Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-11-27
AN INSANE SLEUTH.
A Barber Crazed by Reading De-
tective Stories.
His Strange Conduct While Shaving a
Real Detective Gives the Latter
Some Very Uncomfortable
Sensations

Much has been said about the life of
the detective, his manner of working
and the tricks of his trade The fact
is, however, the outside world has lit
tie knowledge of the business and what
has to be learned in it before a man be-
comes proficient officer.
Some men get the idea that they
would make good detectives, and be-
come ambitious to follow the business.
They read thrilling detective stories
and become so much worked up in
them that they think of nothing else.
There is a certain class of people in this
city who read of the work done by the
detective force, and can give full ac-
count of the work accomplished by
each Individual detective during the
year, says Pittsburgh paper.
There is barber in Allegheny who a
year or more ago became very much alb
sorbed in detective stories. He would
read with the greatest avidity the
newspaper accounts of how detectives
had gone about to work up certain
cases. lie soon became possessed with
the idea that he would make splendid
detective. A member of the force was
in the habit of going to his shop for a
shave. The barber would besiege the
officer every time he came with ques-
lions concerning the detective business.
Finally it was noticed that the barber
was going insane on the subject. One
day recently the detective went to the
shop for his usual shave. 1t was the last
time he patronized that shop. He had no
sooner taken his seat than he noticed
the actions of the tonsorial artist were
somewhat mcmillan A.
razor with unusual vigor, and mutter-
ing to himself would now and then
look around in wild-eyed manner at
the officer. The latter was becoming
thoroughly frightened. He had dealt
with all kinds of desperate criminals
and had been in the business all his
life. He never knew fear, and was al
ways prepared for the worst When
he saw that the barber was evidently
out of his mind each individual hair on
his head began to stand on end.
He did not like the idea of sitting
quietly down and letting a crazy barber
slash his throat from ear to ear without
demonstrating. Yet he knew that he
would run great chances if, after he
had got all ready and the barber was
preparing to go to work, he should at
tempt to leave the shop without wait
ing for his shave. He decided to sit it
out and watch carefully every move
ment of the barber. He nerved himself
Tor the ordeal, knowing, too, that the
barber could sever his jugular in the
smallest fraction of second, and that
would be the end of him. The barber
had no questions to ask
This taciturn disposition was unusual
for him, and the detective was morally
certain he was connecting something
evil. He seemed to be hours in shay
ing him. There was not another soul
in the shop, and the detective had no
hopes of defending himself if the luna
tic decided he should die. There never
was more thankful man in the world
than that Allegheny detective when the
barber had at last finished his work
and called next" to the empty chairs
along the sides of the room. The man
suddenly disappeared from town few
days ago, and nothing since has beer
heard from him.