SLEEP-WALKING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1799, 9 March 1918, Page 4

SLEEP-WALKING.

CURIOUS CHRISTCHURCH CASE. « An unusual case of sleep-walking' (says the Lyttelton Timers) occurred in Christchurch mtlie very early hours 'one morning last week, the chief actors being tlm somnambulist, a young lady of about 27, a constable, and a taxi-driver. The constable was patrolling the Colombo Street. block from Cook and Ross’ Corner southwards, at about 2 a.m., \yhen he noticed a woman walking alone through Cathedral Square. He was struck by the fact that she was alone, and was puzzled to know whether she could have been attending a dance. So as not to frighten her, as she continued to walk in his direction, ■ he stepped out into the road, and then he noticed that she Avas Avearing no hat, and had nothing on but a long chemise and shoes, but, no stockings'. He came to the concluclusion at once that the woman Avas a somnambulist, and realising that it Aviv's dangerous to suddenly Avaken anyone in such a condition, he decided to keep her under close Avatch. He therefore vvalked closely alongside her. They Avent up Colombo Street northwards, when a young man, walking home from a night job, sighted the young lady, and,,to use his oAA’ii Avords, was on the point of taking to his heels when he also saw the constable. He called out in some alarm: “Who is that lady, constable?”

“It’s all right,” said the constable, “she is Avalking in her sleep, and it Avould be dangerous to waken her.” The young lady walked on over the Colombo Street Bridge with the cons'table close behind. Possibly there is something in the theory that a sleep-walker \ cannot cross run-, ning water, for on reaching the other side the young lady paused and sAvayed, and the constable was just up in time to catch her as she collapsed. He put his greatcoat around her, and in a few seconds she seemed to waken up, ay if out of a sleep, and soon regained absolute normality.

Immediately ou coming to conseiy ousness the young lady “1 have lost the hey of the house.” This was. not so/ however, for the constable' had found it in her hand, and had taken it from her after he caught her. He reassured her about the key, and she was greatly relieved,'for it appeared that in her sleep she had made her way out of the house, unlocking the front door and locking it again quietly bcjjitfd her, The constable summoned a taxi, and (Jrovy the young lady home, where she was able to in quietly with (he key. life distance she had walked was possibly a mile, and the strange thing is that she encountered nobody but the constable. The young lady was not subject to sleep-walking, although she was supposed to have walked once in her sleep when a child. Enquiries on the following day showed that she had suffered no ill-effects from her nocturnal walk.