The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-04-12
HE WAS ASLEEP
J. L. Horner Mistaken
For Burglar.
Young Hawaiian SomnambuIist En-
tiers Anothef's Room and is
Cut by the Occupant.

J. Louis Horner. grandson OF John
NJ. Horner. the manager OF Kukaiau
plantation on Hawaii, is lying at the
home of his cousin. NJ. S. Hamilton, in
Oakland, California, painfully wound
ed. While in a somnambuistic trance
the night of April 1, he crawled
through another lodgeris window and
was stabbed several times before he
awoke and disclosed his identity. The
Call of April gives the details of the
unfortunate affair as follows:
]. Louis Horner, clerk in the Office
OF Attorneys Foote d Lerman, Is a
somnamDulIst on a small scale, and 1t
Led him into a serious scrape early
yesterday morning. Horner resides at
$40 Bush street, and William K. Toll
yer, a cierk in the Coast and Geodetic
Survey office, occupies the adjoining
room. The two men were strangers to
each other.
About o'clock yesterday morning
Tower was awakened from a sound
sleep by the efforts of some one try
ing 10 Iorce open the window of his
II.
DIS his room is on the second slory, and
Immediately jumped TO the conclusion
that a burglar was at work. lie CROP
ed for something with which to defend
himself and picked up his pocketknife,
which was on table near the bed. lie
opened the large blade and jumped
ouI OF bed. The intruder had by TINS
time forced the window open and was
crawling through. Toiiver rushed up
on him and made slash at MIN win
the knife, cutting him on the left tenn
pie. The man threw his left arm up
20 protect his face and Toliver slashed
the arm and the blade swept down
and cut the mans lip. The man then
yelled out: For Gods sake, don't
cut me again; I'm the fellow that lives
in the next ROOM"
The intruder was Horner attired in
his underclothes, and Toiiver dragged
him inside. Not word was said. Toll
lver supported Horner to his room, but
found the door locked, the key being
On the inside. Just then Horner saint-
ed and Toliver dressed himself hur-
riedly and ran out Of the house in
search of a physician. AS he was
dashing down to Suffer street he was
accosted by Policeman Mulcahey, who
asked him where he was going.
Il am running for a doctor, as l have
cut man in my room," replied Toll
yer.
Mulcahey returned with him to the
house, and after seeing Horner rang in
for the ambulance. Horner was taken
20 the Receiving Hospital, where DIR.
Cherry stitched and dressed his
wounds. None Is dangerous, but the
one On the lett arm is about six inches
long.
Mulcahey took Toliver to the City
Prison, but no charge was booked
against him, and ne was allowed 20 SIT
on the bench in front of the desk SER
geant. Captain Seymour detailed De-
tective Cody on the case and he report
ed the facts as related. The extraordi-
nary feature Of the ai1air was how Hor-
ner managed TO crawi from his window
TO Tolivers without falling to the
street. In front of both windows is
edge about two feet broad and be-
tween the two windows, a distance OF
four or five feet, is a small ledge about
six inches broad, which Horner had to
pass over before reaching TOWERS
window. Horner in speaking of the az
fair said:
Il went home between IL and
o'clock this morning and went lmme-
diately to bed. / always sleep in my
underclo,hes. / remembered nothing
till / got cut on my left arm and yelled
out that / lived in the next room. l
suppose l must have got up in my
sleep. l have done it previously, but
never got outside my room. / don't
b.ame the man who cut me, as / would
have done the same thing under the
same circumstances"
Toliver said he could think of moth
ing else except that the man was a
burglar and he had to defend himself.
Il was SO excited" he said, that it
was lucky for HOrner he cried out
when / cut him the second time, as /
would have continued 10 cut him and
might have murdered him. / am sorry
| for it, but l am not to blame"
Captain Seymour reported the facts
| to Chief Sullivan and the Chief in
/ structed him to take Toliver before
Judge Conan, who was holding court
| for the disposal of the DRINKS" Toll
yer related his story to the Judge, who
| decided that no charge could be placed
| against him under the circumstances,
and allowed him to go after exacting a
promise that he would be in court at
noon today, for fear Horner's wounds
might take serious turn.
In the afternoon Toliver called at
the Receiving Hospital to see Horner.
Il was the first time they had met and
they looked at each other curiously for
a moment, then Homer held out his
hand, which was instantly grasped by
Toliver. Horner relieved Toliver's
mind by saying he did not blame him,
and they chatted together for some
time. In the afternoon Horner was
taken from the hospital by NJ. S. Ham
ilton, his cousin. to his home in Oak
land. Horner was to have appeared
before the Civil Service Commission
ers today for examination.
Young Horner is a graduate OF Oahu
College and has wide circle OF ac-