The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-01-10
THE PIE-MAN AND THE BARBER.

In recent publication, relating to various noted
Partisan localities, the following incidents connect
ed with house erected as long ago as 1873 are
given.
1t was located in the Rue des Marmouzets, one
of the narrowes and thiest streets, rather lanes
in the old city, but considered very good street
indeed in the fourteenth century, though it was as
narrow then, and fthier by far In the house
then existing that spot, barber kept his shop,
and pie man kept his. The character of the one
and of the other stood high, both morally and pro-
fessionay. The pie-man, in particular, was es-
teemed for his industry and skill pork pies in
all the city were thought so good as his and he
prepared them almost entirely with his own hands,
for on the ground that he did not wish to divulge
the secret Of his superiority, the single apprentice
he had was employed only in the manipulation of
the crust As for his neighbor, the barber, he
shaved and he bled to the perfect satisfaction of all
his patients; and besides welding the razor and
the lancet, he kept vapor baths SO excelently we'll
manage, that at break Of day, soon as his men
began to bawl along the Streets customers would
crowd into his premises fast that all the accom-
modations there afforded were occupied at once
The pe-man and his neighbor were, as we have
said, in great repute, and so they long continued,
in spite of the Rue DIES Marmouzets having latter
ly acquired rather bad character, for evil rumors
con corning it had begun to circulate; it was said
it; their cries for help and of despair had been
heard; blood had been seen in the gutter, and it
could scarcely have proceeded from the phleboto-
MIXING Of the barber, who knew well that he would
have been heavily fined if he had thrown the
blood so issuing anywhere but into the river. So
the reputation of the street grew worse and worse;
but still the barber md the pie man prospered.
One evening, all was explained.
scream was Heard from the BARRIERS shop, and
presently German student, who had entered 1T
little BEFORE appeared at the door, lettering and
with several wounds about his neck. The neig h-
bors ran up, questioned him eagerly, and gathered
from what he said, that as he had been passing,
the barber probably guessing him to be Strangely
had offered to shave him for nothing; that he had
accepted the OFFER had seated himself, but scarcely
had done so, when the villain, who had got behind
him, tried to cut his throat with the razor that
by desperate effort he had managed, not only to
disengage himself but to tumble his assailant head
foremost down trap-door, which by good luck
happened to be open.
A rush was, of course Immediately made into
the BARRIERS shop; he not to be seen; after
fruitless search above, they thought of searching
below, down they went into the cellar, and there
they found the pieman cutting the barber to
pieces. The little light that penetrated into the
den had not allowed him, when his expected prey
came down the trap to make the important distinc-
ton that it not his friend and confederate who
had sent him down the German student but the
German student who had sent him down his friend
and confederate.
All was now clear. The pie-mans cellar being
found to communicate with the BARRIERS it also
now understood why his pies had been so uncom-
monty good for, says the Pere Debreu in his &C
count of the matter, "They were better than other
pies just as, because of its finer feeding, human
flesh is more delicate than any other"