Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-07-12
The Volunteer Counsel.

or twenty-one, TO practice a. the bar OF
-. lie was poor, but well educated
and possessed extraordinary GENIUS
The graces of his person, combined with
The superiority OF has intellect, enai led
nm TO WIN the hand OF fashionable
beauty.
Twelve months afterward, the husband
was employed by wealthy firm of the
cry TO go on mission as land agent to The
West. AS heavy salary was offered
he babe farewell 10 his wife aud infant
son. lie wrote back every week, but
received not line in answer. Six
months elapsed, when the employers then
explained all.
Shortly after his departure for the
West, his wife and her father removed 10
Mississippi. There she immediately OBJ
tanned divorce by act of legis. a,ure,
married again forthwith, s.Idi io .splete
the climax of her cruelty and wrong, had
the name of Taylor's son changed 10 that
OF Marks, her second matrimonial part
ner.
This perfdy nearly drove Taylor in-
sane. His career, from that moment, be-
came eccentric in the frs. degree. Some
times he preached, sometimes he plead
al the bar a. last fever carried hin.
of at comparatively early age.
At an early hour on the 9Th of April,
1910, the courthouse in Clarksvile, Texas.
was crowded to overaowing. Save in the
war times, there had never beer witness
ed so large gathering in he Red River
country, while the stroug feeling apparent
IN every flushed face viii be sufficiently
explained by the matter following.
About the close of 1899, George Hop
kIns one of the wealthiest planters aud
most Intluen ntial men of northern Texas.
offered gross insult 10 Mary Ellison, the
young and beautiful wife of his chief
oyerseer. The husband threatened TO
chastlse him for the outrage, whereupon
Hopkins loaded his gun, went to ElIison's
house and shot HIM In his OWN door
The murderer was arrested and held
10 answer the charge. This occurrence
produced intense excitement, and Hop
aIns, In order TO turn the tide of popular
opinion, or a. least to mitigate the general
wrath which was violently against him,
circulated reports iufamously rrejudicIa
10 The character and standing Of The woman
who had suffered such cruel wrongs al his
hands.
She brought her suit for SANDER. And
thus two cases, one criminal and the other
civil, and both out of the same tragedy.
were pending al the April Circuit Court
for lS40.
The Interest naturally felt dy The COM
Guuity as 10 the issue, became far deeper
when It was known that Ashley and Pike.
OF Arkansas, and the celebrated s S.
PrentisS, Of New Orleans, each by enor-
nous fees, had been retained by Hopkins
for defense.
The trial OF indictment for murder ended
on the S,h OF April with The ACC Iutal
OF Hopkins. Such a result might well
have been foreseen, comparing the talents
OF the counsel engaged on either side
The Texas lawyers were utterly over
whelmed by the arguments and eloquence
Of their opponents. Il was a fight Of
dwarts againsi giants.
The SANDER suit was fcr the 9th, aud
the throng OF spectators grew IN number
as well Is excitement. And what seemed
strange, the current Of public opinion
now ran for Hopkins. His money
had procured witnesses who served his
powerful advocates. Indeed, so triumph
ant had been The success on the previous
day, that when the SANDER case was CAL
led, Mary Ellison was left without an at
.orney; all had Withdrawn. The pigmy
pettIfoggers dared not brave the W.T. OF
Pike and the thunder OF Prentlss.
. Have you 10 counsel 2" inquired Judge
Mills, looking kindly at the plaintiff.
" No sir, they have all deserted me.
md aGn too poor to employ any more,
replied the beautiful Mary, bursting into
ears.
In such a case. viii not some chival-
-ous member of the profession volunteer g
asked tie Judge, gIanclng around The
Jar.
The thirty lawyers were silent
. viii your honor said a voice from
he thIckes; OF the crowd situated behind
he bar.
a, the sound of that voice many started
half from their seats, aud perhaps there
vas nc heart 10 the intense throug that
ild not beat somewhat quIcker-ll was so
IneaFthiy, sweet, ringing and mournIuI.
The trsi sensation was chaaged, how
ever, into loud laughter, when tall,
5aunl, spectral figure, thai no person
present remembered to have seen before,
slbowed his way thro' the crowd and
placed himself wi-hIn the bar.
HIS appearance was problem. TO p-z-
zIe The sphyux herself HIS high, pale
forehead, and his small, nervousiy-twItch-
ing face seemed active with The coucen-
rated essence OF genus but when IS
nt-nIile blue eyes, hardly visible beneath
heir massive arches, looking dim, dreamy,
and almost UNCONSCIOUS, aud his clothing
SO shabby that the court almost hesItated
10 lei the case proceed under his manage
inent. = Has your name been entered
On The rolls Of the State e demanded the
Judge, susplcIously.
- Ii Is Immaterial about my name being
on your rolls, answered the stranger, his
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