The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-04-20
THE TONES BARRIER

the Persons Eh...
mers '0uiar Custo-
Ne, Yes am the Tombs barber.n said
motifs morris haber, an intelligent vonna
uernan' who was found in his horhes
snop on Canal street by a reporter. mand
sUa are the first newspaper fellow to
nnG me out, although have held that
other har ior hesriy two years. Any
1No si,. oeIs admitted TO the prisonss
noiD. 81 am the only one, and was an.
pointed by the COMMISSIONER Of zap az aP-
Ms os anu correction. Salary? 0Not ant,
az. S earnings consist in what the nrisoS'
as give me, except in cases 81 con-
pays me-" '' ''ie" Tue snerin
~ am allowed to enter the nrisop NJ
any ume, but usually only 20 the~a
We uays OF the week, on Nondavs
sbeunesuays and Fridays. am now
s naNimg ABOUT 70 prisoners day there
wael, ny l get averages about IS a
eeh' NO prisoners are compelled 10
get chaved, but the greater nunrher " NO
nave nay any spare change always wish IN
Ills is generally the case with tboSe
VINO are about to 60 into court Thay
want 10 make their best appearance hs-
tore the court and jury, ana il mas come
70 % q common saying among them
s saat cream shave means l0years OIL the
In winter go there regularly every
5uyIhlng aus O'Clock, and in summer AT
SAoeH' carry my razors, scissors.
soap auu bottles in small hand-bao
ana my hair clipping machine in
feather case. generally take five or
slA ra2ors with me every time. WhenI
eeI there, the first thing do is To lonL
over the slate and find the prisoners;
names marked with an * This rneens
mat they are the ones who are 10 90 70
oe9rt' AS court always opens at 10
Vciock, ana as have learned from ex.
pelLence now much Importance is at
Sscneu 70 "a clean shave by the prison.
els WIN reference to their appearance
80 40 one court-room, always take pains
W get through with tho 'court easesi
early and as soon as possible. even ieav-
ing my regular customers there-and r
way. VI 'n0
$50 go along each row of cells the
nrst thing, and | ask each prisoner
whether he wants shave or not, some.
tilles hnd great many who do, and
then IL Is lively work for have to shave
them IN their cells, and there are no
cnslrs lor the mon to sit on, conse-
quentiy have to shave them sitting on
tne euse OF their narrow cells. In each
case Inc Keeper locks me in with the
prisoner, and | have to call his atten-
tlon by knocking on the door when /
am done and want to get out.
VI nave never had prisoner modest
me or even act rudely TO me while ut
my work there, Notwithstanding the
TACT that the Tombs has an average of
from 10y 10 200 prisoners all the time and
from all classes Ofcrimiuals. The prison
5eems 70 have quieGng Influence on
Ineln anu they aro more polite to me as
rule in saying their "good morning."
and good day. thar many outsiders.
nave never had them ask me to bring
them things they are not permitted to
nave or TO try 70 get me to nelp them TO
escape Orget the best of the keepers.
AS Tor the sight of my raZors stirring up
any desperate thoughts in the minds OF
any of them, if they have I've never
known of it.
zine new prisoners seldom talk TO
me- and of course don't ask questions,
Naturally, the faces are changing all the
tlme,in the going away OF some and,com-
ing in OF new prisoners. Every now and
then some new conner win greet me
with a 'how-dy-dO, and l will find that
ne Is an old offender who has been in
the Tombs before and remembers me.
But they all seem glad to see me, for IL
makes little change in their prison
life. Those who have been there some
time talk more, and sometimes tell me
about their cases, but don't take much
interest in the particulars, naturally,
though l give the poor fellow all the
sympathy can.
my oldest customer there? Let me
see IL Is Conroy, guess, the police
man condemned to be hung on the
charge OF murder. He has been in the
Iombs about II months, and is now
waiting for now trial, / believe. l
have shaved him regularly twice a
week since he has been there, and he is
one OF those who have talked to me
about their affairs.
Another Of my regular customers
thete is Donovan, condemned 10 i'm
prisonment for life for killing a man
with billiard cue, He is also waiting
or trying To get now trial. He las
been there q year. John CARPENTER,
condemned to be hanged for killing his
wife, is another of my customers there.
lie has been In the TOmbs eight months,
hoping for a new trial.
"PeOple might readily think that
these men, knowing that they must
stay there 50 long, and perhaps in
prison forever, or DO hanged, would get
careless about their appearances and lot
the barber go by. But they don't, and
they are as particular To be shaved
twice a week as my customers here at
the shop. They sill take pride in
their looks, and as they have frequent
visitors, they want to look nice for
them, suppose
zone of the most particular customers
/ ever had in there was Rhinelanders,
the man that was claimed TO be insane.
He was in long time, and always paid
me extra, but he was very particular to
be shaved three times a week, and lust
so. If | missed day he would get
very angry. Very few, however, pay
me extra. They are not lavish with
their money when they get in the
tombs, and those who are fortunate
enough TO have any keep IL very close.
"Billy McGlory paid me extra, though,
ana 4 found MIN q very nice man.
Another man l thought was pretty nice
was Martin, the celebrated counter
feitor. He became blind while in there
ana was in the hospital, He had long
beard and was very particular to have
II trimed to a hair. Another very par
tcular man WAS negro OF Spanish de-
cont young man condemned for MUIR
der. He was always one of the neatest
and cleanly-lOoking men of the whole
lot, and he always wanted me TO take
great pains oyer him, TO fix his hair lust
right aud give him close shaye."-
New York Mail and Express.
Cow bnVa mud all tha othar I,,,.s ,,,l