The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-08-23
t.rffe NoEr1r1t.a.ar gssal1f1s

lie was poor, but we'll educated, and possesse
extraordinary genius. Che graces of his pc
son, combined with the superiority of his illte
Il lect, enabled him to win the hand Of flasher
able beauty. Twelve months afterwards, Il
husband was employed BIZ a wealthy firm Of Il
elty, to go on q mission as land agent te, Il
" west. As a heavy salary was offered, Tayl
bade farewell to his wife and infant son Il
wrote back every week, but received not ain
III answer. Six months elapsed, when he II
eelyed letter from his employers which q
planned all Shortly after bis departure for Il
: west, the wife and her father removed to BIS
sissppi. There she immediately obtaiSed
divorce by an act Of the Legislature. lartia
: i again forthwith and 70 complete the.climax .
base cruelty and wrong had the nstne Of Tay
| lor's son changed to Marks-thes1of her secont
matrimonial partner
II This perfidy nearly rendered Taylor insane
/ His career from chat pestod became eccentri,
in the first degree. 4 slast fever carried hin
of at comparatively carly age.
At an early houpon the 9th of April, l84o
the court house in Olarksrille, Texas, was fllet
Il to overfowing. Save IL The war times past
! there had never been sch d gathering in$tht
Red River country, while the strong feeling an
parent on every flushed face will Sufficiently
.4explain the mater.
/ AT the close Of 1889, 5eoree Hopkins, one
Of the wealthiest planters and most influential
men in northern Texas, Bfered a gross insult
to Mary Eliston, the young and beautiful wife
Of his chief foyerseer, TB5hasband threatened
to chastise him for The ouFage, whereupon tho
planter loaded his gun, wat to Elliston' house
and shot him in his own dor The murderer
was arrested, and bailed ts answer the charge.
This occurrence produced immense excite
nent, and the murderer, IN order to turn the
tide of popular opinion, orto mitigate the GEN
eral wrath that was vioIen against him, circu-
lated reports infamously prjudieial to the char
acter of the woman who had suffered such
cruel wrong at bis hands. She brought a suit
for SANDER, Thus two ca4s, one criminal and
the other civil, and both on Of the same trag-
edy, were pending in the 4fpril eircuitcourt for
I34O.
/ The interest naturally fot by the community
as to The issues, became fai deeper when it was
known that Ashley and Pike, OF Arkansas, and
the celebrated Prentiss, ofNew Orleans, each
With enormous fees, had ben retained By Hop
kins for his defence .=
The trial for the indictment Of murder ended
on the 9th Of April, with he acquittaI Of Hop
kins, Such a result mightwell have been for
seen, by comparing the tdents of the counsel
eDgaged on either side. The Texas lawyers
were utterly overwhelmed by the arguments
and superior eloquence Of their distinguished
opponent. It was a fight Is OF dwarf with
giants.
The SANDER suit was setfor the 9th, and the
throng OF spectators grew in numbers as well
as excitement And Wh&tmay seem strange,
the current Of public sentiments now ran deci-
dedly for Hopkins. His money had purchased
certain witnesses, who served most efficiently
bis powerful advocates. Indeed Sc triumphant
had been the successes Of the previous day shat
when the aIander suit was called, Mary Ellis
ton was leE 'sa5.ea ~, an attorney--they had d+ak
Withdrawn. 4he pigflTs speEHfd&gers de not
brave aeasetha sharp wit Of i he ard the
scathing nunder Of P1etItiss. /
"H~e vou no coaAsel2' inquired Judge
MI oE tte plaintiff
'&s, SIT, they bave all deserted noe, and
eEn 1''' poor to employ ang more, said Marry,
5ursaag into teas T
''ta such q case, will there not some ehivaI- /
eous member Of the profession volunteer" Id
4uired the judge, glancing anxiousIy round
Tie bar .--- E
Jaoge NJ. repeated the question.
u will, your honor, exclaimed voice from
he tbicGest partof the croHl-sitaated behind I,
D. bar 49,. /,
4s.>9.e tones Of that 95aee many started haJf
or- s,, au3 :, 3IL,ts: and fat heart in that inn
'G.'os Is 1i|," q o~' S,hich b@atsomething quicker
1t "' 81 s'i0"t ''l19 get clear sinpirsr soft
nd mounful. ,''if
The first sensation, howert. x,.s..1. - \
general laughter, when IL ,1f, 80 ~
gure, that nobody present rem -. =
cen before, elbowed his way thronghSa1 " 'ls.s'
nd placed himself within Tie bar. T&Fs52Gao
earance was a problem te The spbynE hlnset
ishigh, pale brow, and small nergously witch 7,
lg face seemed alive with the concentrated es-
ence and cream of genius; but then his lnfan-
lie blue eye, hardly visible beneath their mas
i've arches, looked dim, dreary, almost uncon-
cious, and bis clothing was so shabby that the
onrthesitated 70 let the case proceed underh his +,
r
Has your name been entered upon the rolls
f the state2" demanded Judge Mills, suspi- +
iously.
1t is immaterIal about my name being upon
'our rolls" I" answered the stranger, his thin lips
urling up into fendish sneer. Il may be al
owed to appear once by The courtesy Of the !,
ourt and bar, Here is my license from the
highest tribunal in America" handing Judge
tills broad parchment. The trial inamedi=
teF went On.
In the examination Of witnesses the stranger
yineed butlittle ingenuity, as was commonly
bought, lie suffered each to tell his own stozH
Y without interruption, though he contrived
o make each tell ii over two or three times
Ie put i few cross questions, which, with
een witnesses only serve to correct mistakes,
nd he made no votes, which in mighty menlo-I
les always tend 10 embalrass. The examine
eing ended, as counsel fof plaintiff, he had q
ight to the opening speech as well a. the close,
ut, to the astonlshment Of every one be de-
lined the former and allowed the defense to
ead off Then a shadow naight have been OBJ
erYed to fiji across the features Of Pike, and /
) darken even the bright eye Of Prentlss.-
hey saw that they had ''eaaght Tartar, znlif
Fho twas, OF how II happened, was Impossible /
. conjecture.
Col. Ashley spoke frst. He.dWelt the jury
isl, Of that close. dry logic, which years after