The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-01-11
THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.
4 TALE OF JOIN Taylor.

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THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.
4 TALE OF JoHY TAYLOR
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John Taylor was licensed, when youth Of
twenty one, to practice at the bar Of this citv.
He was poor, but well educated. and possessed
every 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
pf the city, tp go ona mission as land agent to
the West.-As heavy salary was oaered, Taylor
bade farewell to his wife and iniant son. He
wrote back every week, but received not a line
in angwer Six months elapsed, when he re-
Iceived a letter from his employers that explain.
ed all. Shortly after his departure for the west.
the wife and her father removed TO the Missis
IsPpi There, she Immediately, obtained d
vor. e by act of the Legislature, married
r again forthwith, and to complete the climax OF
base cruelty and wrong, had the name Of Tay-
lor 3 son changed to Marks---that of her sec md
matrimonial partner. This pcrfdy nearly rend-
cred Taylor insane. His career from that De.
rod became eccentric in the first degree At
last a fever carried him off at comparatively
early age.
At an early hour on the 9th Of April, 1910.
the court house in Clrksville, Texas was
crowded to o1erfowing. Save in the war'times
past, there had never been such a gathering in
Red River county, while the strong feeling ap-
parent on every flushed face will sufficiently
explain the matter
At the close Of 1889, George Hopkins, one
of the sea!thiest planters and most influential
men Of Northern Texas, offered a gross nsul,
It, Mary Elliston, The yonng and beautiful wife
Of his chief overseer. The husband threatened
10 chas'ize him for the Outrage, wllereupon the
planter loaded his gun. went to ElIiston house
and shot him in his own door. The murderer
vas arrested, and bailed 70 answer the charge
This occurrence produced Intense excitement,
and Hopkins, in order to turn the tide of popu
lar op mon, or at least to mitigate the general
wrath which at first was violent against him,
Icircs!a'ea reEorts iniaInoqsiy prejudicsl to the
character of the woman W ho had suffered such
cruel wrong at his hands She brought sui,
tor s.ander.-And thus two cases, one criminal
and the other civil, and both out of the same
tragedy, were pending in the April Circui,
Court for $40.
The interest, naturally by The community
| as TO the issues, became far deeper " hen il was
known tba, Ashley and Bike, of Arkanaae, and
! the celebrated Prentists. Of New Orleans, each
with enormous fees, had been retained by Hop
Kins for his defence.
The trial for the indictment Of murder ended
on the 9Th Of April, with the acquital Of Hop
kins. Such result might well have been FORE
seen, by comparing the talents of the counsel
engaged on either side. The Texas lawyers
were utterly overwhelmed by the arguments
and superior eIoquences of the distinguished OPP
ponents. 1t was fight as Of dwarf with |
g ants
The SANDER suit wrs set for the 9th, aad the |
throng OF spectators grew in number well as
excitement. And what may seem strange, the |
current of public sentiment now ran decidedly |
for Hopkins. His money had purchased point
ed witnesses, who served most efficiently his
powerful advocates Indeed so triumphant had |
been the success of the previous day, that when
the SANDER called, Mary Elliston was
left without an attorney-they had all with
drawn. The pigmy petifogger dared not brave
again the sharp wit of Pike, and the scathing |
thunder of Prentss. 4
s.iave you counsel p inquired Judge
Mills Of the plaintiff
"Na, sir, they have all deserted me, and |
am too po,r 10 employ any more,' said Mary,
bursting into tears.
rous memberof the profession volunteer?" in.
quired the Judge, gancing anxiousiy around
the bar
The thirty Texan lawyers were all silent ss
death.
Judge M. repeated the question.
81 will, your honor, exclaimed a voice
from the thickest part of the crowd--situated |
behind I he bar.
At the tones Of that voice many started half from
their seats; aud not heart in that immense
throng but which beat something quicker-it
was uneathly, sweet, clear, ringing, soft
and mcurnful.
The first sensation, however, was changed to |
general laughter, when tall, gaunt, spectral
figure, that nobody present Remembered having |
seen before, ebowed his way through the crowd
and placed himself within the bar. His appear
ance was problem t, the sphynx himself His
hi oh, pale brow, and small nervously twitching |
face seemed alive with the concentrated essence |
and cream of genius: but then his nfantile blue
eyes, hardly visible beI,eath their massive arch |
es looked dim, dreary, almost unconscious; and
his clothing shabby that The court hesi-
tated 10 let the cause proceed under his man
agement
/" Hasyour name been entered upon the rolls |
Of this State?' demanded Judge Mills suspi- |
ciously.
"It is inmatera about my name being upon
your rolls ansYered The Stranger, his thin |
lips curling up into fcndish sneer.-'. | may
be allowed to appear once by the courtesy of
the court and bar Here is my license from the |
highest tribunal in Amcrica,' handing Judge !
Mills broad parchment.
The trial Immediately went on
In the examination uf whine SeS the stranger
evinced bat little ingenuity, as was commonly |
thought He suffered each one TO tell his own
story without interruption, though he cnntrived !
to make each tell it over two three times. |
He pu, a few cross questions, which, with keen
witnesses only serve to correct misiak $, and
he made no notes, which, in mighty memories,
always tend to enbarrass. The examination I
being ended, as counsel for the paint It he had |
right to Tie opening speech as well as the |
close, but to the astonlshment OF every one he I
declined the former, and allowed the defence to
lead off Then shad might have been OBJ
served to fit across the features OF Pike. anc
10 dai ken even the bright eyes ot PreDtss,
They saw that they had 'scaushta Tartar
but who ii was, or how IT happened, was i'm
possible TO -conjectuie. ~
Col Ashley spoke hrst. He dealt the jury
dish of tina, close dry logic, which years after
rendered him famous in the Senate Of the
Uninn.
Tic poet, Albert Pike, followed with rich !
vein Of wit and hail torrent of ridicule, in
which you may be su e neither the plaintiff nor
.he plaintiff s'fagged attorney, were either Tor
gotten or spared.
The great Prrntiss concluded for the defend-
ant with glow or gorgeous words, brilliant
as shower Of falling stars, and with final
burst Of oratory that brought the House down |
with applause, in which the jury themseives
Joined, notwithstanding the stern 'Order, OF
the bench. Thus wonderfully suscep ible are
The south western people to inpassioned eio- I
quence.
1t was then the strangers turn. He had re-
manned apparently distracted during all the |
pre- yious speeches. Still, and straight, and