The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-02-13
Laine s burg Gossip.

This lovely retreat has been practically
rim-racked by a rascal who came here from
Lansing to ferret out the perpetrators of our
recent burglaries. His name was Pointer
and he arrested three suspects, put them i'm
our lookup until he and they we've fired
out when he took them to COrunna. and
they were released on examination. Then
he went for man by the name of Colby
who had innOcently passed bogus dollar
on one of our merchants, and squeezed $13
out of him to avoid threatened prosecu-
ton. About this time the public got onto
his racket and u. S. Mashall Able, also of
Lansing, came down and incOntinently had
him locked up for safe keeping. Pointer
wasn't locked up much too quick to save the
good name and fame of our peaceful vii
lage. The following day he was taken to
Lansing before U. s. commissioner and
bound over for trial. 1t Is rather humiliat-
ing to think that such scalawag could
come here and do us up that way, but he
did. / understand also that our learned
prosecuting attorney said that the village
president had no right to fire him and his
prisoners out of our lookup after keeping
them there nearly week without war
rant. 1t may be so and that any skeescks
can come here and use our village property
for Jail as long as he chooses without fee
or reward, but there are so many things that
he don't know that shall be 10th to believe
this statement until l get cOrrobative EVIL
dence. This reminds me that we need more
prosecuting attorneys for the present one
has his head. heart, hands and pockets so
full of business that he really hasn't time to
do anything much, not for this section at
least, and we have to wait weeks for him,
and people are put to unnecessary cost on
4l.oS ,x.k 10 g, -, -.
salary and to devote his time when needed
to the prosecution of criminals and not to
his own private business. Maybe he does,
but if so, there is stock of rascals i'm this
county out of all proportion to its popula-
ton, or slow going method of disposing of
them.
Speaking of criminals. that Nellie Griffin
affair at Dimondale ought to satisfy our
white-livered philanthrOpists that it is about
time we returned to capital punishment. If
such brutes as Garfield would only practice
on the families and friends of our soft
shelled legislators, that yclept honorable
body might be induced to submit the uues-
ton of rope stretching for such fellows, to
the people, and unless the idiots and villains
are in the majority in this state, the thing
would carry. If any one has doubt rela-
tive to the deterrent effect of hanging, look
at the case of Bllnkey MOrgan-knOwn be-
You'd doubt to be guilty of the murder of
an officer here, but wanted i'm Ohio where
he was arrested, for previous murder
How he struggled and exhausted every re-
source to have his trial in Michigan, where
he knew he would be convicted. Why?
Because Ohio people know no better than
to hang brutal murdercrs, as they did him,
while aesthetic, high neral, high toned and
chicken-hearted Michigan is altogether too
highly educated and enlightened to indulge
in such cruelty. Bah! In this county ac-
c0rding to recent experience, we can't con-
vict red handed murderer under our pres
ent sheepish law. Under capital punish
ment the jury would probably have liberated
him and also given him chrome to remem-
Der them by. Our jury law is unique
continuance to defeat the ends Of justice.
The church bell ringers here have queer
way of giving the bell three rapid knocks to
wind up tolling it. II has startling effect,
for 1t strikes the ear like fire alarm for an
instant. 1t may be all right however for
presume most of them believe in hell-fire
and such suggestive knoll on the end OF
their ringing may bring some people TO their
senses.
Rev. Desjardins OF the ME-. church is now
holding protracted meetings and 1 am try
ing my level best to get some of my friends
and neighbors to 20 and get converted, but
don't know as 1t will do them any good
after all. A friend of mine was about to
sue delinquent and impudent debtor up in
Middlebury when one of the older church
members there tried to persuade him not to
DO 1t just now, for the man had recently
oeen converted. lie wanted to know of me
what l thought of 1t. told him to sue hin,
vt once before he got cooled off, for he
might on the strength of his religion and the
writ together get something out of him, and
{ his conversion didn't extend down to his
rocket, 1t better be ascertained right off,
md not let the fellow 90 round with moth.
NC but religious blouse on, when he
should have fall suit.
The old man Weatherwax is kind hearted