At another time he worked in a lumber-yard in
a rain-storm while asleep. Again, when about twenty-one, he was
seen in a mill-pond wading about attempting to save his sister
who he imagined was drowning. The worst phase of his somnambulism
was the impending fears and terrible visions to which he was
subjected. Sometimes he would imagine that the house was on fire
and the walls about to fall upon him, or that a wild beast was
attacking his wife and child; and he would fight, screaming
inarticulately all the while. He would chase the imaginary beast
about the room, and in fact had grasped one of his companions,
apparently believing he was in a struggle with a wild beast. He
had often injured himself in these struggles, and had often
attacked his father, his wife, sister, fellow-lodgers, and while
confined in jail he attacked one of his fellow-prisoners. His
eyes would always be wide open and staring; he was always able to
avoid pieces of furniture which were in his way, and he
occasionally threw them at his visionary enemies. At the time of
the murder of his child, in a somnambulistic attack, he imagined
that he saw a wild beast rise up from the floor and fly at his
child, a babe of eighteen months.
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