San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-02-09
rInRrNCE,s BNRBER STORY.
Han R,rdrsIl slote once Shaved by cold'ilood'd
Murderer.


Couyier. Journal could not help but
hear the story that fellows, because he
was waiting for Billy Florence to vacate
barber chair one day last week
"Do Won know" said Florence conn
lentialiy 10 the barber, 81 never gel
int, a barber chair without thinking OF
Henry Jumpertz, aud resolving to write
a barber story g., =,
Gus had, in the meantime, provided
Mr.. Florence with plenty of lather anu
tafTy and secured passes for two NJ NC
yicker's that evening, when he contin-
ued his chatter:
~ think it was in 80. was on my
way west from Detroit, and occupied
seat with quiet, intelligent gentleman
that somehow got interested In after
awhile, but found it hard work to draw
out. l tried to size him up, but could
not make out whether he was decent
sort of preacher, IA well-behayed com,
mercial traveller, or some modest sort
of newspaper mani knew he wasn't
an actor, or he would have commenced
giving me hummer right of. The
fellow knew so much, confound it, l
couldn' t mention subject but what he
vas up in. l never enjoyed mans
company so much in my life; but there
was no use; he wouldn't give up any
thing. -,
"We got into Chicago early in the
morning. and as we actors all used to
stop at the old Matteson house, in
vited my fellow traveller up there to set
something warm. After we'd had a
drink, as we both needed shave we
started for a barber shop. He got in
ahead of me and got my regular bar
ber's chair, so I took paper and
waited. Then 1 took my time and
went to chatting with Henry was
his name, Henry Jumpretz just as l
always do to the old boys that shave
me at different places. ..-.
"My quiet friend, who had given the
name of Brown. courteously waited for
me until I was through, and / says to
him:
essay, Brown, Henry gives man
mighty good shave, don't hep ...
dyes he replied, he's splendid
workman. He keeps sharp razorsp
"Of course I didn't pay any attention
to such remark as that at the time.
When we got out into the office, Mr..
Brown thanked me for the pleasure he
had had in my company; and, just as he
was about leaving me, said: .., E.
"'Mr. Florence, to be frank with you,
am detective. I have been looking
for murderer. I have got him. Good
day, Mr.. Florence
81 had some engagements further
West, and after I had played them, 1
came back, went to the Matteson house
as usual, started in to get shaved, looked
around for Henry, couldn't find him,
shouted to the boss and asked him
where he was. why, didn't you know
about Jumpretz? Well, well, well /!
Why Jumpretz was arrested for murder
not fifteen minutes after he shaved you
the last morning you were in here, and
the man who had his shave ahead of
you was the officer who arrested him.
"Of course I was perfectly paralyzed,
but found, on inquiry, that Jumpretz
mistress. He was charged with MUIR
dering his mistress, cutting her in
pieces, packing her in o barrel and
shipping her East. I never heard what
became of Jumpretz, but the whole bus.
mess has kept running in my head ever
since, and [ never get into barber
chair without wonder if the man that's
shaving me isn't another murderer!
eyes," said Florence, refectively, as
| I,o l. TO Il
ent, II really am going to write a barber
story and have it published in Scrib-
ner's."
OF course all this was very interest =!
ing, but your correspondent thought it
would be a good idea to verify it, as
actors are rather inclined to fiction. So
[ stepped over to Pinkerton's detective
agency, and ascertained that Florence
had told the exact truth in the matter.
The facts are: Henry Jumpretz had
a mistress named Sophie Werner. Tir
ing of her, as it was conclusively proven,
he murdered her here in 1859, cut her
body in pieces and shipped the re-
mains to Troy, n. Y. This was under
the police administration of Supt. G.
P. Bradley. He was arrested precisely
as stated by Mr.. Florence, who will |
undoubtedly be glad to get the addi-
tional facts in order to complete his
story, tried and convicted twice, but on
the third trial was acquitted. This case
came about through the friendship
Jumpretz had formed for another MUIR
derer then confined in the Cook county
Jail, who took an oath that were he &C. i
quilted he would spend half his fortune
he was a person of wealth-in secur-
ing Jumpretz' acquittal. Jumpretz'
plea was that the woman committed ST.
icide and fearing that he would be
charged with her murder, he took this
means of disposing of her remains and