Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-05-14
SHOES OF HUMAN SKIN.
A Chicago Shoe Maker Makes
Them to Order.
An Enterprising Reporter Is Measured
for Pair and Has an Interesting
Conversation with the Dealer
in Human LeatheF.

for Pair and Has an Interesting
Conversation with the Dealer
in Human Leatfer.
It has been whisre ed around that Mr..
William Gee could an would make shoes
that were more reliable than any to be had
in Chicago. and Mr. Gee when approached
admitted that it was so.
They'll never crack on the sides, and
they'll never wear out. They are most
elastic and shape themselves TO the feet SO
that there can be no possible trouble from
insists"
81 believe III get pair" said the re-
porter.
''That's right" said Mr.. Gee "You'n
never regret it. They'll wear you forever
and will tit like moccasins. One doctor
know has pair of slippers that he has worn
seven years, and they're good for another
seven. Haven't much left, but have the
skin OF one white woman here. suppose
you'd rather have that than negro's SKIN"
1t was somewhat startling, and if the re-
porter had not had a warning as to what to
expect he would probably have been fur
ried.
Mr.. William Gee sells shoes made from
the skin of human beings.
He has done it quietly for some time, and
q
skin taken, according to his own story,
from the leg of woman. OF course Mr.
Gee does not advertise the fact that he
makes shoes from human skin, but some of
his patrons have been told that they could
have some of these Extremely durable
shoes'' if desired.
These facts were in possession of q
Chicago Tribune man, so he promptly re-
piled that he preferred the skin of a white
woman. Mr.. Gee took parcel of yellow
leather from case and said:
"Here it is. It is the / st white woman's
have. 1t is pretty hard to get it now"
"Why!" asked the reporter as he felt of
the leather.
WELL it's hard to get it tanned" re-
piled Mr.. Gee. I'VE used to send 1t out as
pig-skin, but before tanning it is too easily
distinguished, and tanners are super
stitious. can get the skins easier than !
can get them tanned"
"How do you get the skinss''
81 know man who used to be medical
student and he supplies them to me. He's
practicing physician now"
A question as to who the medical man
was seemed to make Mr.. Gee suspicious
and the matter was dropped for a moment
while the reporters foot was being
measured.
What are the peculiar advantages of
human skin!" ventured the reporter after
awhile.
ut never wears OUT replied Mr. Gee
land it never cracks. 1t is the most dura-
bic of any leather. You can wear it for
years. 1t stretches well, too, and is most
comfortable shoe.''
''Do you make many9"
mo. l haven't had much to do lately.
Won IT. isn't lrp0ara1Iu knoXUn and than
find it hard to get the skins tanned now"
Where are they tannedP'
Mr.. Gee evaded the question.
Several hours later the Tribune man
called again and suggested that the skin
was not human SKIN at all, but that deceit
had been attempted. On this call young
woman was working at a machine near the
front of the store. Her material was ap-
parently from the same piece of leather that
the reporter had seen earlier in the day.
'If any one wants TO bet that this is not
human skim said Mr.. Gee, tell me what
the amount Is and will put it up and fur
nish the proof. l can prove it by the doctor
who got it for me and by the tanners.'
He declined, however, to give the names
of either ''unless there is something to be
gained by it, you know"
II would like to know, thought said the
reporter, ''if that is surely from a human
body"
The girl at the machine made some sort
of an exclamation, and Mr. Gee remarked:
''She hates to wore on it''
Then he brou out the skin that he had
shown in the mo- 6, unrolled it, and laid
it along his body. There had been two
pieces cut out
''You see," he said, as he smoothed it
out, lit is portion of woman's skin.
1t runs from the neck nearly to the ankle.
One OF your shoesn-and he showed the
place-"was cut from the breast, and the
other'-auother illustration-"from the
leg"
In both places leather had been cut out
to all appearances for a shoe, and the piece
he exhibited had every indication of hav-
ing been originally fitted to that portion of
the anatomy he described. To make the
matter doubly sure he brought out
another piece of skin.
'This is a negro's,n he said. sits taken
from his side Just under the arm. You
can see how thin it is under the arm, and
how it gets thicker further down." The
matter was demonstrated as he went
along.
Going out the reporter asked the girl at
the machine how she liked working on
Leather made from human skin,
81 don't like it,n she said, Hbut then
there is no reason to complain now. 1t
doesn't smell"
s'Did it at first7n
t'Did itp' Her nose went up. "When
the sachel first came here"
1.-THE skin came in a sachel thenl"
sYes"
SIT wasn't tannedp'
"No."
81 have it all tanned myself" said Mr.,
Gee. 1.-THE skin is brought to me and then
/ have IT tanued. That's ray greatest
fro1hIa