Smyrna times., 1858-04-08
A THRILLING SKETCH.
A Thrilling Scene In Court.
BY MEN. CON.


Not many years ago, was law student in
Ii, Virginia, where a circumstance once
occurred which not only gave me total dis
taste tor my profession, but was ultimately the
cause of my leaving it forever. Ii gave me
horror, for 1t was utterly overwhelming.
IL was August court. The hot summer sun
struck vertically downward upon the roof OF
the building, so that neither respect for Judge
or jury prevented the general stripping off of
e0a's
II was an intensely interesting case then on
trlaL A murder, too revolving IN its partIcu
t4rS 10 even appear in print, had been commit
ted few months before A poor wiIoN lady
was found one night with her throat cut open
from ear to ear; and suspicion which had be-
tore strongly pnlnted towards the prisoner at
the bar. was fully proved upon him--the fact
that the old lady had several important deeds
IN her p1Sse islOn, the acquisition of which
would have been to the pecuniary adVantag ge of
the prisoner; the finding of these papers in his
room, and further. the fact that a quantity of
silver coin, much of 1t very old Spanish pieces,
was found Hn his person, were considered strong
c0'rodoratIng proof 10 fact the prisoner was
already convicted man, long ere has counsel
attempted any defence. The Jury appeared So
taOrOlghly unanimous against hun, that they
were little disposed to hear another speech up
on the subject; while the Judge ALSO in sleepy
81, was only wide awake enough /. co5Itate
IN hIs nnd the best form for sentencing the
desperate criminal beflre hin.
THIS last individual was, uutYardlv, at least.
the N 'st uncOncerned person present. Most OF
the time his head res ed on the railing be-
tore hun; or at other tunes his face would be
bIrled IL his hands, to shield him from the rae
at the curious ana Iinpertneut multitude around
arm. HIS head ever hung d0wn, aud told of Il
spirit once perhaps brave and bold, but now bro.
ken and crushed.
The Commonwealth had not nc lee ted to fol-
10" tue usual track upon this occasion, and IN
TINS crashed spirit had seen the marks of con.
scous guilt. 1t would have been the sams had
he been innocent, for the position itself, aud
the disgrace atlendInt upnn II, ware indeed
causes tor the manll- st and the purest heart To
shrink.
The prlso counsel, George Green, was
it ie Known. lie WIS Il mnruse, tacIturn man.
never mlnJiInI III company; with pale tace
aud cold gray eye, wh.cn at times was lit up
with d"ndnIacal nres. Tie contiued ,i,nsef
closely To his aJlrtnenls, and when he did ma ke
his appearance. his torDhIden aspect made him
an avoided min.
Many we're the stories, dire and dread circu-
htei ao0ut TINS " strange lawyer" as he was
called but they gave hun little uneasiness, aud
III flct. the fear aud aversion that existed to-
wards hun appeared to be all that was ca lculated
TO give hlm p.easure. That he noticed it, was
gu nclently .laIn, since, when the little groups
OF Children VIII IN he met, saw him, they would
"a crnlchIng TO e1ch other, aad then he would
tarh upon tue n cold glance. and perhaps
snle 1t strange and horrld vacancy.
TINS was the first cause he had attempted to
argue, AMI the fact added not little to its at
trlctInns
lie cane into court with the bosom of his
shirt thrown open. displaying rough and hairy
breast, which was seen to heave up and down
with tue storm of em0ti0us conflicting within.
lie was accompanied by lank, yet powerful!
6Iood hound, as repulsve as his master. These
two beings were seldom seen apart.
Green allowed the witnesses to 90 away un-
examined, hut the fact caused little surprise
since It was thought to be in character with
the man.
The cause of the State was argued with
much ability and force, Judge, jury and specta-
tors being impressed with the enornity of the
OiF-nce. When 1t came the turn OF the defence
he did mt answer until after several calls, and
thea only by a loOk-retnindin9 one of the look
OF a tJSt 6eiIg. His dog, before lying at his
feet. erecte1 himself aud kept that positIon.-
II was full five minutes or more that Green
STOOD, hIs gazing and mute, when. in a voice
that WIS 100 sweet aud musIcIl for its source
he CO nnenced his speech. Ii was at first no
a'gu nent, but plea, prayer for mercy. Low
and plil1tIVeiy he plead-sadly, aud OH how
sidlY ne Inplnred that living being might not
be destroyed, Ct marked the word) and then, as
he closed the last senteace, his voic! changed
into a tre .n5iHg wall, like the cry OF child
for nOurishment. without any distinct articula-
tOn, anl the dog by his side from his blood red
mouth, sent forth with him a howl as of pain
and anguish Tne scene itself was eloquence
un meaning AMI IudIscribable. II called forth
more than ~ne tear. splendid tragic acting
ever his this effect, and such may have been
the reason nov but thought there was soane-
tam there hidden from mortal gaze, something
spiritual at ~Ork-dpprecated, yet unseen. anu
80 the advocate seemed himself to be a CatLen
angef, pleading that human being might be
sived the tUrments that he knew, aud even then
felt Almighty God what a scene it was -
No inatteHiIoH tnen from jury and Judge. =
Each man leaned himself forward to get a
nearer view, whilst the more tlinid. with plllld
fice peered into that of his neighbnr, as If to
Ind hiin.s freud in the crisis that all felt was
approaching.
Suddenly the scene changed-the voice Of
the speaker, no longer Ii.nId and tremulOus,
nov burst out in all the splendOr Of Conscious
superiOrity--his lIp cuFed with scorn on the
mortality he saw before bin, and his body sway
ed 10 aad fro, worked with passion 81 trust |
my never witness such scene again! tIs
words were gradd, yet those OF insanity, aud
h'shnagsry splendid; but that imagery spoke
OF spIrit land trod by no other foot, and the
Imagination lost in its own conceptions. liz
spoke of things earthly and unearIhly--of de.
mon, ghost aud the place of departed spirits. -
II was evident that hs believed not in Hea
venly rest, and used again aud again the wore
destroyed 10 proof of HE belief lie would a
times talk of fires burning deep in the centrf
of the earth and then sIiverging agais sudden
ly.-yet as brilliantly ss the Ineteor's flight, b'
wouldlwilhout any apparent jar to the thread o
hIs sentences, speak of trlangIes, algebra. tb'
solar system, and planetary world--he saves