The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-06-16
John Taylor, the Volunteer Counsel.

of his person, combined with the superior
ity of his intellect enabled him to win th
hand of a fashionable beauty
Twelve months afterwards, the HUSBAND
was employed by wealthy firm OF tha
city to 20 on mission as land agent t
the West. As a heavy salary was offered
he babe farewell to his wife and son. H'
wrote back every week, but received not
line in answer. Six months elapsed, wher
the husband received q letter from hi:
employer that explained all.
Shortly after his departure for the West
the wife and son returned to Mississippi
Then she Immediately obtained a divorce
by act of legislature, married again forth
with, and, to complete the climax OF hel
cruelty and wrong, had the name of Iay
lor's son changed to that of Marks-tha'
of her second matrimonial partner
This perfidy nearly drove Taylor insane
! His career from that moment became &C
centric in the first Representations he
/ preached, sometimes he pleaded at the
| bar, until at last fever carried him AG41
comparatively carly - sss. =. q
efforts at the bar:
At an early hour on the 9th of April
/ 1910, the Court House in Clarksyille Tex
J
| the war times, there never had been wit
messed so large a gathering in the Red Ri
I YER country, while the strong feeling appa
/ rent in every face will sufficiently explain
/ the matter following.
/ About the close Of 1899, Geo Hopkins
/ one Of the wealthiest and most influential
men in Northern Texas, offered a gross
insult to Mary Ellison, the young and
( beautiful wife Of his principal overseer.-
7 The husband threatened TO chastise him
for the outrage, whereupon Hopkins load
/ ed his gun, went 10 EilisOns house and
shot him in his own door
. The murderer was arrested and bailed
to answer the charge. The occurrence
produced intense excitement and Hop
+ kns, in order 10 turn the tide of popular
( opinion, or AZ least - mitigate the general
wrath which was first violently against
him. circulated reports iniamouS!y preju-
dicial 10 the character and standing of the
woman who had suffered such cruel wrongs
al his hands
She brought suit for SANDER And thus
two CaSes-onc criminal and the other CT
vii, and both out of the same tragedy
were pending q: the Apri. Circuit Court
for $40.
The interest naturally felt by the COM
when it was known that Ashley and Pike
of Arkansas, and the celebrated Prem
:iss Of New Orleans each by enormous
fees, had been retained by Hopkins for
defence
The trial Of indictment for murder con
Guided on the rth Of April with the ac-
quirtal of Hopkins. Such result might
have been we'll ioreseen, com pairing the
talents Of the counsel engaged on either
side
The Texas lawyer were utterly over
wheimed 10y the arguments and eloqucnce
Of their opponents. it was fight OF
dwar!s agaiust giants
The SANDER -g.t va, set for the 9th and
the thruug Of spectators grew IN numbers,
as well rs excitement And what seemed
strange. the current Of public opinion now
ran decidedly for Hopkins His money
had procured witnesses who served his
powerful advocates Indeed, 30 triumph
ant had been the success on the previous
day that. when the ~lander case was call
ed. Mary Ellison wa~ left without an attor-
ncy All had withdrawn
The pigmy pettiloggers dared not brave
the sharp nit Of Pike and the scath!ng
thunder Of Proutiss
Have YOU no counse!2' inquired Judge
Mills, looking kindly at the plaintiff
" No. sir they have al. deserted nae, and
am too poor to employ any more, rrpli-
ed the beautiful Mary, bursting into tears.
In such case, viii not some chiTal-
rous member Of the profession volunteer?
asked the Judge glanciuG around the bar
The thirty lawyers were silent
Il will, your honor, said 4 voice i'll the
thickest Of the crowd situated behind
the bar.
At the tone of that voice many started
from their seats. and perhaps there was
not heart in the intense throng that did
not beat somewhat quicker-it was 50 an
earthly sweet. ringing and mourntul
The first sensation, however, was chang
ei to lau ahter, when tall, gaunt, spectral
figure, that no person present remembered
to have seen before, e!bowed his way
through the crowd, and placed himself
within the bar.
His appearance was problem to puzzle
the sphynx herself His high, pale brow,
and his small. nervously twitching face,
seemed active with the concentrated es-
sence and cream of genius; but then his
nfantle blue eyes, hardly visible beneath
their massive arches, looked dim, dreamy,
almost unconscious, and his clothing was
so shabby that the Court almost bestated
10 let the case proceed under his manage
ment.
Has YOUR name becn registered on the
rolls of the State 2 demanded the Judge
J suspicicusly.
1t is immaterial about my name being
on your rolls answered the stranger, his
thin lips curling into tiendish sneer. i
NAV be allowed by the courtesy Of the
Court and bar Here is my license from
the highest tribunal in America, and he
handed JUG ge Mills the broad parchment
The trial went on. In the examination
of the witnesses the stranger evinced very
little ingenuity, as commonly thought
He suffered each one to tell their own sto
ry, without interruption, though he gene
rally managed to make each one tell il
over two or three times. He put few eros
questions, which with keen witnesses only
serve to correct mistakes, and he made nc
notes. which in mighty memories only
tend to embarrass.
The examination being ended as coun
sci for the plaintiff, he had right to the
opening as we'll as the closing speech; but
to the astonishment CT every one, he de
clned the former and allowed the defence
to lead off.
Then a shadow mis- ght have been seen t.
fit across across the features Of Pike, anc
to darken the bright eyes of Prentiss :
They saw that they had caught Tar
tai" but who it was, or how it happened
was impossible to guess.
Col Ashley spoke first He dealt the
jury dish of that coarse, dry logic which
years afterwards rendered him famous il
the Senate of the Union.
The poet, Albert Pike, followed with I
vein of wit, and half torrent Of ridicule
in which neither the plaintiff nor her rag
ged attorney were forgotten or spared
The great Prentiss concluded for the de
fendaut with a glow of gorgeous words