Middletown transcript., 1900-02-24
SINGULAR DREAMING
TWO PECULIAR CASES or BRAIN Ac-
TIvlTY iN SLEEP.

.
A Lawyer who solved q Knotty
Problem He Gould Not Master
While Avvale-An Exciting and Al
most Tragic Railway Journey.
An Edinburgh lawyer, a confirmed
somnambplist, went through a pecul.
lar experience some little time ago.
One evening, after dinner, he told his
wife that be had a most difficult law
case which would occupy him half the
night to study out. For hours there
after he grappled with its intricacies,
but finally iesisted, saying 1t would
be impossible to make his brief until
morning since the case presented some
difficulties that he had been unable to
master.
He fell asleep from exhaustion al
most as soon as he went to bed, but In
a few minutes rose, and, seating him
self at his desk, wrote furiously for an
hour or more. Then, carefully folding
and indorstng the sheets he had writ
ten upon, he put them away in a pi-
geonhole 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 un-
certainty as to his finding solution"
His wife told him to look through his
desk, which he did, discovering the
paper he had written in the 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 q 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 railway journey, paid
a visit to 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 man 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 first class cerri-
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 he 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 than he had ever known steamer
to move before.
His first idea was to go on deck at
once, but he could not get out of the
:ell-like chamber. He could not stand
,rect even, the compartment was so
title, as he found out at the cost of an
bumped head when he at
empted to rise. Then, to his surprise,
le found that the room had a window,
evidently dead light, but square and
large. This he tried to raise,
'ut, failing, determined to break 1t,
linking that he could seize the anchor
hahn and by its aid reach the deck.
There was only one way to smash the
lass, and that was by striking it with
is clinched fist. He knew that this
7ould result In a cut hand probably,
ut he risked it all the same, for he felt
ertain now that the vessel was In
torn and likely to go down any mo-
lent, in which case he would be
rowned like rat in trap. =
Having smashed the glass, he found
nat the window was double, and he
istfnctly remembers breaking the out-i
de pane, after which, with profuselyl
leeding hands, he carefully picked out
1e bits of glass remaining in the
ashes, so that he could climb out.
After removing the last remaining
Of glass from the sash he
lrefully thrust his head and arms out
Id began to feel for the chain. It was
,where to be found. Then he pulled
mself half way out OF the window
I'd reached upward.
To his great JOY. he found he coufss 49,
ach over the edge OF the deck: but. to
8 dismay, It was curved and smooth.
fering no projection whatever by
lfch he might pull himself up. That
ing the case, and not wishing to falI
to the water and be drowned. he
infully drew back into the little
amber. However, he must certainly
APE or be drowned, and after get
g his breath be would make another
empt to reach the deck.
Is he lay painting and frightened he
:identally reached in the direction,
ay from the headlight. To his sur
Sc. he touched a swaying window
nd, and the next moment he found
nself lying on the door of the cerri-
Of the. onrushing train. with a win
v down, through which he had evf-
ltiy been trying to reach the deck OF
imaginary steamer. The wonder
ne did not lose his grip and fall on
hne.s It was bis fear Of being
wned that prevented him from be.
killed on the railway. The 5youne
ow had a long and serious Illness
sr his experiences. and, strange to
, when be recovered his sofananbu-
Ic habit left him.-W Washington. Star.
4ysTte.k VS.. -.