The Pensacola journal., 1909-10-29
W. B. SHEPPARD
IN ANXIOUS SEAT
A BARBER WAS OVERLOADED
WITH FIREWATER-A ROUGH
NENT JURIsT VAINLY SOUGHT
AN EXCUSE FOR RELIEF.

The following story regarding Judge
w. B. Sheppard. of this city. which is
going the rounds OF the press, Will be
read with interest here:
Just before the close of the summer
season at Indian Springs, Georgia,
Judge w. B. Sheppard, of the federal
court, went from his home in Florida
to that resort to spend a week. He
stopped at the Wigwam and while half
the house was closed for the winter,
the judge was comfortably cared for.
During the morning be inquired for
the barber shop and was shown to the
basement where he found a place fair
ly well equipped for the removal Of
surplus hair from the face and head
Of male guests and seeing the artist
of the shears and blade was at his
post Of duty, his honor settled himself
in the reclining chair and beckOned to
him to begin operations.
The barber approached the judicial
phiz with confidence and in a very
short time was very busily engaged
in latheTing the face of his distin-
guished customer. The more he Iath-
cred the more the judge wondered.
He thought he would never get through
and when he began to wander off
the facial reservation and put suds in
the judges mouth, eyes and ears
there came protest from underneath
the snow white bank of sOapy cream
The judge has not lived III the states
of Georgia and Florida for several
years without knowing a drunken man
when he sees one and he very quicklv
decided that lull in trade incideT
to the end of the season had give
the barber too much time to himseI
He had begun to celebrate his emar
cipatiOn from the thralIs of scrap
scrape, scTape over the physiOgnOn
of health and pleasure seekers at tn
Butts county resort. The judge bt
gan TO think of some way to get on,
of the chair with his head on hi
shoulders. Finally he thought of tho
time honOred excuse, the tender face.
He put the matter squarely up to the
barber.
Judges Request Refused,
My FRIEND" he said, you know nv
face is very tender and I have often
been cut by reckless BARRIERS. You
give me the razor and let me shave
myself. / viii pay you the price of
the shave when finish
The barber was on to this little
game and he was not to be denied the
privilege of shaving one as distin-
guished as the judge Of a United
OldteS UlSLIlCI court.
"Oh, I'm not as drunk as you think
am" he replied, to the suggestion of
his honor. land am perfectly. compe-
tent to perform this operation my
self"
The court had exhausted its argu-
ment and had no further suggestions
to make. The judge submitted to the
inevitable and the shaving went for
ward without mishap. The operation
was concluded without bloOdshed-but
the Floridian was in a cold sweat
when II was over. Not so the barber.
He was cool and calm. He thought
the judge needed reinsurance that his
head was still on his shoulders and
that he was unscathed even to the ev-
tent OF scratch. He leaned heavily
upon the reclining shoulder of the
judge and brandished his razor at a
point far too close to the customers
face for comfort.
You see that razor" he said to the
recUmbent court. We'll, if I'd a cut
you even that much"-indicating
about sixteenth of an inch with his
tiRger-'I'd have swallowed that razor.
handle and all"
The judge was finally permitted to
escape. He now believes in tonsorisI
prohibition, at least.