The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1850-04-26
From the Cincinnati Great West.
JOHN TAYLOR.
TRIAL FOR MURDER IN ARKANsA
BY CHARLES U uxMERFlELD.


can rever fovget my first vision Of
John Taylor. Itwas atthe Court House
al Lewisburg, Conway County,, Arkan-
sas, IN the summer Of lS3S. 3l az "a
The occasion itself possessed terrible
interest. A vast concourse ofspectutors
had assembled TO witness the trial Of a
young and beautiful girl, on an indict-
ment for murder. The Judge waited at
The moment for the sheriff 10 bring in
his prisoner, and the eyes Of the impa-
tient multitude all centefed on The. door
when suddenly stranger entered, whose
appearance riyited universal attention.
d Ilereis his portrai,:--a figure, tall,
lean, sinewy and straight os an arrow; a
face. sallow, bilious and twitching in
cessanily with nervous irrilability; a
brow, broad, soaring, massive, scanned
with wrinkles, but not from age-for he
was scarcely forty; eyes reddish yellow,
Ike those Of the wratbfuleagle,as bright
and piercing; and fnally al mouth with
lips Of .cast-iron, otbin, curled, cold and
sneering, the intense expressionof which
looked the living embodiment Of an un-
brea,hed curse. He was habited in a
suit lf new bnckskin- ornanonted after
the fashion Of Indian costume, with hues
Of every color oi the rainbow. foe,H9Q
ElboSing his way slowly through the
crowd, and apparently unconscious that
he was regarded as a phenomenon need
ing explanation, this singular being ad-
v,nced, and with the, naughty air Of q
king ascending the throne, seated him.
self within the bar, ,hronged as it was
with the disciples of Coke and Black
stone, several. Of whom, il was known es
teemed themselves as far superior tc
those old and famous masters. ,s7
The contrast between tie outlandist
garb aud disdainful colntenance Of the
stranger, excited, especially, The risibility
Of The lawyers; and the Junior members
began suppressed iil,er, which grew
louder and soon swept around The circle
They doubtless supposed the intruder to
be some wild hunter Of the mountains
who had never before seen the interior o
"a hall Of justice. Instantly the cause
and object Of the laughter perceived it he
tuned his head gradually, SO as TO give
each ,laugher a look; his lips curled witt
d killing smile of infinite scorni his yellow
eyes shot arrows oflightning his tongue
protruding through his teeth. literall!
writhed like a serpent, and CALCULATED III
asp like poison in single word-"Sav
ages" No pen can describe the defian
force which he threw into thai term; NJ
pencil can paint the internal fwor, Of hi
ulterance, although i hardly exceeded !
whisper. But he accented every lette
as if il we're seperate emission Of fir
that scorched his quivering lips; layin.
horrible emphasis on s, both at the be
ginning and end Of the word--"Sava
geS!" ,a,s.lag Vi .es
Il was the grorl ofa red tiger in th'
kiss OF a rattlesnake. vo., N.
/ "Saudges!" e.,,r I; o.~,. os.
The general gaze, however, was I'm
mediateIy diverted by the advent Of th'
4 fair prisoner, who then came in, surroun
ded by her guard. The appa,ilon wa
enough 10 drive a saint mad for hers wa
d style ofbeauty 10 .bewilder the tames
imagination, and melt the coldest heart
leaving in both imagination and heart
cleaning picture, enameled IN fire, an
fixed in a frame Of gold from the STARS
II was the spellof an enchantment to b
| felt IS we'll as seen. You might feel
in The flashes of her countenance, clea
as d Sunbeam, brilliant as the iris in th'
contour Of her features, symmetrical a
! If cut by the chisel of an artist in he
hair Of rich auburn ringlets fowin,
without braid, softer than silk, fine
than gosssamer; in The eyes, blue, as ,h'
heaven Of southern summer, large, liquid
beamy; in her motions, graceful, swimm
ling, like the gentle waftures Of bird
wing in the sunny air; in the figure
slight, e,herial- "a sylph's OF a seraph's
/ lstI| . . -