Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1859 — A Case of Somnambulism--A Thriling Incident. [ARTICLE]

A Case of Somnambulism--A Thriling Incident.

[From the Detroit Free Press.

An incident of thrilling and almost terrible interest, combining in itself all the palpitating chances of hair-breadth escapes and the strange, romantic ventures of that weird semblance of life, somnambulism, occurred nigh before last. Th“ scene of this unusual episode was on Catharine-street, at the residence of Mr. Israel Moreton, a gentleman in whose veracity we have entire confidence, and from whose lips we received the statement of particulars. At about half-past two o’clock in the morning, he was awakened by a knocking : t the front door of his residence, and upon answering the call, found a man on the steps, who, in a very incoherent and excited manner, requested him to walk across the street and look at the top of his house. The propo-i----tion was so strange that he declined, and stood irresolute for a few moments, and was about retiring again, suspicions of foul play, when his eye caught a moving shadow on, the front ol the opposite house, cast by the moon, which was shining dimly through the fleecy clouds of a gathering equinoctial storm. It indicated that some moving, living thing was walking noiselessly along the narrow ridge of his roof, and, as he looked at its slow creeping motion, an indefinable chill crept over him. The shadow stoleacross the front of the opposite building, and was lost for a moment in the darkness, and then crept into a view again, returning in an opposite direction, with the same slow, gliding motion. His companion had regained the opposite sidewalk, and stood gazing up in silence, seemingly struck speechless with horror, and with trembling steps Mr. Moreton gained his side and turned his eyes in the same direction. Kis consternation may h® Imagined when his gaze fell up.,;, [he form of a human being, shrouded from head to foot in a long white night-dress, about which a mass of long hair, which gleamed darkly in the moonbeams, fell in wild confusion. This spectral foi m passed slowly to and fro on the narrow ridge-board which covered the apex of the roof, approaching' in frightful proximity to the abrupt termination at the ends, and calmly turning about to retrace the distance, alway with the same unfaltering step and easy, gliding motion. The house was a high one, and a misstep ora step to far, would have plunged the night walker down to certain destruction—as also would a casual sound, the shout of a midnight reveler, or the crow of a morning cock. The walker was a woman, and, as as she moved back and forth, she occasionally raised her hand to her head, as though engaged in thought or troubled with pain. The head never moved to the right or left, up or down, but always maintained the same position, erect, straight as a statue. A chimney stood directly in the middle of the roof, around which she passed with ease, placing one hand upon its top, and walking down the sloping roof to get around. Once in this spectral walk she paused at the edge of the roof, and, before turning, looked straight out ahead into the black night, as if peering beyond mortal vision, into some mysterious realm. A waving movement of the right hand accompanied this act, which lasted but a moment, when the walk was again renewed, and the light shadow passed across the faces of the. spell-bound gazers as she hid the moon for an instant from their sight. I he same spot was reached again a few moments after, when the figure again paused, and again gazed out into the darkness, and then with a .slow motion, stretched out a hand, and with outspread fingers clutched at something which had no existence except in the fevered mind of the sleeper. The other hand extended in like manner, and the'body went forward in such a way that the upper portion hung over the abyss, while the fingers reached out, out, until there was do further reaching, and then clutched again with a quick, convulsive snatch, and wore withdrawn. The form was motionless a moment; and then commenced its walk again, continuing as Eras the middle of the roof, when it turned toward the rear of the house, and, moving down the slope of the roof, was lost to sight. Mr. Moreton, vv bile witnessing this scene, had recognized the features and form’ of his servant-girl, a young female n>’ about eighteen, named Jane Mooney. With a leeiing of indescribable re iel he saw her disappear, and knew that she had descended a skylight to the garret and to her own room. Hastening in, he aroused his wife, and went with her to the girl’s room, and found her sitting

on the side of the bed, wide awake, and in a state of mind bordering on distraction. She had no knowledge of the occurrence, but -bad been awakened by the noise of her employer entering the house, and found herself standing in the middle of her own room in the condition described. That the results were no worse was a matter of devout thankfulness to all within that house. The girl had been suffering from a brainfever, from which she was gradually recovering, which undoubtedly caused this dangerous freak. She has no knowledge of my thing of the kind having occurred previously, and will be well watched in future, as she is highly esteemed. It was a thrilling adventure with a happy result.