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

/ monty thought. He suffered each one n
tell his own story without interruption.
though be generally managed TO make
eacn one tell 1t over two or ,hree times
He put few cross questions, which, with
keen witnesses, only serve 10 correc, mis-
| takes; and be made no notes, which 10
strong memories only tend TO embarras..
Inc examination being ended, as counsel
lor the plaintiff he had a right to the
opening as well as the closing speech
bui, 10 the astonlsment o. every one, he
declined the former, and allowed the de-
fense TO lead off.
Then shadow might have been seen
10 hit across tie features of Pike. and 10
darken the bright eyes of Pren,iss.-
They saw that they had caught a tartar
but who II was or how ii happened, it was
Impossible TO guess.
Col. Ashley spoke first. He deall
The jury a dish OF that close. dry logic
which, years aflerward, rendered HIM
famous IN the Senate. The poet, Albert
fike, followed with a vein of wit, and q
naif torrent OF rldIcule, In which neither
the plaintiff nor her ragged attorney were
forgotten or spared.
The great Prentiss concluded for the
defendant, witt gorgeous glow of words,
brilliant as shower OF failing stars, and
with bursts Of oratory that brought the
house down in cheers. in which even the
sworn jury themselves Joined, notwith.
standlng the stern order OF the bench.
ihus wonderfully susceptible are the
Southern people to the charms Of impas-
stoned eloquence.
Ii was the Strangers turn. He had
remained apparently distracted during
all the previous speeches. Still and
straight II his seat, his pale forehead
shotoIng high like a cone of snow and
went Prcpetualiy in his saiow face, you
would have taken him for a mere man of
marble, or human form carvedin ice
Even his dim, dreamy eyes were invisible
beneath those shaggy eyebrows.
But now at last he rises-hefore the
bar, not behind it-and so near The won
derlng jury that be might touch the fore
man with his long bony finger With
eyes half shut, and standing rigid as
pillar of iron, his thin lips cu;led as if
~ scorn, slightly apart, and the sound
comes forth.
At first il is slow and sweet, insinua,ing
itself into the brain, as an artless tune,
winning It's ways into the deepest recesses
of the heart like the melody of magic
incarnaion-while The speaker proceeds,
without gesture or the least signal of
excitement, 10 tear IN pieces the argu-
menis of Ashley. that melt away at his
touch, as frost before the sunheam.-
Every one looked surprised His logic
was at once 50 brief and so luminously
clear, that the rudest peasant could com
prehend il without an effort.
Anon he came TO the dazzling wit of
the poet-lawyer, Pike. Tnen the curl Of
his hp grew sharper, his smooth face be-
gan to kindie Up, aud his eyes to open
dlm and dreamy no longer, but vivid as
lightning, red as fire globes. and glaring
as twin meteorS. The whole soul was ia
his eye The full heart streamed out OF
his face. In five minutes Pixies wit
seeemed the form of folly, and his finest
satire horrible profanity, when contras.ed
with the inlmitable sallles and extermin-
ating sareaSrns of the stranger, inierpoSed
with Jests and anecdotes that filed the
forum with roars OF laughter.
Then, without SO much as bestowing an
allusion upon Prentiss, be turned round
short upon The perJured witnesses OF Hop
kIns, tore their testimony into atoms. aud
hurled in their faces such terrible invec-
iives that all trembled as with ague, and
TWO of them actually fed in dismay from
the court house.
The excitement of the crowd was be-
coming tremendous. Their united life
and soul seemed to hang upon the burn
ing tongue Of the stranger. He inspired
them with the power Of his own passions.
He saturated them with the poison OF his
own malicious feelings. He seemed to
haze stolen natures long-hidden secret of
attraction. He was the sun 10 the sea of
all thought and emouon which rose and
boiled In bIllows as be chose. But his
greatest triumph was to come.
His eyes began TO glance furtively al
the assassin Hopkins, and his lean, taper
nhger 10 assume the same direction He
hemmed Ia the wretch with cIrcumvo-
luton of strong evidence and impregnabie
cutting of ali hope OF escape.
He piled up huge bastions Of insurmount-
able facts. He dug beneath the feet Of
the murderer and slanderer, ditches of /
d.lemmas such as no sophistry could over
leap, and no stretch of ingenuity evade
and thus having, as one might say, I'M
pounded his victim, and girt him about
like a scorpion IN a circle OF fire, he strip
ped Hnself to the work OF massacre.
Then It was a vision both eloriou. and
dreadful 10 behold the orator. H.s ac-
ZION, before graceful as tie wave OF goI-
den billow IN the breeze, now grew I'M
petuouS as the motion OF an oak In hurri-
cane. HIS voice became trumpet filled
with wild whiripools, deafening the ear
with the crashes OF power, and yet inter-
mingled all the while with a syyee, Under
song Of the softest cadence. HIS face
was red as a drunAard's, his forehead
glo,ved ike heated furnace, his counte-
nar.s. Nuas harra-.i IlL.e III n q ma IL. q