The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-11-09
The Volunteer Counsel.

a
OF twenty-one, to practice at the bar.
was poor, but well educated, and posses
; ed extraordinary genius. He married
beauty, who afterwards deserted him tt
another. .-
On the 9Th of April, IS40. the cour
:, house in Ciarksville, Texas, WAS crowde
:. to overflowing. An exciting case WA
h about to be tried. Geo. Hopkins, a weaI
" thy planter had offered u gross ms ut
Mary Ellison. the young and beautifr
. wife of his Gvcrsecr. The husband threat
enedito chastise him. for the outrage, whe
Hopkins Went TO Ellison's house and she
: him in his own door. The murderer wa
arrested and bailed 10 answer the charg,
This occurrence produced great excite
ment, and Hopkins, in order to turn tn
. tide Of popuinr in,iigiiaei,.n, had cicualate
reports against hercharacter, and she sue,
him for slander. 10Th, suits were pend
ing-for murder and slander.
The interest became deeper when it wa
known that Ashley and Pike, of Apkan
sas, and S. S. Prentiss. of New Orleans h,
enormous fees, had been retained to de
fend Hopkins.
! Hopkins was acquitted Tie Texas
lawyers were overwhelmed by their oppo
nents. Il was 81 fight ofa dwarf against
giants. .
Tho slander suits was for the 9th. and
the throng of spectators grew in number
as we'll as excitement; public opinion was
setting in Tor Hopkins his money had
procured witnesses who served his won
derful advocntes. When the slander case
was rallied, Mary Ellison was left without
an attorncy--all had withdrawn.
''Have you no counsel ?" incurred
/ Judge Mills, looking kindly at the plain
/ tiff. a-
! mo, sir, they have all deserted me, and
i am too poor to employ any more" re-
piled the beautiful Mary, bursting into
tears.
I'm snch casa, viii not some chival-
rous mrmht'r of the profession volunteer?
said-the Judge, glancing round the bar.
The thirty lawyers We're silent
II wiz, y'rlr honor. said voice from
, the thiekcst part of the crowd, behind the
bnr ...
AT the sound ofthat voice many started
it was So ungarthly, sweet and mourn
fu. .f.|..ts ..
"' "rN' S'f'SH''"o ""s "'hnTtd INTO n
laughter ""ch 1ail. quaint. spectral fig"
ar" elbowed his way through the crowd.
and placed himself with n the bar. His
t-"'HtH ''"Ne'' ~ si'ahpN that the court
e>-'N''" I" iel '"s case proceed under MS
manarem ent. - .-.-
siaS your name oech entered on the
'oliS ~ ''e 7'"'e' "'tiiahdeo the Judge.
- = - '"'n"'cr'ht' a'tNW"reu me strang
'''S cum, ii''Hil'ssS l's Sarllhg up win
fr5 III" iifrf,hsf trihtinsi M 'sH,ertt.i. ~
and ne handed the Judge broad parch-
mcut. Tho trial wen; on.
II. suffered thn witnesses 10 tell their
ovr story, ana i" allowed the defence 10
lead Un. Ashley ~Dok" frs. followed by
H'Ir Eltl t'rertiSs. III" intt"r brought the
house down in cheers, in which the jury
ioinod.
II was now the @fran"cr'S turn hn rises
-- lirf.,r, the her, not behind iI--ana so
near thr wondering Jury that he might
.,sut!, ti,a Foreman win his lCng honv fin
+.
nr.,rln,"n.e NJ Nshirv, which melted away
At his r..lch i',o frost before a sunbeam
every one looked surprised. Anon ne
came 70 the dnzzlinry wit Of the n0nt law
year. Pike. Then he curl of his lip grow
aharopr. his smooth flcp BEGAN TO kindlcI
up, and his ewes 70 omen, dim and drearv
no Longer. hut vivid rs lightning. red as
-. i -. ,.,l ,rl., r.,,,r nc .,,,;,, r,atnorS
the whole soul was in the eve the full
heart s,reamed ont Of his face. Then
without hestoHinr an allusion TO Prentiss
he ,urnn1 short roun1 on IN" reriured wit
ncsscs of Uopli,,s. tore their testimony in
shr.ds and hnr'rd in their faces such ter
rihlp in yartiy..s hat all trpmhlcd like as-
,o,y ara t,vo.oF tbe,n fed from the court
ovoi,o,,ort or tbe crowd WAS
,ro,,,ondors Tbair pnited lif.
aoa,,,d - to,,r rnon tina bnrning
.o,,,,o tho s,,.ou.,ar he insn;rca them
viii, the mower of hia malignant passions; :;
| :, .oo,,,,a 4, b,x-o s+o,a, paturr.s long
h;ldo,,. .ocrat NJ attraction. Ruthis great
o..t t,.;rr,,b vas 10 come.
His av,ae harar To Glance nt the assassin
| ror,,;rs nc his loan taper fingers assum-
oj the s,,ua direction. He hemmcd the
v,reteb with n wall of strong evidence and
in,,roc,ab,e arrument. cutting off al hope
or a.cane. He dug beneath the murder
ar,s foot di,rhes of dilemma. and held the
| s,,raeror nm 10 the scorn and contempt Of
,ha ,onrr,ca Having thus pirt him n
h,,+ with , circle of fire. he stripped HIM
sa,ft, tho work Of massacre.