Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-07-28
20 YEARS WITHOUT SLEEP.
Man Did Not Have a Night of Stun.
Der in Two Decades.

Man Did Not Have Night of Stun.
Der in Two Decades.
Hockettstown IN. - Cor. New
York Press-Alonzo Wire, once
Chief of Police of this place, fell
asleep two nights ago for the first
time in 20 years. Today he is dead
in his home mere, not having re-
turned to consciousness since his
eyes closed. The end came last
evening, apparently from an affection
of the lungs and the bronchial tubes.
Up to the time he became i'll, about
three weeks ago, Wire was in per-
feet health, despite his unrefuted as
sertion that his eyes have not closed
in sleep for 20 years. He was the
first of a family of seven brothers
and a sister to die.
Thirty years ago Alonzo Wire was
farm hand employed by one of
the wealthy farmers in this vicinity.
One hot summer day he was driving
team of horses drawing loads of
new-mown hay from the meadows TO
the barns. A thunder storm came
up suddenly, and everybody ran to
shelter except Wire, who was obliged
to stay with his frightened horses.
AS he stood at the animals heads
there was a flash of lightning. He
/ held the brides in his hand.
When he revived he found the
horses stunned and half dead from
the effects of the bolt. He soon no.
ticed, too, that he had become deaf.
From that time on Wire was differ
ent from any other human being me
ever had heard of. He went to many
ear specialists, but none of them
could relieve his deafness. So he
resigned himself to his fate and
| learned the deaf and dumb alphabet.
BY the time he reached the letter 2
his deafness had disappeared, and
his hearing has been perfect since.
Then the insomnia began.
Year after year it increased, and
for 10 years Wire suffered torments
from being unable to sleep. But,
strangely, his health remained tnim-
paired. His sleeping hours grew
shorter and shorter and again me
consulted many specialists. Almost
every physician had a different the
DRY about what the electric stroke
had done to his system, but none
could suggest cure.
Finary Wire learned to do with
out any sleep whatever To rest his
body he would lie for several hours
on a couch, but mis- eyes always re
manned wide open and his brain ap,
parently always as active. He frankly
told his friends of his affection, and
several physicians who doubted his
word put him to extreme tests. Those
tests, however, never served to make
the man sleep.
1t is only for the last IA years
that Wires malady has been known
outside of his home. Although he
said he had not slept in six years
before, the outside world knew no
thing of it. When newspaper &C
counts and magazine articles on the
) subject Of his sleeplessness first ex
cited wide interest Wire was EN-
ployed as night flagman on the Lack
awanna Railroad. The Directors OF
that road read the stories about their
employee with great alarm, and his
, case received special attention.
IF it's true this man does moi
sleep in the daytime or any other
time, how can he be relied upon tc
perform his duties properly?" IN
quired one of the board.
Suppose a wreck were TO occur
on our system said another, "the
whole country would hold us up tc
scorn because we employed a mar
who never sleeps to flag our trains
II Thus Alonzo Wires insomnia Iosl
him. his railroad job. Thereupon be
entered politics, and, not finding Il
necessary to waste time in slumber
he soon became a power in the com
munity. Eventually he was appointed
to be Chief of Police, job for q
real wide-awake man. No crook ever
bothered Hackettstown much in the
period that it had "the only Police
Chief who always keeps both eyes
open" Tho only effeot Of mis- inabiI