SOMNAMBULISM EXTRAORDINARY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume v, Issue 232, 12 October 1877, Page 7

SOMNAMBULISM EXTRAORDINARY.

A case of more than ordinary interest occurred a day or two ago on a Pullman palace car upon a South-going train on the Iron Mountain road. The subject was a young man 16 years of age, son of Mr. Hanglin, Master Mechanic on the Texas Pacific road, and residing at Marshal, Texas. Young Hanglin, in charge of his mother, was returning home from St. Louis, where he had been at school the past year. His mother knowing his somnambulistic inclinations, and of their special development in the excitement of travelling, before retiring for the nignt, communicated the Bame to the conductor, and expressed he* fears for his safety. Captain Robb, the conductor, at once relieved her fears by making his porter watchman, and assigning him a position where egress from the berth of the excitable youth could beob. SIHSuT^ ht^ OT^. on ' rmd aU WM <*Met: still the porter "watchful vigil kept." The mother, wakeful from solicitnde for he* son, even though so well guarded, felt impelled to look in upon him," to satisfy her foolish fears that all was well," and took oppor. turuty upon the temporary stopping of the train at a station. Imagine her horror at finding his bed vacated, the berta without its occupant. The shrieks of the now distracted mother aroused her fellow-passengers, and called officers and employees of the car to herside. Diligent search was made throughout the long train to satisfy the mother only, for the quick eye of the conductor detected at once the open window of the youth's section, and wa« ?w ««» "tokening conviction of a violent death, and to the belief tnat all that was left the mother of her son was a mutilated body. He concealed, however, his convictions, desiring by continued hopealternating with her fears during the short time before hit fate must be known, to break, in a measure, the great shock awaiting her. A hand-car and men were provided to make with her search for tha lost youth. The journey was made in silence and dread, each moment expectant that their worst fears would be realized. At length the whole route (from the place where he retired) was travelled without discovery or sign of remains. Hope brightened in the possible chance of his haying escaped at a station on the way, and they turned southward again, halting to make inquiry at every station where a stop had been made. At length at a country house by the way where music, dancing, and merry-making was the order of the night, they were hailed with the enquiry if they knew anything of a lost boy. Entering the cabin, the youth was found, though not in full party dress, quite unconcerned and enjoying fully the rustic festival and dance. A "section hand on his way to the dance found the youngman in hi* night attire, sound asleep by the track, apparently as he had dropped from the train. He was aroused with difficulty from his sound nap, and found to be without injury or scratch from his fall, and without knowledge even of his leap from, or having been left by the flying ♦ n '« *t*i / pot here he was found the ™» running at th« rate of thirty-five miles per hour.— St. Louis MepulUcan.