ANOTHER SLEEP-WALKER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1276, 15 March 1918, Page 3

ANOTHER SLEEP-WALKER.

AN EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT. WITNESSED BY MANY PEOPLE. There has been quite an epidemic of insomnia and sleep-walking in Christchurch. Two cases have been recently reported in the newspapers, and a third extraordinary incident of a similar kind occurred last night. The circumstances were almost identical with those of the two previous cases, the only difference being that the incident happened at a later hour, and so was witnessed by a larger number of people than was the case in the other instances reported. A lady and gentleman returning home about 11.30 last evening were startled and amazed when there issued from the gate of a large house in the west end of the town a white-robed, ghost-like figure, the uncanny effect being enhanced by the flowing black hair that fell over the shoulders of the apparition. The lady observer was much upset, and would have fallen but for the supporting arm of her husband. Recovering, they followed the figure along several streets until Victoria Street was reached. Here the attention of several other passers-by w r as attracted, and quite a little crowd followed. The strange pro-1 cession went on over the Victoria Street bridge, which the sleep-walker crossed despite the prevalent opinion that it is impossible for a somnambulist to cross running water, on to Colombo Street, through Cathedral Square, and south past Cashel Street. Presently the figure was seen to stop, and some of the spectators, going nearer, saw that she was fumbling with the door of the Universal Fish Supply premises. A closer view showed the lady who had first witnessed the apparition that the spectre was none other than an intimate friend of her own, a young lady who kept house for her father, brothers, and sisters. She approached her friend gently, and asked her what troubled her. She answered, with apparent normal intelligence, that she had nothing for breakfast, and had come to buy some fish. She had been in the shop that day for fish, but owing to the crowd had not been able to complete her purchase. It was suggested to her that the shop was now closed, that she should return home, and come again in the morning. She was obdurate, however, and refused to go without her fish. A policeman w r ho had by this time joined the spectators then took it upon himself to communicate with the manager of the Universal Fish Supply by telephone, and that gentleman very kindly promised to come down and open the shop. This he did, and revealed a very fine display of fish, including groper, soles, fresh-water eels, moki, ling, butterfish, kingfish, skate, gurnet, and oysters, all ready for to-day’s business. The lady seemed immensely pleased with the display, remarking that it was the finest, largest, and most varied she had ever seen in Christchurch. She always purchased from the Universal because the fish was always so fresh and clean, as well as cheaper, than elsewhere in the town. She selected a piece of groper, paid for it, and, accompanied by her lady friend, went her way. Inquiries made this morning showed that the sleep-walker was none the worse for her outing, though she remembered nothing of it. As a result of the incident, however, there was a great run on the Universal’s supply of fish to-day, and the number served yesterday (1000) will probably be exceeded to-day, as the supply is larger and cheaper. /.7