The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

reached the bridge which crosses Cherry
Creek by the old City Hall, but, instead of
crossing the structure. made her way
down by its side, and apparently started
for a walk through the water. It so hap
pened that the creek was not blooming"
TO any great extent just then, and po-
liceman happened to see her action and
rescued her from drowning. Even the
shock of the water did not fairly waken
her, and it was several moments after her
rescue before she entirely regained con-
sciousness.
1t has always happened that whenever
Miss Rossman left her room and home at
night on one of these sleep walking trips
she has never stopped to don any
clothing beside the night robe, and has
been guiltess of shoes or stockings. Just
how she could so often make her way
about Denver's streets in this costume un-
observed is matter of almost as much
mystery as the real cause of the affliction
which has rendered her miserable for
eight years.
One night a few months ago, when she
was living at Twenty-first and California
streets, she left her home about midnight
and wandered down Twenty first to Curtis
street. When in front of the Curtis-street
hosehouse a Twenty-second- street cable
car came upon her unexpectedly, and she
was knocked down and to one side, en-
tirely escaping injury, except few slight
bruises. AS usual, she was clad only in
her night robe. She was picked up and
taken into the hosehouse and returned to
her home in the ambulance.
1so.H% la,, ~aI,a n. E.
her home clear down to the Union railway
station. This time, however, she had lain
down without removing her clothing, and
so attracted less attention. She sat in the
station awhile, where her peculiar actions
were noted, but there was no suspicion
that she was asleep. Finally she went to
the ticket agents window and bought
ticket for Cheyenne. Then she left the
station, made her way to the railroad
tracks, divested herself of most of her
clothing, and walked up the track toward
the approaching train. Fortunately the
engineer saw her in time to stop before he
reached her, although she was walking
toward the locomotive all the time.
Again she made her way down to Six
teenth street one evening, or rather early
in the morning, when there were quite a
number of heavy wagons passing up tho
street. and calmly walked in front of one
of the largest that was going west at a
lively gait. The driver saw her and pulled
up mis- horses, but she would certainly
have been badly injured had not police
man seen her just in time and pulled her
fairly from beneath the horses feet. She
was not even scratched.
The greatest danger which she ever en-
countered, even greater than in the Cherry
Creek incident was one time when she at
tempted TO leave her room located in the
third story of her home, via the window.
She crept through the window, having
raised the lower sash, End grasping the
sill with both hands, swung herself out.
As fortune would have it policeman
happened to be passing almost at the
moment and saw what she had done. He
made his way into the house, rushed up-
stairs, broke in the door OF her room ana
seizing her by the wrists pulled her back
into the apartment. Not until she was
again In her own room did she realize
what had happened.
Once after she had left her home on one
of these trips she apparently imagined
herself lineman, for she essayed climb
ing a telegraph-pole and succeeded in
making her way well toward the top be-
fore she was discovered. She was resting
in this fashion, near the top of the pole,
when policeman happened to see her.
Miss Rossman is a native of Pecola.
Kans., and number of mem bers of her
family now reside there. When she first
began to walk in her sleep the attacks
were not frequent. and it was only after
she became resident of Denver that her
mania grew upon her. 1t is believed this
was due to the air that is found at the high
altitude in which Denver is located.
Physicians who have studied Miss Ross
mans case say that her trouble is largely
due to the sluggish condition of her blood.
During the time she is under the influence
of somnambulism her face is almost as
pale and cold as that of person who is
dead. She is certainly the most interest
ing sIeep-walker whose actions are re-
corded in medical history.