Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-07-04
THE KANGAROO COURT.
a Peculiar 1w.stsutte. Amaaa the
Cowboys and In the Jaii- ~ ress..


Texas letter in N.w Nuft Anh
The kangaroo conrt l. an institution
Of the southwest. II exists ~ nearly
every well regulated jail. aud Is not IN
frequently organized outside uf Theses
institutions. When II oncc gets We.
tim in its clutches Il h generally bar
barous and always merciless When
ten or twenty dospcraloca. nwhuya,
bummcrs. negroes, and hard men
are coopcd up IN one II these
Texas jails. with nothing o. do.
they resort to the kangaroo court sur
diversion. A meeting - held At which
the law is laid down and The penalties
prescribed for its violstion Nnino of
the rules and regulation prepared ly
the inmates Of Texas jails ior thoir own
government are sweeping aud far reach
ing enough to answer for an eutire ter
ritory. For every conceivable oiienHa
possible Of commission within tho walls
Of prison. there is u penalty, anil
never very light one. The standard
OF morality IL sometimes disifssslnsly
high. and sometimes II is dubious IN.
deed
Not long ago party oi cowboys sama
to town for tho purpose of having q
little fun. and IN the course II their
rambles they came upon a fellow from
Houston, a tough character. bat one not
at all familiar with the ways ~ tho Wild
men Of tho plains. Iia drank aud
carouscd with them until late IN tho
night, and. finally, ON the inatigation q
few of his companions. he threw -
beer kcg through store front The
echo Of the crashing glass hal hardly
died out before be- found him-elf pris
oner, with his arms pinionei behind
him and an armed guard surrounding
him. He was marched out of town for
some miles to desolatc spot. where
the entire party camped until dayhreak
The light showed the prisoner ,hs.
most Of his friends Of the previous
night were with him aiili. but
there we're half ,loYsn
other men. who appeared b. bc officers
Of some description whom be- had moi
seen before. He VAS duly arraigned,
not only for the window break ling, but
for dozen other ofionaea, murder and
arson being Of the number, and, not.
withstanding his protests of innocenss,
the court proceeded Ia try him on each
OF the In iictments IN their order For
the window breaking he vas sentenced
to twenty lashes, for arson to ten years
imprisonment, for murder 10 I've hanged
by tho neck until ho sas dead, Tor
assault with intent to hill 30 bs i'm.
prisoned at hard labor for twenty years,
for horse stealing 10 be hange,i, for
deserting from tho army 10 be shot,
and 80 on. The proceedings we're eon.
Quoted with the utmost solemnity, and
lasted all day. tho prisoners pretended
friends exerting themselves in his lu-
half. but being unable 10 move tha
court 10 mercy.
Tho next morning tho kangaroo
As the prisoner was an uncommoniy
guilty person. hc said, ae would have
to even mp his punishment In some way.
II he was hanged or shot q, enes hs
would escape the just pcnslsie. fsr his
other crimes. imprisonment would
not answer, for the length III his sen.
.tences would give him . good cppos.
tunity to die OF old age. 10 was tha
judgment Of tho court. therefore. thai
he should first be whipped, then daake.l
in tho river. then whipped again. then
shot at and crippled, but not kiiled,
and then hanged. This the court con.
sidered the most mcrciful sentence u
could impose and at tho same time da
justice 10 outraged Law. The man tirst
demonstrated. and then begged. but to
no avail.
He was whipped and duckei. snd
whipped again. and was being put In
place for tho crippling act. when his
prosecutors got into quarrel among
themselves over the precedence In wing.
ing him. The court had been drinking
freely during the day. and . good
many OF the boys were quarrelsonas.
In the course Of the tight that ensuea
the prisoner managed 10 escape.
In the Mobeetie jail the prisoners,
twelve or fifteen III number, had dr ing
the day the privilege of Walking og eli.
ting in tho corridor, being locked in
their cells only at night. A bis negro
named CafYrey was one day srraigned
for some breach Of propriety and tried
with great formality. The arguments
alone lasted nearly week. and after
he Was found guilty by Tho Jury. Who
played seven-up 10 settle The case. 10
was shown by tho prisoners counsel
that the jurymen had played with Q
short deck Of cards. aud tho eourt
thereupon gave him new trial This
was more protracted than tbe iirst, but
it finally resulted In conviction aud .
sentence 10 life imprisonment. Carney
was thereupon escorted Ia his cell and
Che door was closetl pnce ar txiao
when tho turnkey unlocked The boys
in tho morning tho negro wsiked
out with the others. hut they imms.
diately ordered him back, unminlful of
his entrcatics. After he had been thus
kept in solitary confinement for fort.
night the jail authorities had 10 intcs.
fere in his behalf. and Tho court, eth
due solemnity. held . session with tho
culprit present. rcopcned his case, and
formally granted him an unconditional
pardon.