Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 September 1878 — Never Caught Napping. [ARTICLE]

Never Caught Napping.

The Erie (Penn.) Dispatch describes as follows a scene'in one of the courts of that city: “An elderly gentleman was on the witness-stand, and seemed to be exceedingly anxious to convince the court and jury that he possessed uncommon watchfulness at night, declaring that he was always aroused from slumber by the slightest noise in his room. One of the attorneys, in cross-examining the witness, asked if it was not a fact that he was not a great and sound sleeper. ‘ I don’t think I am,’ was the reply. ‘ But do you not sometimes fall asleep at the dining-table ?’ ‘ Sometimes when I am tired I fall into a doze,’ was the reply; ‘ but that does not prevent my going on with the dinner, as I know what is going on all the time ?’ ‘Well,’ said the attorney, ‘you are the most remarkable man I ever heard of. I suppose you sometimes sleep when you are walking?’ ‘I don’t know that that I can say that exactly,’ rejoined he, ‘ but I will tell you what I have done. When I was a boy and used to go to spelling-school, I used to get into a sleeping fit, but would keep right along, and spell the whole school down in the end.’ ‘Possible!’said the attorney. ‘Tndeed it is; and many a good nap have I had when I have been milking my cows. So you see that, although asleep, it is hard work to catch me.’ ‘ I should say so,’ replied the counsel. ‘ I think we don’t want anything more of you; you seem to know a great deal more when asleep than when awake.’ ”