JODDREL THE BARBER.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2279, 22 September 1899, Page 5

JODDREL THE BARBER.

AN OLD STORY RE-TOLD. Many years ago there lived in the neighbourhood of Bishopsgite-street a barber of the uame of Louis Joddrel, a singular kind of man, eveu for his calling. He was but a poor man when he first arrived, and had little or nothing to enter the house with ; aud what was a great mystery, was, how lie contrived to obtain possession of the tenement he inhabited. But he not only did so, but he also obtaiued credit for repairs he had done, aud then the place began to assume something of a busiue-s-like appearance ; and one morning, much to the astouisnmeut of the neighbourhood, Louis Joddrel's wife appeared in the shop.

Louis Joddrel lived here many years, aud throve, though nobody knew how. It was a mystery, for everybody said that his customers were not numerous he charged too much—they were select rather than otherwise.

The barber, in person, was tall, and dark in his complexion, aud a very active, aud it wa.s believed, a powerful man. The expression ol his features was often a subject of rematk, many said they were sinister, wuile many insisted that they were peculiarly pleasing. The house he had was not a large one, but it bad good cellars, the communication to which had been altered.

The wife was a rather hard and harsh-fea-tured woman, masculine iu appearance. The blind? iu the shop were always drann, and all the lower frames rendered opaque. All these things added much to the singularity of the inhabitants of the barber's house, but how much more was the barber a a subject of conversation when, one Monday morning, a shopman was seen to enter the barber's place. This was a grave subject of conversation, for nobody could by any meant understand it. Louis Joddrel, they said, had not enough business to employ himself, much less to employ a shopman. This shopman was as singular a being as his master ; assumed great airs, and spoke rith great familiarity to his master and mistress, and resided entirely in the house, it was now confidently believed that something would be learned respecting the barber ; in this, however, they did not succeed, for the shopman was as careful and cautious as Joddiel himself.

Joddrel and bis shopman used to frequent the " Cat aud Bell-handle," a publichouse in the vicinity, where they used to meet all the tradesmen who lived near I hem. They usually left early, and when they were gone, formed the topic for the remainder of the evening. " 1 tell you what it is neighbour Smuggius," said the tallow chandler tc the pawnbroker, " I tell you what it is, that Joddrel is a very strange man."

" And, they spend moo#y freely enough," said another, it " must be got else how could they spend it ? " " That's Ibe iecret ; how do they get it."

" I can't imagine, it is very mysterious,'' remarked one guest.

" I tell you what," said a little redfaced man, " I live immediately opposite, and 1 now and then see people enter, but I sometimes waich for more than two hours, aud 1 could not see some of them come out again " " "Tis verystrauge.indeed,'' said the butcher; " for my part, if 1 were opposite to him, I would watch him closely for more than two boms at a time."

" Would you, now ?" exclaimed the redfaced man ; " I'll try, and my wife shall help

A few nights after the little red-faced man and his neighbours met together again to report The red-faced individual was asked if he had peiformed his promise of watching the Joddrels. " Yes, I have," he replied, in a quiet tone. '* Well, then, and what did you see ?"

" Why I taw a respectable-looking man with a watch and seals enter the shop." " Indeed, well what happened after that ?" inquired the butcher. "That's what 1 should like to learn," saidth; red-faced man, " because I couldn't see."

" Couldn't see ? What was the matter with you r " Nothing ; only I couldn't see through the curtains they always have in tae shop." " What time did he stay there ?"

" I can't tell, but I watched for sis hours and a half, but could not see him come out, and my wife watched afterivards and declared that she did not see anybody come out at all." This was a strange affair, and nobody coul.i make anything of it It «as then proposed that they ehould each tako a turn at tbe window, and carefully watch the Joddrels from the time it was open till it was shut at night They all watched, and out of Ore. two of them declared ;hat two well-dressed strangers went in, and did not come out again ; some others went in and came out, it was true. The watchers' utxt more was to hire somebody to go in well-dressed, and see what came of it.

He walked up to the shop door and then entered

The suspense of the whole party, who were watching eagerly, was veiy great, and it wa> with intense anxiety they waited the issue. " "lis a quarter of an hour since he entered.'' said the little red-faced mm. " 1 think-Oh '. Lord '. Look, look !" There stood Joddrel himself at the door, looking swiftly up and down the street, and then closed his door Two of them determined to go over and purchase some article aud see what was going on, and inquire for the man they hid sent iu. They found nobody iu the shop but Joddrel and bis shopman. One of them said to the b;irber, " 1 thought I saw a friend of mine enter here halt an honr ago I waited, thinking he would coine out. When did he go ? I didn't s;r him."

For a momeut a pallid hue overspread the face of thsbaiber. He said :

" The gentleman who came in here has been gone some tune ; did you know him P"

" Yes ; very well." " He is tone, however.' 1 I hey liuth quitted the shop, aud a consultation was held about what was to he doue, when it was agreed that partsbouid remain there and p«rt go to a magistrate. They stated their case in private at Worsbiu-stteet, and obtained immediately a search warrant, aud the aid of several officers, who were authorised to act as occasion should dictate

The search did not occupy long, aud nothing was seeu. The officers were about to leave the house wheu a small door attracted their attention, ami it was immediately opened, when a of fear and horror presented itself. The iloor opened upon a well-like cavity, the bottom oi which was carefully spiked, ami the unfortunate man lay with oue of the sharp poiuts right through his brain.

The whole matter was now cleared up; as the customer wi|ied himself oh the tuwel hanging before the door, he was then suddenly thrust down by a sudden blow from behind. Cried could never be heard, lor it was iuslaut death

to anyone wuo once fell. A few weeks aft<r .loddrel and his accom plices were executed at Tyburn, amid the exe cratious of thousands ol spectators.