Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-08-03
20 YEARS WITHOUT SLEEP.
Man Did Not Have Night of Stun.
Der in Two Decades.

Der in Two Decades.
Hockettstown On. j. 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 family of seven brothers
and 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 ne 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 fash 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 ne
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 1t increased, and
for 10 years Wire suffered torrents
from being unable to sleep But,
strangely, his health remained unim-
paired. His sleeping hours grew
shorter and shorter and again ne
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 a cure.
Flnany Wire learned to do with
out any sleep whatever. To rest his
bndxy ba mould lfn fn- -ox,orol hf,t,rc
on couch, but his eyes always re-
NAMED wide open and his brain ap
parently always as active. He frankly
told his friends of his affliction, 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 Il 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 ac-
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 not
sleep in the daytime or any other
time, how can he be relied upon to
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 to
lscorn because we employed a man
who never sleeps to flag our trains,
Thus AIonzo Wires insomnia lost
him mis- 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, a job for a
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" The only effect of his inabil-
ity to take his rest as other per
sons take theirs was decrease OF
few pounds in his weight.
After serving his township for sew
eral years and having saved enough
TO keep him comfortably. Wire re-
tired and lived in sleepless peace
with his wife and daughter. Even
during his recent illness Bis brain
never stopped working. but his ply.
sieians said that did not seem TO
make his lung trouble worse. Gradu-
ally howe his condition became
worse. and his eyes closed for the
last time, he called his wife to his
side
The Lord be praised!" he wis
pered. I'm going to sleep at last.
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TELL me. requested the foreign so
&