The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-01-21
A DOCTORS STORY.
Showing the Ability of SomnnmbuIist 70
Use His Eyes.


Showing the Ability of somunmbuiist to
Use Ills Eyes.
A Star writer was asking the ply
sician great many questions and
getting answers to them, while tho
physician wasn't getting a cent of
pay for the part he was performing.
by the way" inquired Tho Star
man, "do you think that a somnam-
lulist can seo?"
"Do you mean when he is awake
or when ho is communicating, so
to spcak?" smiled the physician.
while he is somnambulizing, Of
course. I'm not talking about blind
men.
well, won't answer your ques-
tion directly, but I'll tell you story
which may go rs an answer. About
ten years ago / had roommate, n
young fellow who was student in
the medical college, and n bright
young fellow he was too. He was
fond of shooting, and to keep up his
practice he had fine airgun, and he
converted the hall on the third floor,
which wo occupied, into shooting
gallery. used to take hand my
self every time l had q chance, and
sometimes for an hour at time he
would be banging away Mt the tar.
get he had fixed at the far end of the
hail.
"One morning ISrmo 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 rs sitting room, and was
about to 60 out and light tho gas in
tho hall, when tho young fellow
came walking in from our sleeping
room, attired in his nightclothos,
and with his eyes wide open. ! spoke
to him, thinking something was tho
matter with him, but ho did not nm
swcr, and in n minute / saw that he
was walking in his sleep.
"This was not altogether unusual
with him, but / had never caught
him in the act before and concluded
! would watch him. Ho came di-
rcctly across tho room. going around
n chair and table that stood in his
path. and opening a drawer where
he kept the airgun he took it out.
and then he loaded it, gotting the
small bullets wo used out of box
on the mantelpieoe. This box he
stuck into what would have been
his coat pocket, IL ho had had o coat
on, but ms he hadn't the box fell TO
the floor, which he took no noto of,
"Thep he went into tho dark hall,
carefully avoiding all furniture in
his way, and going rs straight to
the door as if he had been awake. !
followed him cautiously into tho
hall, and when he had reached the
usual point from which we did our
firing ho stopped, took careful aim
and fired. Tho slight snap md shock
of the gun seemed to have quito o
different effect than either my voice
or the bright light in tho room, for
on tho instant he dropped tho gun.
mado half step forward and fell
into my arms, just about rs he
would have fallen out of bod II he
had walked suddenly on its edge.
"He was wide awake In minute
and began laughing and asking mo
what had happened. told him, and
wo ut once lit the gas in the hall and
examined the target. Tho target had
been repainted after we had had our
last practice. SO that we could SEQ
plainly wherc his bullet had hit, and
] assure you bo had made almost o
center shot Now" concluded tho
physician. "in the lighted room he
missed all tho furniture in his way,
and in tho dark hall ho had hit the
target. Do you think no could SEQ.
or couldn't hc?"
Tho answer wasn't quite satisfac,
tory as an answer, but it mndo n
problem to wrestlo with, and tho
physician kindly consented to let
his questionor figure it out to suit
himself. Washington Star.
W..