The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-19
A BARRIERS CAREER.
Sumby Sentenced to the Peni-
tertiary for Three Years.
Some Raey Facts About His Past-The Fe-
male Barbers-The u ashers-Where
is His Wife?
Every one knows X. P. Sumby.

Every one knows *. L. Sumby.
He is one of the few white BARRIERS III Allan
ia. Since he first came to Atlanta, early in
1883, he has been tonsorial artist and the
thousands of men he has shaved will cheer
fully testify as to his dexterity in manipulating
the razor and the brush.
But the implements OF his art have fallen
from his hands. He will no longer practice
his calling. His keen-edged razor he will soon
exchange for a pick-aXe, and his lather- pro-
ducing brush for spade.
Yesterday morning the jury, which had
taken his case the day before, went into Judge
Clark's court and published its verdict The
phraseology was: 1--WE the jury find the de-
PENDANT, X. 2. Sumby guilty of assault to
murder"
The barber was dumb-founded. He had de-
luded himself with the hope that the jury
would promptly acquit hiIn-and "hope told a
hattering tale"
Judge Clark is tender hearted, and shrinks
from giving pain even to those guilty wretches
he must punish. But when he has a disagree
able job to perform he eXpedites it just as a
skillful and humane surgeon would dispatch
the saving off of leg.
1.-THE jury has found you guilty of assault
with intent to MURDER Judge Clark said, as
Sumby stood and afced him, "and it is my
duty to pass sentence upon you. 1t is the
Judgment OF the court that you lie confined in
This was a crusher, and the little barber
was, overwhelmed. He did not say anything
but his look Of utter detection, expressed
world Of meaning, He will probably be sent to
the peultentiary today
Sumby's career has been checkered.
1t was about the 18th Of February, 1888, when
! Sumby arrived in Atlanta When he came he
was accompanied by young bride-a stylish,
winzome blonde, with lustrous dark eyes. He
opened small barber shop in Brooklyn, and
throve for several months. He got into some
trouble and was i'll the county jail for short
| while. While he was incarcerated his vito
kept open the barber shop and served all the
! customers to their satisfaction. They marked
her expertness in handling the razor, and it
was the verdict that she was a better barber
| than her husband
1--WE must move to moro aristocratic quar-
! ters,' said Sumby to his wife one day in May.
"All right, Sum-"
The barber cast about and succeeded in
renting place in Hunter street, between
| Whitehall and Broad. This was furnished in
| extravagant style. Six chairs of the
few days each one of these was i'll charge Of
| young woman 1t was novelty. A female
barber shop. Nobody in Atlanta had ever
| heard tell of anything of the sort. From the
opening day the establishment was sue
| cess. 1t flourished SO wonderfully that Sumby
| threw aside his razor and devoted himself
| to the pieasanter task of taking in
! the cash. 1t soon became the popular resort
there to firt with the pretty girls, Sumby's
! wife was one of the prettiest of the lot and she
received much attention. Sumby's cupidity
! got the better of his jealousy and he bottled
| his wrath. About this time the great music
festival began to be talked about. The meet
| ings of the chorus singers were held twice q
| week in the hall of the Young Mems Christian
association. Mr.. Sunlby, in company
with his wife, called upon Herr Doepp, the
manager, and offered their services. 1t was
soon found that they possessed excellent
| voices and the director was pleased with
them. Some of the other singers were not,
however They found out who Sumby and his
| wife We're. The aristocratic bellies who had
| joined the choruses were indignant in their
protests They threatened to secede unless
| the BARRIERS were sent back to their shop.
! Herr Doepp was sagacious man, if not q
! successful fnancier and he adrOitly managed
! the affair. Just how he did it nobody knew,
but from that time Sumby and wife did not
appear at any of the rehearsals.
The female barber shop continued to prosper.
Solicitor-General Charlie Hill and Captain
Frank Myers (who then had more hair than
he has now used to frequent this resort. No
body ever accused them of flirting with the fe-
male BARRIERS, be it said 20 their credit. But
there were some customers not so cOnsiderate.
One young man became so onamored of the
charms of Mrs. Sumby that he was perpetu-
ally in her presence. Each one of the other
fair BARRIERS had her beau, and the place was
soon given over to flirting. Ii was jolly while
.
jealousy got the better of his discretion and he
pummelled dude who was paying attentions
TO his wife.
The female barber shop lost its reputation.
The novelty had worn off, and the customers
went elsewhere to get shaved.
1t was at this juncture when Sumby got dis
gusted with Atlanta. He sold out all he had,
and with considerable amount of money in
his pocket, left the city for Louisville, where
he opened another shop similar 10 the one he
had run here.
BY chance music dealer in Louisville dis
covered that Sumby and his wife were good
singers. They took part in concert and de-
lighted the audience. They discovered that
music paid better than lather, so they aban-
doned the shop and took to the concert hall.
All things were going along swimIningly
when the inevitable masher appeared upon
the scene. He came in questionable shape
i'll the form of a tenor singer, with big dia-
mond in his shirt front.
Goodbye couiugal felicity.
a row ensued. The tenor knocked Sumby
down and ran off with his wife. This was the
last ever heard of her. Sunby says he got a
divorce from her.
Perhaps so. Perhaps not. AT any ratio he
won't need a wife for the next three years.
With the particulars of Sumby'S crime all
the readers of The CONSTITUTION are familiar.
He stabbed negro bootblack and tried to kill
him with a rusty, capped knife. The wound
came near resulting fatally, and the boy may
yet die from it.
Take it all in ALL Sumby has had cheokered
career.