Arizona silver belt., 1895-06-01
COUNTY JAIL CLUES.
A Quoo Organization Of Prison-
 ers Behind tho Bars.
The Kangaroo Court and Its Various oaicials--An Initiation Into the Mysteries of the Mys-
 tio order.


 The most interesting of these i'm promptu clubs is the one called in the vernacular "'phc Kangaroo Court '~ It is found almost entirely in county jails iu which petty offenders and persons awaiting trinl are confined During the day, writes Josiah Flynt in liar por'S Magazine, the prisoners arc all lowed tho freedom of large hall, and at night they lodge in cells the locks of which are sometimes fastened and sometimes not. The hall contains cables, benches daily papers, and in some instances stoves and kitchen uten- sils, The prisoners can and do walk jump and play various games. After awhile these games become tiresome end 'sThc Kangaroo Court Is formed It consists of all the prisoners, and the officers are elected by them, The posi- tions they nll are the 'judgeship, tho "searehership,' the "spankership, and general iuryship," To illustrate the duties of these various officials, I shall give personal experience in county jail in New York state. It was my first encounter with The Kangaroo Court.
 had been arrested for sleeping in an empty "box car" The watehman found me and lodged me in the station house, where spent Q most gloomy night, wondering what my punishment would be. Early In the morning was brought before the squire" He asked me what my name might be, and I re- piled that it might be Billy Rice
 What are you doing around here, Hlly2 be queried further
 Hooking for work your honor
 Thirty days. he thuuderCd at me, and ] was led away Co the jail proper. had three companions at the time, and after we had passed the sherifl end his clerk who had noted down all che facts, imaginary and otherwise, that we had cared to give him about onr family histories, we were ushered pai.mgl into the large hall Sur rounded in twinkiing by the other prisoners, We were asked to explain agT general principles and misdemean- ors This over, and few salutations exchanged a tall and lanly rogue cried out ia a loud voice:
 "The Hdngru will now llect.'
 There were about twenty present, and they soon planted themselves about us in a most solemn manner Some rested on their launches, others lounged against Che walls, and still others sat quietly on thc hagstones, hs soon as entire quiet had been req hed the tall fellow, who, by the way wa5 he judge instructed half, grown companion, whom be nialinamed the searehCr, to bring his charges against the newcomers. He ap- preached us solcmnlg and in @ most conventional manner, and said
 ''frlsoncrs-you are cnarged with haTin' poodle in ger pockets Wha does yc plead guilty or not guilty2"
 was the first in line, and pleaded not guilty
 ,Are ye wiIlin' to be searched?" asked Che judge.
 am, yonr honor I replied
 Then the seargher inspected all my pockets, the lining oi my coat. the leather band inside my hat my shoes and socks and, finding nothing in the shape of money, declared that I was gui,dess
 "You ere discharged, exclaimed Che judge and the jury ratified the decision with a grunt.
 \ young fellow, a vagran, by profcs sion, was the next case. He blended not guilty, and allowed himself to be searched But unfortunately he had forgotten a solitary cent which was in bis vest pocket It was quickly confis- cated and he was remaudgd for trial on ale charge of contempt of the Kan Eru.' The next victim pleaded guilty to the possession of tldrty-six cents, and was relieved Of half The last man, the guiltcst of all, although hcp,caded innocence, was found out, and his three dollars were taken away from him in sjauter, Ie too, was charged with eo1temp. of court. His caso came up soon after the pTcliminaries were over. and he was sentenced by the judge Co walk the length of the corridor one hundred and two times each day of his confinement besides washing all the dishes used after dinner for week
 After all the trials were over, the confseated money was handed to the genuine turnkey, with instructions that it be invested in tobacco. Later in the day the tobacco was brought into the iail and equally divided among all the prisoners
 The next day l. with the other late arrivals, was initiated as member of the kangaroo court Itwas a very sim, plo proceeding. had to promise that l would always do my share of thc nee oasary cleaning and washing, and also bo honest and fair in judging the cases which might come mp for trial
 since then have had opportunities of studying other kangaroo courts, but they have all been very much like the one l have just described. They are both socia!isic and autouatic, and at times they are very funny But wher- ever they are they command the re- speet of jailbirds, and if e prisoner in i suits thc court he is punished very severely Moreover, it ayails him noth- ing to complain to the authorities He l has too many against him, and the best thing he can do is to become one of them as soon as possible
 4 Pretty Description.