Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-04-28
A Close Shave.

lou can readily understand why news
paper rsan would be attracted to visit q
State prison, but you may wonder why he
should seek permission for the prison bar
Der to shave him, when he knew that bar
Der to be a murderer serving life SEN
teuce; yet, in the composition Of most
men there is a yearning to tread upon the
skirts Of adventure-,o stand, as it were,
close 10 the edge of some abyss. down
which fall would be certain destruction.
All men will take chances, but some men
Will risk everything when this feeling is
upon them
so you want old Jack to shave you?''
repeated the warden. as a Look Of astonish-
ment crossed his face.
"Yesn
Don't you know that he is mur-
dereri'
"Yes.
And in for lifel'
"Yes."
Ochl I'd sooner have q snake crawling
owe: my face than his black fingers, which
cut the throat of his wife and two childrenl
What is to prevent him from slashing your
jugular veini"
Nothing"
"Yet you will take the risk ~
Il will. | want 10 be shaved by muir
derer; l want the sensation of having him
pass KEEN razor slowly over my face and
around my throat, and of knowing that l
stand in the door of DEATH"
''Old Jack has been ugly-tempered of
late"
81 don't care"
''There isn't convict in the prison who
doesn't fear his razor"
80 much the better; / will take my
chances"
"You may try it" said the warden, after
long silence; ''but-"
But nothing. Is there glass in front
of the chairl' ..4
"Yes"
That's all want. Let me go into the
barber shop alone and make nay own ar
rangements. That's It-open the door-so
long--don't worry"
Old Jack was one of the prison BARRIERS.
Every convict knew him as tIiple-mur-
derer. He had made awful threats. He
had no one to say good word fog Tim
but all dreaded and avoided him. He wasa
man about fifty years old, slightly gray,
thick set, and no one could find pleasant
line in his face. AS to ms heart-hs' Il
slashed the throats Of his family, piled the
corpses in corner, and slept and ate in the
next room until the horrible odor brought
the police and the discovery.
'Shave," said, as | entered his little
den, threw off NV hat and coat and sat
down in his hard chair
He was seated on a stool behind me,
stropping razor. He looked up in sur
prise, seemed puzzled to know who | was
and why | had come in, and then tested
the edge of the razor on the thumb nail.
could see all this in the glass. He looked
up In furtive way, passed the razor over
the strop few times more, and then
slowly rose up and began preparing the
lather.
He didn't like me. That was plain
enough by the ugly glances from the cor
ners of his eyes. 1 had no business in
there in the first place, and then mad
probably interrupted his revery or broken
In on his plans. He didn't know whether
he would shave me or not. He stopped
making the lather, set his jaw firmly and
the Look in his eyes grew ugly.
Didn't you hear me ?" | demanded, as
I turned on him all of sudden. go
ahead and shave me-"
Yes, sab !" he growled, as he lifted up
the lather and advanced.
He knew did not belong to the prison.
He also reasoned that l was stranger.
1t puzzled him to know why had entered
his den. as had been shaved the day pre-
vious could see that he was bothered,
but was glad of il. lie reasoned with
himself all the time he was putting On the
lather, and he got mad over it. ieag .
TO see that i Was q sort Of an intrusion NJ
imposition and he picked Up his razor with