THE POTTSTOWN TRAGEDY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 206, 28 September 1878, Page 4

THE POTTSTOWN TRAGEDY

Tbis terrible event is llius ff escribed by the Now York Times'. — Just after lhe beginning 0/ Lent two young men came to Pottstown and aoiiouuced that they were tbe sole owners of a new process for restoring brilliancy en.J softnesß lo back huir, uo matter what miilit bo its age or condition. They began their operations by distributing to every house iu the town printed circulur*?, setting forth their services. Io this circular it was promised that the longest switches should he renovated lor 10 cents each, while tlie charge for renovating curls and "fronts" was eveu lower. The ladies of Pottstown were assured that the process of reuovation thould be conducted wiih the utmost, secrecy, and it would rt quire in no case more than three days. Copies of alleged letters signed by Mis Anthony, Mrs Clara Morris, Mre President Hayes and Miss Clara Louise Kellogg, certifying that their butk hair hud been renovated to their complete satisfaction were annexed to tho circular and there was not a woman io all Pottstown wlio who did not fully believe that she was exceptionally fortunate in having the circular brought to her atlention. The next day the two young men each carrying a large covered basket called at every house to receive cdera and back hair. They had printed receipts wilh them, which they gave in exchange for hair, and which had an extremely genuine and business like appearance. Before they had visited oue quarter of the bouses their baskets were full, and they were obliged to return to their hotel and empty them before making a fresh start. Judging from the siza of their baskets a local scientific person has estimated lhat they collected a ton and a half of back hair in the course of two days. There was not — so we are assured — a woman in Pottstown who did not trust her hair to these audacious wretcheß, with the exception of a few ladies of African desceut; and eaeh one believed that, within threa duys at the furthest, she would receive back her cherished locks in a greatly improved condition. For several days after the back hair of Pottstown had thus been placed in the keeping of the pretended hair renovators no ladies were visible in the Pottstown Streets. At the same time, every lady at whose house any young man ventured to make a call waa either " enj*a-?ed " or " ill," and declined to receive visitors. On the filth day, the hotel at which the two scoundrels had stopped waa visited by scores of excited husbands and broiliers, who were horrified to learn that the two hair renovators had left town five days before, carrying witb them seven large and heavy trunks. Over the scenes which look place when this terrible news reached the ladies of Pottstown ? veil must be drawn. Much may be be forgiven in a woman who has been cheated |out of h<r back hair, but is impossible to approve of the want of judgment which several indignant wives evinced iu ttying to replace their missing hair by drawing upon the short and scanty huir of their innocenS husbands. There will be uo parties in Pottstown, for Eome lirae to come, and so far as the local young men are concerned they will have no female society whatever. The sudden revival of the back-hair business in this city and in Philadelphia, which Western statesmen are ascribiug to the passage of the Silver Bill, ie du6 wholly to the demands of the Pottstown ladie?. The two pretended hair renovators have Hailed for Europe with their booty, and the volume of back hair in tbis country

will be for eome time too small for the demand.