Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-04-21
JOHN TAyLOR.THE T!MOn Of

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Some weeks, perhaps months since.
those Of our citizens whose business called
them to the Recorder Office or the Jus
.ices' coIrts iD our city, may hsvs noticed.
engaged in some OF the vsrivus suits pend
ing. rather elderly man. plainly dressed
viih high pale forehead. shaded by thin
patches Of hair, brushed straight back,
with snsil blue eyes OF unusual intensity.
overhung by heavy eyebross, and in every
way according 10 The description given be
low, excepting such changes - twenty
years might be supposed to hsve made in
bis sppssrance. The habits .sf the man,
his eccentrici.y, and bis appsrent instten.
lion 70 things going on around him. his
which hs was retained while here, ~ we'll
~ his name and the casual observations
made concerning bis history. would seem
10 confirm the idea ,hst John Taylor Of
the Texan bar in l640. and the John Tay
lor Of our civil courts in 1860, are one
and the same. True. be is reported 10
have died, but no particulars Of the event
are given. and certainly the death OF so
gifted = genius. albeit unusually eccentric,
would excite something further than a
mere remark in the columns Of nswspa-
per. He left this city ~ quietly and un-
announced ~ he entered it, taking his
largo and valuable library, saying nothing
Of his destinatios or whether he should
return; sn action in strict conformity wi,b
the course Of lie pur.ued by John Taylor
the Timon Of the back woods bar and
pulpit, never surpassed. and only once
squalsc, and then by being As strange
as himself, AS erratic q genius and perhaps
as talented man. though not engaged in
the practice Of lSw--Psui Demon. the
missionary of the sonth Western wilder
ness. We know not where he is at pres
eDt. but We are certain that his quiet
manner, his universal gen,letnanly deport
mont. as we'll ~ bis venerable appearance.
will insure him friends, firm ones wherever
he may be. Perhaps we are mistaken as
TO his identity with that Of the eminent
counsel, bnt circumstances point forcibly
TO the conclusion. which We, with number
Of others. have arrived At. He Was not
communicative as 10 hi. history. bu, only
admitted that he had practic-d in Texas.
and almost every southern Stale. and We
can Only reconcile the ma,,er by the pro-
verb that truth is stranger than fiction
We find the following account Of John
faylor. Of Texas, iu q southern newspaper:
81. Jo.sph Vest. .p...
John Taylor WAS licensed when = youth
of twenty one, TO practice at the bar Of
-. He was poor. but well educated
and possessed OF extraordinary genius -
The grxces Of his person, combined with
the superiority Of his intellect. enabled
him to win the hand Of a fashionable
beauty.
Twelve months afterwar the husband
was employed By wealthy firm of tina.
city TO go on a mis- ssion as land agent TO
the West. As \ heavy ralary was offered.
h- bade farewell to his wife and son He
wrote back every week, but received not
line in answer Six months elapsed.
when the husband received letter from
bis employer that explained Ill
Shortly afer his departure for the West.
the vile and her father returned 10 Missis-
sippi. There she Immediately obtained
divorce by act Of legislature. inltriet.
agai" forthwith. and 20 complete the eli
max Of her cruelty and wrong, had the
same OF Taylors sou changed to that Of
Marks-the same Of her second natrimo
niai partner.
This p-rfiiy nearly drove Ia yior insane.
His career from that inomont became &C.
centric in the frs, degres-sometimes he
preached. sometimes he plead at the bar.
until At last fever carried him OF at
early age. The following
is au account Of one of bis efforts at the
bar.
At an early hour on tho 9th nf A rril,
isi0. the Court House in Clarksyilie, Tex.
-. Was crowded TO overhowing. Save in
the war times, there had never been wit
messed 50 large . gathering in the Red
river county, while the strong feeling
spparsn, il every face will sufficiently q.
plain the matter following.
About the close Of 1899 Geo. Hopkins,
ons Of the weslthisst planters and mos,
inausu,iA! men in Norsb~rn Texas. offered
. grvss insult to Mary Ellison, ,hs young
and beautiful vile OF his principal oyersrer.
The husband threatened to chas,ise him
for the outrage. whereupon Hopkins loaded
HIS gun. vent 10 Ellisons house, and shot
him in hi, own door. f1ag ,za..-
Tho murderer was arrested, and bailed
10 answer the charge The occarrnes
produced intense excitement, and Hip.
ki"s, - order ta tura the tide Of popular
opinion. or st least 70 mitigate the general
wrath. which MAS n first violently Against |
him, circulated reports iniamoualy prrjudi.
eiai,o the character and standing ofth wo.
man who had ssffeted such cruel wrongs 1t
his hands. Iaa @ e.
She brough. suit for slander, And thus
two cases, one criminal aud the other
civil. and both growing o1t Of the same
tragedy, we're psLding At the April Circui.
Court tor 1890. a H.E
The interest naturally felt by the com.
mnniiy NJ 10 the issue. became far deeper
when 1t was known that Ashley ard Pike.
Of AskansAs, and the celebrated S. 8. Prem
ties. CT New Orleans. each by enormous
fees, hsd been retained Ly Hopkins Tor dc
tense. Itl Il .,{# 4 i
The trial on the indictment 70. murder
concluded on lhs 9Th Of April with the
scquitai Of Hopkins Such result might
have we'll been forsssss, comparing tbs
talents Of the cosnssl .ssgsged on sisher
sids. g,as
The Texas lawyers we're utterly over
whelmed By the Arguments and eloqusnce
Of thsir oppoasnts. IL wss 6yhs Of =
dwarf against siAnts. s F .tae
The stsHdsr suit Was Gel. for the 9th. and
the thrang of spectators grew IN nsmbsra.
q veil - excitement And what seemed
strange. he essrsnt II pul,lie opinion pow
sss dissstly fer Hopkina iiis money had
procured Witnesses who sesvsd his power
ful advocates. Indeed, 30 triumphant had