St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-10
A PRISONERS REVENGE.


er" of the Pen.
Philadelphia Times.
The newsdealer who supplies those
prisoners at a certain penal institution
who are fortunate enough TO have the
money with newspapers and periodicals
has also mastered the art of hair-cutting
and shaving, and can, in style most
peculiar to himself, satisfy those who
wish to divest themselves of the hair on
either head or face. 1t is probably on
this account that he is called the bar
ber."
Now, of all mOnopOlieS, his is prob
ably the greatest in proportion to con-
sumption and demand. Carnegie, sugar
trusts and Standard Oil companies are
relegated to the rear when compared to
this man. Ii a prisoner wants the
daily or weekly papers lie must buythem
from the barber" and to do this he
must pay in advance. Otherwise-no
papers.
1t must be said in behalf of him that
unlike other mOnopoliStS, he is cOntented
with, or at least asks no more than the
regular tariff rates for goods, but the
moral nature Of prisoners, as Of others
less unfortunate. revolts against patron
iZing a monopoly and consequently 'his
barbaric majesty" as he has been
dubbed, is not held in very high esteem
by his patrons. 1t is also said that his
fond regard for the almighty dollar is
rather more pronounced than that OF a
truly generous man, so that the knoWl-
edge of this fact does not tend to make
the prisoners experience kindly feel
ing for him.
The latter part OF last summer one of
the prisoners, whose supply of money
allowed him daily all the Philadelphia
and two New York papers, as we'll as
few weekly and monthly magazines,
noticed one day that his supply was
short on what he had ordered and paid
for, so he called the attention of the
keeper to the fact, thinking that pos
sbly through an error some of the pa
pers had been placed in another cell.
"Oh, he's just little ratified this
week." replied the keeper, referring to
the "Darber," Ibis daughter was mar
red yesterday, and has gone to Atlantic
City for a few days. He's going down
tomorrow to spend the day with them.
Speak to him about it when he comes
back, and he'll fix your paper account
all right"
Now the prisoner had been in his
cell for over ten months With nothing
to do but to wish he had something to
do, so his mind, entirely embarrassed by
business cares, was free to grapple
with this information and use it to the
best advantage. At any rate,it Is known
that within five minutes he had pen
ciled on the wall memorandum of the
"barber's" daughters marriage. giving
date and particulars as he knew them.
A little more than Il month after the
wedding, the barber called at the cell
door to take the order for the months
papers and receive the money therefor.
After repeating the order as given him:
dimes, Regort, Dress, Letcher, Gall,
Idem, New York Vorlt, un Zun. Won
mondt-vour tollar, ffty-vour cent"
and making change for five-dollar bill
| when the prisoner ventured the remark:
"Was that your daughter who was mar
ried a few weeks ago?"
Yes" he replied in tones that
showed he did not care to discuss the
subject with prisoner. Then, lnquis-
| itively: WHAT you know about it?'
"Oh, nothing" returned the prisoner
suavely, ''only what l saw in the pa
per-"
| was all attendance now, and his ears
| fairly wagged with curiosity. What
babers vas it What you see dot in? Lof
| me see it,"
"Oh," replied the prisoner. sit was a
| couple of weeks ago, in one of the SUM-
day papers-either the 4th or 18th of the
month, forget just which now. II was
| only a small item," he continued depre-
catingly; mot more than half column,
anyhow. 1t referred 10 you as being an
owner of extensive interests in tom
serial establishment and news and
periodical emporium, besides having a
valuable prison contract"
"Is dot SOP" he replied. He was ap-
parently thoroughly delighted now and
his good nature was overcoming him.
Il am awful sorry to see you in dis blaze,
my boy, but ven you get oud you chose
come to my blaze, und l shave you for
holdings. | am awful sorry dot you
don't remember dot baber. VOt you
say it was-on the vourth or eleventh?
Vas it Philadelphia baber oder New
York?''
81 can't remember now"-this inno-
Gently: "lf | had known that you
wanted it should have cut it out"
"Oh, veil, | send to the offices und get
a copy of both the vourth and. eleventh
of all the babers, und den be sure to
find deln."
Five days later there appeared before
the door OF the prisoners eel! what
looked like mountain of newspapers,
and behind it the little round head of
'the barber" There" he said, as lie
pushed what proved to be copies of
every paper published in Philadelphia
and New York on Sundays of the "4th
and 1Ith," ''et you kin Wind dot notize