Singular Freak of an Arkansas Sleep -Walker
Little Rock Gazette
April 24 , 1879
Transcribed by : Tina Easley
In the St. Francis River bottoms there lives a man named George H.
Toban, with a wife and a thirteen-year old son. One morning, just after the
yellow fevor excitement began to spread over the country, Mr. Toban,
upon opening his door, found a card lying on his door-step. On the card
were written the words quot; yellowfever. quot;
Very little attention was paid to the matter, but when again and again similar
cards were found Mr. Toban became concerned, and not being clear of
superstition he regarded the cards as a warning of an approach of the terrible
disease. Every night he would read gloomy reports from Memphis, and
every morning found the card, quot;yellow fever. quot; Finally he determined to
watch and satisfy himself, and on the doorstep remained all night. No one
appeared, but when the darkness was dispelled by the streaks of daylight he
saw a card lying on the step beside him. Catching it up aud examining it,
he saw the words, quot;yellowfever quot; written in exactly the same hand that had
marked the cards before. Then there was indeed anxiety in the family.
The fever reports grew gloomier, and the family settled into the belief that
Providence, by a hand writing on cards ,
had advised flight. The husband did not know what to do , the wife was
frightened into a terror that trembled at every sound as though yellow fever
walked with noisy footsteps, and the son was almost dumb with fright. It
was at last decided that a vacation of the place would be necessary.
But a change came, and the mystery like mist cleared up. On the night before
the proposed departure the husband, unable to sleep, sat on the bedside,
weak with dread. Suddenly the door opened and his son, in night
attire, stood in the room. The father, influenced by a sudden feeling,
did not speak. The boy advanced to the mantel-piece, took down a pencil
and a card, wrote something on it, and then, advancing to the door, slipped it
under. The father watched breathlessly, and when the boy started to leave
the room caught him. The boy struggled, gasped and awoke. He'did not
know nor could he understand why he stood there grasped by his father. The
wife sprang out of bed. A few words explained all, and when the door was
opened there was the card bearing the words, quot;yellowfever. quot; The young
man in his early youth had exhibited signs of somnambulism, and reading
every day tho yellow fever reports to the family no doubt influenced his acts.
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