Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-23
A CLOSE SHAVE.
A Barber Who Meant Murder.

You may readily understand why news
paper man would be attracted to visit a
State Prison, but you may wonder why
he should seek permission for the prison
barber to shave him. when he knew that
barber to be murderer serving a life
sentence; yet in the composition of most
men there is yearnlng for dangerous adj
venture-to stand, as it were, close to
the edge of some abyss, down which a
fall would be certain destruction. All
men will take chances, but some men
will risk everything when this feeling is
upon them.
$50 you want old Jack to shave you?"
repeated the warden, slowly, as look of
establishment crossed his face.
eyes,
'Dont you know he's murderer"
eyes"
Sand in for life2"
eyes"
"Ooh I'd sooner have snake crawl
over my face than his black fingers,
which cut the Threats Of his wife and two
children. What is to prevent him from
slashing your jugular 7eing'
Nothing.
''Yet you will take the risk?p
ST will I want to be shaved by muir
derer; want the sensation of having
him pass keen razor slowly over my
face and around my throat, and of know
ing that stand in the very door of a
horrible deathr'
"Old Jack has been ugly-tempered of
of late"
II don't care"
"There isn't convict in prison who
doesn't fear his razor"
':Then it's so much the better; I'll take
my chances"
"You may try it, said the warden,
after long and thoughtful silence.
"But- -
"Bur nothingl Is there glass in front
of the chalr?'
"Yes."
''That's all l want. Let me go into
the barber shop alone and make my 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 triple MUIR
derer. He had made awful threats. He
had no one to say good word for him
but all dreaded and avoided him. He
was man about fifty years old, slightly
gray, thick-set, and no one could find a
pleasant line IN his face. As to his heart
he had slashed the Threats of his fami-
ly, piled the corpses in the corner, and
slept and ate in the next room until the
horrible odor brought the police and the
discovery.
"Shave," l said, as entered his little
den, threw off my hat and coat and sat
down in his hard chair.
He was seated on stool behind me,
stroping razor. He looked up in sur
prise, seemed puzzled to know who I
was and why l had come in, and then
tested the edge of the razor on his bare
humb. l could see all this in the glass.
He looked up in furtive way, passed
the razor over the strope few times
more, and then slowly rose up and be-
gan preparing the lather.
He didn't like me. That was plain
enough by the ugly glance from the cor
ners OF his eyes. 1 had no business in
there, in the first place, and then had
probably interrupted his reverie or brok-
en- IN on MS plans. lie didn't know
whether he would shave me or not. He
stopped making the lather, set his jaws
more firmly, and the look IN his eyes
grew ugly.
''Dldn't you hear me9" 1 demanded. as
turned on him all of a sudden. eco
ahead and shave me.''
eyes, sah!'' he growled, as he lifted
up the lather and advanced.
He knew did not belong in the pris-
Sn. He also reasoned that I was a
stranger. 1t puzzled him to know why 1
had entered his den, as I had been
shaved the day previous. I could see
that he was bothered, but I was glad of
it. He reasoned with himself all the
time he was putting on the lather, and
he got mad over it. He began to see
that it was sort of intrusion and impo-