The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-11-21


0ssss lnssssssssa % . naSssssss Tsws-
new the Nsas O~sssAsassA.
The little town of Stockach. I'm Baden,
which has barely 2,O0O inhabitants, enjoys
the peculiar title of Overwhelmingly Narren
Residens"-thas In. the German court ,or
capitan of fools, says (sssseirs Saturday
Journal. The name originated in the priv
ileRe tn the town ny letters
patent. and exercised for GER turtles, of
holding annually at carnival time a public
FOOLS assize, at which all the follics COM
united by the people Of the town and
vicinity were made known and held up tn
public ridicule. According to local
tradition Stockach was the birthplace of
Hans Kuoni, Jester to Leopold, the brother
of Albert the Wise, archduke Of Austria.
1315. the man in motley was asked to cx-
press his opinion of the plans Of the
campaign. WHICH had hrei, adopted in
bells and answered: "YOur speeches
please me little, my masters. for yon only
th,nk and debate how ycu shall enter the
how yO.I shall leave it," The hattie took
place. LA,opOld's forces were defeated and
the. Archduke Albert, 'because the fool
had been wiser than all his brother
co,,nss'iers." gave him the light. ITO sit in
upon the wise' annually in his
native town. and granted many privileges
and immmnities to this fools court
This peculiar tribunal. which met even in
.father of fools" as president. and an mn
limited number Of .fooi. COUNCILLOR" as
associates. The members of the court
met in January tn select the cases tn he
presented to- the court and tn arrange the
programme for the subsequent festival of
place in "a tavern called the Fools inn
and distinguished by n special shield or
tablet on the outer wall: On III Sunday
fantastic arb, drove through the town i'm
"a carriage drawn by four horses, attended
ly notified the attentive. and i'm many
cases anxious. inhabitants that such and
such cases would Inc presented to the. court
day. On the succeeding Thursday "a stout
pole was solemnly erected near the fools
n,intain IN the middle of the town:
documents relating to the establishment
of the fools court were buried. stood in
it was moved To another position. When
the documents were exhiImed they were.
found to he almost illeRiblc. The fools
bury the defaced manuscripts again under
the new foundation of the fountain. This
was done with appropriate ceremonies.
and the old documents. to which was
added u statement of the circumstances of
their discovery, signed by all the members
fountain Z" this day. The pole erected SS
the fountain bore ~ board inscribed: 1.-THE
Fools Genealogical Tree"
Shrove Sunday and Monday were given
who marched through, the streets i'm fam
tastic Dress, as they, did and still do i'm
of the boys maintained IL sort of watch at
the fools tree, and, with ear-splittiuv
noises and blows of whips. drove away all
Corners who were not Enthusiastically attirvd.
I'm reward for this service. each urchin re-
ceivcsl an immense fools cake. On the
eagerly awaited Shrove Tuesday, AT ID
O'Clock in the morning. the members of
the court assembled ON "a great platform
i'm the open air. and the judicial proceed
srnsR. nn.x. .p... 'fn.. f--Is
made their satirical accusations and the
persons convicted of folly. when their
crimes had been described, were pun
isl,ed by having their names entered in
the book of fools. No n was spared.
The guilty ones. without distinction of
rolled among the fools. Protestations
were. of n~oLavail, and whoever v%entureti
to- criticiss' the sentence of the. court, or to
declared to be IL fool himself. alRl his
name WAS pat on thu. roll. When all the
eases had been disposed of "a procession,
headed by the council of fools, marched
through the streets. pa.ising frequently,
especially before the houses of the con-
ersoIs. to read aloud the. sentence.
at the court. tn the great delight of the
The sentence was also affixed
To the doors of the criminals houses.
of which included lively theatre
representation for the popuiacc. IA
banquet at the Fools inn, and another
banquet and dance i'm the evening. On
the next day. Ash "Wednesday. at 4 o'clock
i'm the afternoon the council again as
scmblcd before the Fools inn To bury
their folly. At the head of the procession
rame two young folk bearing immense
keys to the realm of folly. Next
the fools guard. carrying IA parti-
and decorated staff, ON the top of
W which was the bust of Hans kuoni. He
was followed by two fools trs,asurers. who
bore AN ancient carved chest containing
theb books of fool and the records of the
court. Then came the father of fools,
usually the oldest male habita of the
town. The rest of the fools followed,
walking two and two, with bowed heads
and in silence. like attendants ut IA
funeral. the procession had reached
The fools tree il marched around il three
times and then dispersed. and the reign of
folly WAS over for that wear.