The oasis., 1901-08-31
Queer Practices
ED OASIS:

Dear Sir. l am a visitor in your beautiful town and having noticed a few things that can exist no where else than in the rare and refined al. mosphere Of Arizona l wish to com. ment upon them as l may sometime in the future decide to locate here.
 l happened to drop into Justice Neuman's court Wednesday when your city jailer, MT James Durnell was arraigned on the charge of turn ing prisoner loose from his custody and the procedure was the most unique thing l ever saw l wish to report it for you.
 Court was called to order the pris- Oner t?) MT. D., coming in from the street where he has been imprisoned | for the past three days. Mr. White side, the sheriff, appeared for the prisoner and throwing the papers in case upon the table said. ''l have been notified by the board of super visors that you have no bond and l refuse to hold the prisoner
 MT. Neuman said: "I have not been notified and 1 refuse to stop, unless they have ordered you to notify me. Have they SO notified vou?n No" replied MT. Wh iteside "They haven't
 Just at this point MT. Fredrick Nave stepped forward and said: Il am not connected with this case. but interfere as citizenn and turning 10 MT. Neuman, continued, They are trying 10 rob you of your bund, hut they cannot vacate it without giving ten days notice"
 MT Whiteside continued mkinag re. marks and finally said This ain't no action against Jim, MT. Durnelll it is an attsck on the sheriffs office and won't take any orders from the outfit and strode out Of the office saying Come On Jim
 But Jim was deep in consultation with NIT McLemore, the U $ district attorney who happened to be present and who, like white winged dove Of peace was trying to pour grease upon the troubled waters.
 After some farther cursory con versa tiun MT. Neuman continued the case until Friday.
 This case arises from the fact, it is averred by MT. Neuman, that man was brought before him charged with petty larceny He was tried and com mitted to jail for five days, but at the end of thirty hours was at large. having been turned loose by the jailer, as he claims on orders from Mir Whiteside who in turn claims, it is said, he is acting on orders from the Board of Supervisors, who in turn, am told. plead economy.
 The prisoner over whom this trouble arose was no sooner out of jail than he again stole, was arrested, taken before Mr Ashley, who found him guilty and sent him up for ten days, when he was at once liberated, ac- cording to popular rum0r.
 l am told the board of Supervisors are acting in The interest of the Baby County" which is already deeply in debt, but your citizens are already inquirng how it Is more economical 10 arrest d man twice lOfficers fees B 30 for each arreSt) try him twice Court fees as much more. at least than to have boarded him five days al twenty or thirty cents d neal And l would like to know what authority 1 your board has for emptying your jail, more especially when they are not in ! session and the minutes of the board l show DO entry of such resolution passed
 At the conclusion Of what the boys 1 are now calling the kangaroo court there were many comments, jocnlar and otherwise about MT Whitesider's | first appearance as an attorney, upon his offensive and dogmatic m nner". and upon "Mr Durnells willingness to listen to good advice and not try l and run the county as the sheriff is doing"
 The proceedings above mentioned have left bad taste in the mouth of the public of your city and while, as a stranger and 'looker on in Vienna" 1 have no personal interest in the matter I should like to know what sort of judicial system your town is under anyway?
 CALIFORNIA.