Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-04-20

sheriff chained her in the felon's dungeon !!
Such is a brief abstract of the crcumstan-
ces developed IN the examination of wit
nesses. The testimony closed and the
pleading began.
First of all, three advocates spoke in sue
cession for the prosecutions but neither
their names nor their arguments are worth
preserving. Orators of the blood and thun-
der genus, they about equally partioned
their bowling eloquence betwixt the priso-
ner and her leather-robed counsel, as if in
doubt who OF the twain was then on trial.
As for the stranger, he seemed to pay not
the slightest attention TO his opponents, but
remained motionless, with his forehead
bowed on his hands, like one buried in deep
thought or slumber
When the proper time came, however,
he suddenly sprang to his feet, crossed the
bar, and took his position almost touching
the jury. He then commenced in whis-
per, but it was whisper SO wild, so clear,
SO unutterably ringing and distinct, as TO fill
the hall from floor TO galleries. At the out
set, he dealt in puae logic, separating and
combining the proven facts, till the whole
mass of confused evidence looked transpa-
rent as globe of glass, through which the
innocence of his client shone, brilliant as
Sunbeamj and the jurors nodded to each
other signs Of thorough conviction; that
thrilling whisper, and fixed concentration,
and the language, simple as child's, had
convinced all.
He then changed his posture, so as to
sweep the bar with his glance; and began
to tear and rend his legal adversaries.-
His sallow face glowed as heated furnace;
his eyes reSembled living Goals; and his
voice became the clangor of trumpet
| have never, before or since, listened to
such murderous denunciations. ] was
like Jove's eagle charging flock c crows;
it was like Jove himself hurling red-hot
thunderbolS among the quaking ranks of
conspiracy of inferior gods And yet, in
the highest tempest of his fury, he seemed
calm he employed no gesture save one
the flash OF long, bony fore-fnger direct
in the eyes of his foes. He painted their
venality and unmanIy meanness, in coal
escing for money, to hunt down poor and
!riendleSs woman, till shout of siiiled rage
arose from the multitude, and even some
of the jury cried, "Shame"
He changed his theme once more. His
voice grew mournful as a funeral song, and
his eyes filled with tears, as he traced a
vivid picture of mans cruelieS and wo-
mans wrongs, with particular illustrations
in the case Of his client; till one-half OF
the audience wept like children. But it
was in the peroration that he reached his
zenith, at once, of terror and sublimity.-
His features were lIvid as those of a corpse;
his very hair appeared 10 stand on end ;
his nerves shook as with palsy; he tossed
his hands wildly towards heaven, each fin
ger stretched apart and quivering like the
flame of a candle, as he closed with the
last words of the deceased Hiram Shore ::
"Tell my mother that l am dead and gone
to hell" His emphasis on the word hell
embodied the acme and ideal Of all horror
1T was wall of immeaSurable despair
No language can depict the effect on us
who heard it. Men groaned females
screamed, and one poor mother tainted, and
was borne away in convulsons.
The whole speech occupied but an hour.
The jury rendered a verdict of "Not
Guilty." without leaving the box; and
three cheers, like successive roars of an
earthquake, shook the old court house from
the dome TO the corner stone, testifying the
joy OF the people.
After the adjournment, which occurred
near sunset, the triumphant advocate arose
and give out an appointment; 81 will
preach in this hall tonight at o'clock"
He then glided off through the crowd.
speaking to no one, though many attempted
to draw him into conversation.
At s O'Clock the Court House was again
thronged, and the stranger, according to
promise, delivered his sermon. 1t evinced
the same attributes as his previous elo-
quence OF the bar; the same compact logic,
the same burning vehemence, and increased
bitterness of denunciaton. Indeed mis-
anthropy revealed itself as the prominent
emotion. The discourse was a TRADE
against inidels, in which class the preacher
seemed to include every body but himself;
It was a picture of hell, such as Lucifer
might have drawn, with world in flames
for his pencil
But one paragraph pointed 10 heaven.
and that only demonstrated the utter i'm
possibility that any human being should
ever get there.-Great Vest.