The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-03-21
SINGULAR DREAMING
TWO PECULIAR CASES or BRAIN Ac-
TlWTv IN SLEEP.

A Lawyer who Solved a Knotty
Problem ne couId Not Master
while Awake-An Exciting and Al
most Tragic Railway Journey.
An Edinburgh lawyer. a confirmed
somnarnbulist. went through a pecui-
lar experience some little time ago.
One evening. after dinner. be told his
wife that he had a most difficult law
case which would occupy him half the
night TO study cut For hours there
after he grappIed with its intricacses.
but finally desisted. saying it would
be Impossible 70 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 he went to bed. but in
d few minutes rose. and. seating him
self at his desk. wrote furiously for an
hour or more. Then. carefully folding
and indorsing the sheets he had writ
ten upon. he put them away IN pi-
geonhoIe ofehis desk. after which, with
Auk nG lEAuluE0 ~ LIZ DE-0
and slept soundly till late in the morn
ing
At breakfast he expressed some un-
certainty as TO his finding a solution"
His wife told him 10 look through his
desk. which he did. discovering the
paper be had written in the pigeon
hole where he had hidden it. As he
read Il JOY mingled with amazemeni
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-
inent.
Another extraordinary case is that OF
young man who. an hour or SO be-
rg-c starting on a railway journey. paid
4 visit TO steamer in which his par
enis were financially Interested. In
the course OF the. inspection he entered
tie little CHAMBER IN the bow Of the
vessel where the anchor chain is cOiied
and was Impressed by the chambers
smGllness and the cramped quarters il
A0AAl0 AAANAA a AAAs--A rtAN WV A. AANAN ~
supesiniend the paying ont Of the chain
In due course the iraveler went 10 the
railway station and engaged 4 snug
seat in the corner OF first class cOrri-
dor aud 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
be- imagined that be WAS awake aud.
moreover. that be was imprisoned IN
the little anchor chain compartment of
the steamer The vessel was under
way. be thought. and moving more rap
idly than he had ever known steamer
10 move before.
His FIRST idea was to 90 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 al the cost of an
lima ginary bumped head when he at
tempted 10 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 10 raise.
but. failing. determined TO break II.
thinking that he could seize the anchor
chain and by it's aid reach the deck.
There was only one way 10 smash the
glass. and that was by striking it with
his clinched fist. He knew that this
would result in 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 20 down any mo
ment. in which case he would be
drowned Ike u r:,i in a trap.
Having smashed the glass. be found
that lhc window was double. and he
distinctly remembers breaking the out
side pane. after which. with profusely
bleeding hands. he carefully picked out
the bits of glass remaining in the
sasbes. so that he could climb ont.
After removing the last remaining
fragment OF glass from the sash he
carefully thrust his head and arms out
and began 10 feel for the chain. II was
nowhere to be found. Then he pulled |
himself ha.f way out of tie window
and reached upward.
To his great joy. he found he could
reach over the edge OF the deck; but. 20
his dismay. ii was curved and smooth. |
Offering no projection whatever by
which he might pull himself up. That
being the case. and not wishing TO fall
into the water and be drowned. he
painfully drew back into the little
chamber. However. he must certainly
escape or be drowned. and after get
ting his breath he would make another
attempt TO reach the deck.
As he lay painting aud frightened he
accidentally reached in tie direction |
away from the headlight. To hi sur
prise he touched n swayinS window |
blind and the next moment he found |
himself lying on the floor OF the cOrri- |
dor of the oarushing train. with a win
dow down. through which he had evil |
IDENTIFY been trying TO reach the deck OF |
the imaginary steamer. The wonder
was he did not lose his grip and fall on
the line. 1t was bis fear OF being |
drowned that prevented him from be- |
ing killed on the Hallway. The Young /
fellow had long and serious illness
after his experience. and. strange to |
ray. when he recovered his somnambu- |
listic habit left thin--Wasbington Star. |
An Odd Coincidence.