The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1913-06-20
Observation-Disclosures
HotO He Found
Sleep.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Gy sALLIE MENpEEm.

- w ~ "ltuOuI WdklnS any DOu.
up and getting away between midnigh
and dawn, when the cops are mos
drowsy. While l was doing a Job
thought Of nothing except my worl
and Twas both cool and watchfuI.
wasn't one Of those blokes who scar,
people to death or who are ready il
necessary to add murder to robbery
The truth is 1 never liked the prospect
Of facing either charge.
AS I was saying, while engaged al
my work, however dangerous. | was
steady as monument, but when dan
ger had passed and had nothing to dc
but think l went downhill very fast
What. bothered me most was that
couldn't sleep nights-that is, wher
comfortably slowed away in bed. ]
once took nap in a gentleman's par
Tor and was only Weakened by the sun
coming up and shining In my eyes. ]
just got out in time to save myself.
But when lying on q soft mattress,
with warm covers and no chance of
being disturbed. sleep wouldn't come
to me. | lay awake thinking Of the
time when I would hear prison doors
clang behind me. Tho thought was
dreadful. I'm afraid I was too fine
grained for the business.
Month after month my hours of
sleep grew less till l feared insanity.
One night woke up at midnight after
having slept two hours and knew there
would be no more slumber for me till
the next time l went to bed. l was so
desperate that l got up with the in
tention of going into some house where
1 had no right and there snatch an
other couple of hours sleep. i had a
crib In view, a small house with not
much In it. But I was looking for
sleep, not plumber. / went there, took
out pane of glass, entered and went
upstairs to find place to settle down.
l stood I'm n dark hall looking into
room where a night lamp was burning.
In the room woman was in bed with
a child, both asleep. The child was
sleeping on the front of the bed, very
near the edge. He was boy and,
think, about five years old.
On narrow lower bed, close beside
the other, slept another child, girl OF
about three. She was sleeping in the
center of her bed on her side and had
her chubby fist up against her fat
cheek. 1t was hot summer weather
and none Of them except the woman
had any covers whatever.
What interested me was that the
boys head was hanging over the side
Of his bed and so much of his, body,
too, that 1t looked to me as If be vsas
about TO fall. He was restless. and I
knew he would be over very soon.
Somehow 1 wanted to see him fall,
though l kept in the dark so that he
wouldn't see me If he woke up. The
next kick he inside sent him over. 40
fell couple Of feet, but didn't wake
up. He landed partly on the little girl,
but she didn't wake up either. 1 ex.
pected she wofld, as she moaned once
or twice in her sleep and turned over.
but finally she slept as peac~fully as
before
1t was such a delightful picture to
one suffering from insomnia that
kept on watching the children. The
boy continued, his kicking and crowded
the girl. pushing her, with every move |
to the front edge OF her bed. 1t must /
have been half an hour that he kept [
this up, when there was thump, and |
the girl lay on the floor. But she
seemed to be rs comfortable there as
on her bed. At any rate. she showed
not the least sign Of waking.
Meanwhile I heard the muttering OF
distant thunder, and while was look.
Ing ut them all there came ono terrific
crash loud enough TO wake the dead.
The mother turned over. but neither
OF the children. moved. Then followed
one crash after another, and 1 expect
cd that ut least the mother would
wake up and take look ut her chill
dren. But she slept on. She must have
been very tired or had lost n lot OF
sleep or She couldn't have slept
through those terrible bolts. Never
bad l heard such thunder before.
The only effect the storm had on any
or them was to increase the restless
hNsN VI Aht 10Y. ne EOllcu anu IuIQ-
bled In his sleep like a ship tossed by
The waves. sometimes lying for a few
minutes close against his mothers bed,
then rolling over TO the outer edge OF
his own. l was sure he'd in time tum-
bic out OF this bed, as he had out OF
The other, and l was bound to see him
10 1t. Sure enough. before l expected
{ he gave lurch and landed plumb
On top OF his sister.
Neither of them awOke.
/ reckon women know in their sleep
what's going on with their children,
'or, now that the storm was over and
everything was still as the tomb. the
mother sat up in bed. glanced ut her
got upeand put them in their
proper places. Then she went back to
ped herself and was asleep in a mo-
nent
well" | said TO myself, eff that's
what a clear conscience will furnish
I'm going to have n clear conscience"
went back TO my room resolved new