Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-11-29

flow of proceeding after a fashion which se-
yerely tried the patience of the Court. Toward
the end he became intolerable, and was ioiy cut
short whenever he strove to cucumber the way
of justice. Repeated suubbing nearly drove him
frantic, and more than dozen times | have
heard him delivering street addresses of great
violence, declaring defiance to the Judge, to Mr.
Hunter, to Governor Wise, to the American Un-
ion, and to all the universe. The way in which
he has been ridden over is another proof of the
hexibilty of legal restrictions in this locality
The right he has claimed, of managing the cases
are clearly his, but as he would have fallen in
an instant before the sharper intellects and
clearer logic of the lawyers who came in for the
defence, it was deemed safest TO hold him in
close restraint But for this, indeed, there
would have been no hanging in Jefferson coun-
ty next month. Mr.. Harding's daily occupations
are not of a nature to fit for the management of
an important case. s laaa
On the first day of Browns trial, after deliv-
ering the opening speech for the Government,
he issued forth from the Court House, and flush
ed with imagined triumph, entered into conflict
with blind negro, and got rather badly beaten.
Variegased dishgurements clung to his face for
many days thereafter, and furnished an amusing
topic of conversation for the juries in succeed
| ing cases. think, however, that Mr.. Hard.
ing's evident inclination to bring all possible in
ljury upon the prisoners, saves his reputation in
the public esteem. He gloats over the prospect
Of the execution. He is happiest when piotu-
ring to his hearers the horrors of the fate in
waiting for them. He is pleased with every
remniscence of insult which has been flung up
on Brown. | heard him yesterday narrating q
lively anecdote of the captain of one of the vol
unteer companies which fastened to Harper's
Ferry as soon as the United States troops had
done all the hot work. 1t ran somewhat thus
The captain approached Brown, who lay,
seemingly dying, upon the wagon which was
bearing him to Charlestown.
"Wel, old Brown" he said, Show is it; are
you going to die9n
"Oh no, said Brown, 81 think not" @
| "Wel responded the jocular warrior, "If you
were going to die, should take one of your
teeth, but, as you mean to live, I'll only take q
piece of your hair to remember you," which he
| did. --
| Mr. Harding's ferocious exultation over this
and many kindred recitas is enough to make
the heart sick to witness. have never heard
more monstrous cruelties of language, not even
in Virginia than habtually proceeded from him.
In person Mr.. Harding is unprepossessing-
| He carries the worst marks of intemperance.-
His face is vindictiye as well as degraded one-
| His long curved nose seems always on the point
of collision with his rising chin. There is no
speculation in his eye. His very dress indicates
his utter recklesness to appearance. His man
ner is as outre as his aspect He is forever rid
| iculed. He commands no respect When he
talks in Court the Judge falls into reverie, the
lawyers turn their backs, the bystanders jeer.--
H. lo.I Of aoripr nc
word, long or Short falls back into his chair,
and sleeps, while the nearest of his neighbors
tickle his nose with a straw. Excepting in the
air of general dilspidation, he, too, is wholly un
like the the published portraits of him.
JUDGE PARKER.
The Judge is handsome man. He is, too
an aniable man, and that he is open to gentle
emotions, his evident struggle to retain his com
composure the other day when sente encing Cook,
Ooppie, and the two negroes, very plainly show
ed Judge Parker, believe, has presided over
these trials with as much fairness as in the ma
ture of the case could be expected. That he
has been strongly influenced by Mr.. Hunter,
it would be hard to deny. That he has been
strangely deaf to some very powerful arguments
for the defence-especially those of Mr.. Green,
in the case of Cooks sufficiently evident
But no one has doubted the integrity of his in.
tentions. Outside of the Court, too, he has dis
played degree of courtesy to strangers who
needed it, even when Mr.. Hunter failed in this
regard. Judge Parker has every appearance OF
keen lawyer. His face almost always seems
to be shaded by frown, owing to the deep lines
in his brow and around his mouth but his
voice is invariably gentle, and his manner kind.
His age must be little under fifty. He is
prone to comforts of posture, and social pleas
antres, for in court he sits forever with his ju-
dica legs aloft, resting among piles of law books
on his table, and of evenings he whiles away
some coy hours in the snug bar room of his ho.
tel, extracting heart-beams from the rsre old
rye that flows in odorous streams around. He,
again, is in no respect like the published por.
traits. @ lc."