The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-27
THE TOMBS BARBER.
WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THE PERSONS
WHOSE FACES HE LATHERS.
Shaving Twenty Prisoners a Day-A Clean
Shave Means Ten Years on the
Sentence-Locked in with
tho Prisoner.


|
eyes. | am the Tombs barber" said
Morris Haber, an intelligent young German.
who was found in his barber shop on Canal
street by reporter, "and you are the nrst
newspaper fellow to find me out, although ]
have held that position for nearly two years.
Any other BARRIERS admitted to the prisoni
No, sir; | am the only one, and was APP
pointed by the commissioners of charities
and correction Salary2 Not any. My |
earnings consist in what the prisoners give
me except in cases of Condemned murder
ers, and then the sheriff pays me.
Il am allowed to enter the prison at any
time, but usually only go there three days
of the week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays / am now shaving about twenty
prisoners day there, and what get aver
ages about IS week No prisoners are
compelled to get shaved, but the greater
| number who have any spare change always
wish to This is generally the case with
| those VINO are about to go into court They
| want to make their best appearance befort
| the court and jury, and it has come to be
| common saying among them that clear
| shave means ten years Off the sentence
| an winter | go there regularly every
| morning at S O'Clock and in summer at
| o'clock. carry my razors, scissors soap.
| and bottles in small handbag, and my
| hair-clipping machine in a leather case
generally take five or six razors with me
every time When | get there, the first
thing do is to look over the slate and find
the prisoners names marked with an *
This means that they are the ones who are
TO 90 to court AS court always opens at lO
| o'clock, and as have learned from expert
ence how much Importance is attached to "a
clean shave by the prisoners with reference
| TO their appaarance in the courtroom, l al
WAYS take pains to get through with the
court cases early and as soon as possible,
even leaving my regular customers there
end have several-until they are out Of the
way.
$50 go along each row of cells the frs
thing, and ask each prisoner whether ht
wants shave or not Sometimes / find {
great many who do aad then it is lively
work, for | have to shave them in thel
cells. and there are no chairs in them for tn
men to sit on, consequently have to shaw
! them sitting on the edge of their marrow
beds. In each case the keeper locks me Il
: with the prisoner. and l have to call his at
q tention 10y knocking on the door when al
l. done and want to get out.
Il have never udu IlrIsoheI Hiolest Aic u
e even act rudely to me while at my wor
l. there, notwithstanding the fact that til
A Tombs has an average of from $50 to 70
prisoners all the time and from all classes {
! criminals. The prison seems to have quie
- ing influence on them and they are MOI
=. polite to me as a rule, in saying their goo
morning" and good day." than many GU
u siders. have never had them ask me
bring them things they are not permitted
have or try to get me to help them to escaI
or get the best of the keepers As for Il
k, sight of my razors stirring up any despera
b thoughts in the minds of any: OF them,
he they have I've never known of it.
or "The new prisoners seldom talk to me, al
er of course don't ask questions NATURAL
w the faces are changing all the time, in Il
os going away of some and coming in of ne
-, prisoners. Every new and then some ne
conner will greet me with a 'how-dy d,
4" and | will find that he is an old offender wi
has been in the Tombs before and remeI
nc bers me. But they all seem glad to see m
FtZ for it makes little change in their pris
les life Those who have been there some til
talk more, and sometimes tell me abo
their cases, but don't taks much intert
n, in the particulars, naturally, though 81
of the poor fellows all the sympathy can"