Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-01-16
TRIBUNAL or FOOLS


which has barely 1000 Inhabitants, en-
joys the peculiar title OF ''Deutschland's
Narren Residene"-that is, the German
court Tor capitAD of fools, says Cassell's
"a, IrdAy Journal The name origin. ted
in the privilege accorded to the town by
letters patent, and exercised for cent
uries, of holding annually at carnival
time public FOOLS essize, at which all
the follies committed by the people Of
the town and vicinity were made known
and held up to public ridicule. Accord
ing to local tradition Stockach was the
birthplace of Hans Kuoni, jester to Leo
pold, the brother Of Albert the Wise,
Archduke Of Austria. Just before the
battle of Morgarten, in 1915, the man in
motley was asked to express his opinion
of the plans Of the campaign, which had
been adopted in his presence. Hans
shook his cap and bells and answered:
"Your speeches please me little, my
masters, for you only think and debate
how you shall enter the enemy's terri
tory, but take no thought how you shall
leaveit." The battle took place. Leopold's
forces were defeated and escaped death
almost by miracle. Then the Arch
duke Albert, "beoause the fool had
been wiser than his all brother coun-
sellers" gave him the right "to sit in
judgment upon the wise' annually in
his native town, and granted many priv
ileges and immunities to this "fools'
court" This peculiar tribunal, which
met even in the present century, was
composed Of the "father of fools" as
president, and an unlimited number of
''fool councillors" as associates, The
members of the court met in January to
select the cases to be presented to the
court and to arrange the programme for
the subsequent festival Of fools. These
preliminary meetings took place in q
tavern called the Fools Inn and dis
tinguished by q special shield or tablet
on the outer wall. On the Sunday be-
fore Shrove Sunday tho fools clerks, in
fantastic garb, drove through the town
in carriage drawn by four horses at
tended by negro footmen and outriders,
and loudly notified the attentive, and in
many cases anxious, inhabitants, that
such and such cases would be presented
to the court to be- held on the approach
ing Shrove Tuesday.
Shrove Sunday and Monday were
Si'Sh OFoL OO'NAO JOuuB OE Cu0
children, who marched through the
streets In fantastic dress, as they did,
and still do, in many other places.
Meanwhile number of the boys main
tG.ined . sort of watch at the fools
tree, and, with ear-splltting noises and
blows Of whips, drove away all corners
who were not Enthusiastically attired. In
reward for this service each urchin re-
ccived an immense fools cake. On the
cagerly-awaited Shrove Tuesday, at ten
o'clock in the morning, the members OF
the court assembled on great platform
in tho open air, and the judicial pro-
cocdings were begun. The fools prose-
cutorS made their satirical accusations,
and the persons convicted of folly, when
their crimes had been described, were
punished by having their names en-
tered in she book OF fools. No one was
spared. The guilty ones, without
distinction OF person, were public
" ridiculed and enrolled among the
fools. PrOtestations were of no
avail, and whoever ventured to ortiz
cjSo the sentence Of the court or
to speak in favor Of the convicted fools
was declared to be q fool himself
ana Ms name was put on the
roll. When all the cases had
been disposed Of o procession, headed
hy the council of fools, marched
through the streets, pausing fire.
Qucntly, especially before the houses of
tho convicted persons, to read aloud the
&yntenoe Of the court to the great de-
light OF the populace. The sentence
WAS also affixed to the doors Of the GRIM
inols' houses. Then began the festival
Of fools, the programme Of which In
Guided lively theatrical represent alton
for the populaoe, banquet at the Fools
Inn and another banquet and dance In
tho evening. On the next day, Ash
Wednesday, at four o'clock in the after
noon, the council again assembled be-
fore the Fools Inn to bury their folly.
At the head of the procession came two
young folk bearing immense keys-the
l.. 60 hn - HzlI