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The Phantom Barber Who Broke Into Homes In The Middle Of The Night To Cut People’s Hair

In the 1940s, A Mississippi community was terrorized by a shadowy figure who cut hair from his victims as they slept

Andrew Martin
4 min readAug 16, 2024

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Many of us take a trip to our hair stylist or barber for granted. After a short period of time in their chairs, we emerge refreshed and trimmed, ready to take on the world anew. It’s not quite the same when your hair gets cut without your permission or knowledge, as one Mississippi community found out in the 1940s. The Phantom Barber of Pascagoula became notorious for breaking into homes in the middle of the night to do their work on unsuspecting sleeping strangers — striking fear into the hearts of a small town.

In the summer of 1942, sleepy Pascagoula, Mississippi, came to national prominence because of a bizarre series of events that left its residents terrified, and some with shorter hair. An unknown man started breaking into homes in the middle of night, not to rob or commit violent crimes, but rather to cut locks of hair.

The victims, were females who ranged from children to older women. They often didn’t realize what had happened until they woke up to find their hair unevenly cut or completely shorn away.

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Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin

Written by Andrew Martin

Dabbler in soccer, history, investing & writing. Master’s degree in baseball history. Passionate about history, diversity, culture, sports, film and investing .

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