The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-01-15
The Volunteer Counsel.
A TALE OF JOHN TAYLOR.

We copy the following from the New York
Sunday Times. The subject Of it, John
Taylor,was licensed, when youth of TWEEN,
tN-one, to practise at the bar of this city,
lie was poor, but well educated, and pos
sessed extraordinary genius. The graces Of
his person, combined with the superiority Of
his intellect enabled him to win the hand
OF a fashionable beauty Twelve months
afterwards the husband was employed by a
wealthy firm Of the city to 90 on Il mission
as land-agcn, to the West. As heavy sal.
ar, WAS offered, Tnl or bade farewell to his
wife and infant son. lie wrote back every
week, but received not line in answer. Six
months elapsed, when the husband received
il letter iion his employers that explained
all. Shortly after his departure for the
West, the wife and her father removed to
Mississippi There she immediately obtain
cd divorce by an act Of the legislature,
married again forthwith, and, to complete the
climax Of cruelty and wrong, had the namo
of Taylor's son changed to Marks-that Of
her second matrimonial partner! This per-
iidy nearly drove Taylor insane. His Ca
reer, from that period, became eccentric in
the last degree; sometimes he preached
sometimes he pleaded at the barr until, at
last fever carried him off at comparative
ly carly age.-Phialeiplia Bulletin.
AT an early hour on the 10Th of April
1910, the Court House in Clarksvillc, Texas.
was crowded TO overlooking. Save in .he
war-limes past there had revcr been wit
messed such a gathering in Red River Coun-
iy, while the Strengthening, apparent on ev.
cry flushed face throughout the assembly,
betokcned some great occasion. A concise
narrative of facts will sufficiently explain the
matter.
About the close of 80, Geo. Hopkins, one
Of the wealthest planters and most influential
men Of Northern Texas, offered great in
suit to Mary Elliston, the young and beauti-
lul wife Of his chief overseer The husband
threatened to chastse him for the outrage,
whereupon Hopkins loaded his gun and went
to Elliston's & shot him in his own door. The
murderer was arrested, and baled to answer
the charge This occurrence produced in
tense excitement; and Hopkins, in order to
turn the tide of popular opinion, or at least
to mitigate the general wrath, which at first
was violent agains: him, circulated reports
iniamously prcjudcia to the character of she
woman who had already suffered such wrong
at his hands. She brought her suit for SLAM
der And thus the two causes, one criminal,
and the other civil, and both out OF the same
tragedy, were pending in the April Circuit
Court, for 1910.
The interest naturally felt by the com
munlty, as TO the issues, became far deepef
when it was known that Ashley and Pike, of
Arkansas, and the celebrated S. S. Prentiss
OF New Orleans, each with enormous fees
had been retained by Hopkins for his de-
fence.
The trial, on the indictment for murder,
ended on the 18th of April,with the acquitla
OF Hopkins. Such result might well have
been foreseen, by comparing the talents of
the counsel engaged on either side. The
Texan lawyers were utterly overwhelmed
by the argument and elcquence of their op-
ponents. 1t was a fight Of dwarfs against
giants.
The SANDER suit was set for the 9th, and
the throng Of spectators grew in numbers as
well as excitement; and what may seem
strange, the current Of public sentiment now
ran decidedly for Hopkins. His money had
procured pointed witnesses, who served most
efficiently his powerful advocates. Indeed,
so triumphant had been the success of the