The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1900-01-22
SINGULAR DREAMING
TWO PECULIAR CASES OF BRAIN AC-
1iVl1Y IN SLEEP.

Problem He Could Not Master
While Awake-An Exciting and Al
most Tragic Railway Journey.
An Edinburgh lawyer, 4 confirmed
somnambulist. went through Il pecul-
lar experience some little time ago.
One evening, after dinner. he told his
wife that lie had a most difficult law
ease which would occupy him half the
night to study out. For hours there
after he grappled with its intricacies.
but finally desisted. saying it would
be impossible to make his brief until
morning. since the case presented some
difficulties that he had been unable to
master.
lie fell asleep from exhaustion al
most as soon as h. went to bed, but in
a few minutes rose. and, seating HIM
self at his desk. wrote %furiously for al
hour or more. Then, carefully folding
and indorsing the sheets he had writ
ten upon, he put them away in a pi-
Ceonhole Of his desk. after which. With
out speaking, he returned to his bed
and slept soundly till late in the morn
ing.
At breakfast he expressed some I'M
certainty as to his Finding a solution
His wife told him to look through his
desk. which he did. discovering the
paper he had written in b pigeon
hole where he had hidden it. AS he
read it JOY mingled with amazement
showed plainly in his face, for the pa
per was a clearly reasoned, correctly
phrased brief on the intricate case.
with all the obscure points smoothed
out! He had not the slightest recol-
lection of having written the docu-
ment.
Another extraordinary case is that of
a young man who. an hour or so be-
fore starting on a railway journey, paid
q visit to q steamer in which his par
ents were financially interested. In
the course Of the inspection he entered
the little chamber in the bow of the
vessel where the anchor chain is cOiled
and was impressed by the chambers
smallness and the cramped quarters it
would afford a maj sent down there to
superintend the paying out Of the chain.
In due course the traveller went to the
railway station and engaged a snug
seat in the corner Of a first class corri-
dor and sleeping carriage. He had the
compartment to himself. The train
had not been long on its journey before
the young man was sound asleep. But
he imagined that be was awake and.
moreover. that he was imprisoned in
the little anchor chain compartment of
the steamer. The vessel was under
way, he thought, and moving more rap
idly thar he had ever known a steamer
to move before.
His first idea was to 60 on deck at
once. but he could not get out of the
cell-like chamber. He could not stand
erect even, the compartment was so
little. as he found out at the cost of an
imaginary bumped head when he at
tempted to rise. Then, to his surprise,
he found that the room had a window,
evidently a dead light, but square and
unusually large. This he tried to raise,
but, failing. determined to break it,
thinking that he could seize the anchor
chain and by its aid reach the deck.
There was only one way to smash the
glass, and that was by striking it with
his clinched fist. He knew that this
would result in a cut hand probably,
but he risked it all the same for he felt
certain now that the vessel was in a
Storm and likely to go down any mo-
-. to- .-l;1l a.1 H. ,-l.I1 L.
drowned like a rat in q trap.
Having smashed the glass, lie found
that the window vas double. and he
distinctly remembers breaking the out
side pane, after which. with profusely
bleeding hands. he carefully picked out
the bits Of glass remainin. in the
sasles. SO that he could climb out.
After removing the last remaining
fragment Of glass from the sash he
carefully thrust his head and arms Out
and began to feel for the chain. 1t was
nowhere to be found. Then he pulled
himself half way ont Of the window
and reached upward.
70 his great Joy. he found he coult
reach eve the edge Of the deck; but. IL
lis diSrnav. it was curved and smooth
Offering 10 projection whatever by
which he mi-!t pull himself up. Tha,
betty tie case. and not wishing to fall
into H." water and be drowned. he
painfully drew back into the little
chamber. However, lie must certainly
cscap" or he drowned. and after get
ting his breath he would make another
attempt to reach the deck.
AS he lay painting and frightened he
accidentally reached in the direction
away from the headlight. To his sur
prise. be touched a swaying window
blind. and the mex moment he foun(
himself lying on the floor of the CORR
dor Of the onrushing train, with a win
dow down. through which he had evi
IDENTIFY been trying to reach the deck o.
the imaginary steamer. The wonder
WAS he did not lose his grip and fall OF
the line. 1t was his fear Of bein:
drowned that prevented him from be
ing killed on the railway. The youn:
fellow had a long and serious Hines.
after his experience. and. strange t.
say. when he recovered his somnambu
.listic habit left him.-Washington Star
An Odd Coincidence