a domestic
servant. The smny NJ 1917 Franklin street,
where she was last employed, had TO let her
go because the premises were al Tays Cpen to
burglars ut nixht when She was around. No
how well fastened the doors and win
dows were, she made her way out OF III"
house every TIME she WAS moved by the mys-
tcrious influences that control her TO take u
TRIP into the night air.
At various times she caused herself to be
tied In he'd before going to l,6l7 Franklin
street. Then the doors were locked and the
windows barred. but nevertheless, when II
.omnamhulistic attack seized her she
found her WA ont doors, never knowing how
she managed to loose her bonds or find egress
from her chamber. 1t is said thai she onp
time purchased iron leg faStenings, hut wheth-
er che ever put them into uSe has not been as
cert aimed.
Her browning act of sub-consciousness was
oompassed last Friday morning.. Along about
the midnight hour she left her lodgings In the
usual surreptitious manner. and walked to the
Union depot. After hanging around the vi
cinity of that building for awhile, she stalked