Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-03-23
Thrilling Narrative-A Friend
to the Widow.


sessed Of extraordinary genius. Tht
graces of his person. combined with the
superiority of his intellect, enabled hin
to win the hand of fashionable beauty
Twelve months afterwards the husband
was employed by a wealthy firm of thai
city to 60 on q mission as Land Agent to
the west. AS heavy salary was offered
he bade farewell to his wife and son. He
wrote back every week, but received not q
line in answer. Six months elapsed, when
the husband received letter from his
employer that explained all. Shortly
after his departure for the West, the wife
and her father returned to Mississippi
Then she Immediately obtained divorce
by act of Legislature married again, forth.
with, and to complete the climax Of her
cruelty and wrong, had the name of Tay.
lors son changed to that Of Marks-that
of her second matrimonial partner.
This perRdy drove Taylor insane. His
career from that moment became eccentric
in the first degree--sometime he preach
ed, sometimes he plead at the bar, until
at last fever carried him off at com
paritively early age. The following is an
dCCOuHl Ol OuG VI hlo CuOIto ~ thC bdI
At an early hour on the 9th of April,
1840, the Court House in Clarksville,
Texas, was crowded to overhowing. Save
in the war times, there had never been
witnessed so large gathering in the Red
River country, while the strong feeling
apparent in every face, will sufficiently ex-
plain the matter following.
! About the close Of 1889, George Hop
kins, one Of the wealthiest planters and
most influential men in Northern Texas,
offered gross insult to Mary Ellison the
young and beautiful wife of his principal
overseer. The husband threatened to
chastise him for the outrage, whereupon
Hopkins loaded his gun, went to Ellison
house, and shot him in his own door.
Il The murderer was arrested and bailed
to answer the charge. The occurrence
produced intense excitement, and Hopkins
in order to turn the tide of popular opin-
ion, or at least to mitigate the general
wrath which was first violently against
him, circulated reports UNANIMOUSLY preju
dicial to the character and standing of the
woman, who had suffered such cruel wrongs
! at his hands.
She brought suit for slander. And
thus two cases-one criminal and the Other
civil and both out of the same tragedy
+ we're pending at the April Circuit Court
for 1S40
The interest naturally felt by the com
munity as to the issue, became far dcepe,
when it was known that Ashley and Pike
of Arkansas and the celebrated 5. S
; Prentiss, of New Orleans, each by enorm
! Gus fees, had been retained by Hopkins
for defense.
The trial Of indictment for murder con
cludeded on the 9Th of April, with tn,
acquittal of Hopkins Such result nigh
have well been foreseen, comparing tn,
talents of the counsel engaged on eithe
! side.
e The Texas lawyers were utterly over
!. whelmed by the arguments and eloquenc
of their opponents. 1t was fight of
f dwarf against giants.
4 The SANDER suit was set for the 9th, ant
= the throng of spectators grew in number
e as we'll as excitement. And what seemed
I strange the current Of the public opinion
now ran directly for Hopkins. His none.
: had procured witnesses who served hi
e powerful advocates. Indeed, so trium
e phant had been the success on the previou
u day that when the SANDER case was calle,
?, Mary Ellison was without an Attorney
2 All had withdrawn.
The pigmy pettiforgers dare not brav
the sharp wit of Pike and the scathin
9 thunder of Prentiss,
Have you no counsel?' inquired Judg
: Miles, looking kindly at the plaintiff.
f "No, sir; they have all deserted me, an
a | am too poor to employ any more" re
piled the beautiful Mary, bursting int
, tears.
= "In such case will not some chivalrou
i member Of the profession volunteer
+ asked the Judge, glancing around the ban
e The thirty lawyers were silent.
~ will, your honor" said voice fror
the thickest Of the crowd, situated benin
the bar.
,, , At the tone Of that voice many starte
}. half from their seats, and perhaps ther
" was not heart in the intense throng tina
e did not beat somewhat quieker--it was S
IS unearthly sweet, ringing and mournful
n n The first sensation, however, was chang
e ed into laughter, when tall, gaunt
i spectral figure, that no person present re
y membered to have seen before, elbowe,
o his way through the crowd and place,
/" ! himself within the bar, His appearance
was problem to puzzle the sphynx her
self His high, pale brow, and his smal
% nervously twitching face seemed activ
with the concentrated essence and crear
Of genius; but then his infantile blue eyes
G hardly visible beneath their massive archie
: looking dim, dreamy. almost unconscious
in and his clothing was so shabby that tn
% court almost hesitated to let the case pro
II ceed under his management.
es Has your name been entered on th
9 rolls of the State p demanded the Judg,
suspiciously,
at is immaterial about my name bein
= !. on your rolls, answered the stranger, b
el thin lips curling up into a Tending snee
vs. | may be allowed by the courtesy of th