The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-05-28
C. q. McCaushna Resigns.

At the council meeting Monda.
evening, Col. George B. McCaughnf
presented his resignation, of the of
flee of municipal justice, to take eff
feet June /. The resignation wa:
accepted, and Gustave F. Friege
was appointed to fill the vacancy
until the expiration of the term
July 4. Mr.. Friegel will then be
filling the office to which he wa:
elected in April.
Col. McCaughna's reason fol
rendering his resignation at this
time, is that military duties will
claim his attention for nearly the
whole month of June, after which
he will leave on an extended trip to
California and the Yukon exposition
Col. McCaughna was elected to
the Office on the Democrat ticket
three times, by majorities of from
800 to 900 in the face of 500 Re-
publican majority in the city.
The records shows that in the
nearly twelve years of his incum-
bency, 2425 criminal cases were dis
posed of, while more than $500 civ
ii actions were commenced The
criminal matters are divided into
259 assault and battery cases, 247
nOn-support cases, 255 larceny cases
SO violations of the liquor law, 3
murder and 1902 disorderly, jul
venile disorderly. false pretenses,
adultery, and assault with intent to
murder cases.
OF the SO cases for violation of
the liquor law, 26 were discharged
on examination on motion of the
prosecuting attorney, and 33 were
sent to the circuit court for trial
There was not much doing in the
matrimonial line. only 40 weddings
having been recorded during the
twelve years, and as far as can be
ascertained, all but one couple lived
happily.
Patrick Cavanaugh holds the
record for the number of arrests.
he having been in court fifteen times
during the twelve years, besides the
many times arraigned in other
courts.
Speaking of the above figures this
morning Col McCaughna said:
'Those books are the records OF
much suffering and disappointment
except. OF course, THE marriage rec
ords, and | presume that major
ity of the defendants int he nearly
three thousand criminal cases and
the losers in the civil cases rejoice
with me in my retirement. But
candidly, if the salary were doubled
it would be no inducement to me 70
continue hearing nothing but the
dark side of life. Twelve years of
such work is quite enough. During
that period ten different mayors
have presided, and five times that
number have come and gone as
members of the city council, and
from each and every man have re-
ceived the utmost consideration and
courtesy. The members of the bar
and citizens generally have been
verya kind and generous, and If err
ror crept in. as surely it did many
times during twelve years service,
| would that the error be charged to
the head and not the heart.
81 am confident that the tradi-
tional SO guilty individuals have
escaped during my three terms and
l am equally confident that no in
nocent man has been punished. r
never found any pleasure in pass
Ing sentence on an unfortunate, and
what may have appeared to them as
extreme punishment appeared to
me as plain duty. I have no apology
to make to the individual WHO
deemed himself wronged in the trial
Of civil cases. If not satisfied with
the decision, he could appeal, as
many did and found that the higher
court was quite as obstinate as the
lower. | am pleased to turn over
the task to such competent gen.
tleman as Mr.. Friegel He will |
bring new life and new ideas to the
office, which. will, I am sure. prove |
to all concerned"