The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-12-19
The Volunteer Counsel.

over the starry way. Ee EFs
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The Volunteer Counsel
JOIN Taylor was licensed, when youth of
twenty-one, to practice at the bar. He was
poor, but well educated, and possessed ex-
traorlipary genius. He married beauty,
who afterwards deserted him for another.
On the 9th of April, 1910, the Court House
In } YAK yiie waj crowded to OVERLOOKING
An excited case was about TO be tried, Gen.
Hopkins, wealthy planter had offered gros.
Insult to Mary Ellison, the young and beauti-
ful vile OF the oversear. The husband threat
enel to cha5tise him for the outrage, when
Hopkins went to Ellisop's house and shot him
In his door. The murderer was arrested and
baiied to answer the charge. This occurrence
produced great excitement; and Hopkins.
In order to turn the tide of INDIGNATION. had
circulated reports against her character. and
she had sued him fer SANDER. Both suits were
pending, for murder and SANDER.
Tne interest became deeper when It was
known that Ashley and Pike, of Arkansas.
and .. >. Prentiss OF New Orleans, by enor-
NOUS fees, had been retained to defend Hop
kins. m 81 -sli.r(
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texan LAWYERS
were overwhelmed by their opponents. 1t was
light OF dwarfs against giants. ~
the slander-suit was for the 10Th, and the
throng OF spectators grew in number as well
as excitement. Pubic opinion was settled
for Hopkins, his money had produced wit
nesses who served as powerful advocates-
When the slander-case was called, Mary Eli
son was lett without an attorney-all had with
drawn. --4 10 :
"Have you no counsel?n inouired Jpdoe
Mills, looking kindly at the plaintiff.
"No, sir, they have all deserted me. and
am too poor to employ any more" replied the
Deaulfui Mary bursting into tears
in such case, will not some chiyalrous
member ofthe bar volunteer % said the judge
glancing around the bar.
Thirty lawyers were silent. 8fuV "a
Il will, your Honor" said voice from the
thickest mart OF the crowd behind the bar, l'
;. AT the sound OF that voice manv started
1t was so'unearthly, sweet and mournful. =,
The hrst sensation was changed into laugh
ter, when a tall, gaunt, spectral figure elbow
ed his way through the crowd, and placed him
self within the bar. His clothes looked 40
shabby that the court hesitated to let the case
proceed under his management. -
HAS your name been entered on the rolls
of the State ?" demanded the Judge
1T Is immaterial," answered the stranger.
MS tim, bloodless lips curling up with fiend-
ish sheer. Heres my license from the high
est tribunal in American and he handed the
Judge broad parchment. The trial went
on.
de suffered the witnesses to tell their own
story, and he allowed the defence to lead off.
Ashley spoke first, followed by Pike and Prem
tiss. The latter brought down the house with
cheers, in which the jury Joined. ''
TWAS now the stra lgers turn. He stood
peiore the bar-not behind it-and so near the
wondering jury that he might touch the fore
man with his long finger. He proceeded to
tear TO pieces the arguments of Ashley. which
melted away at his touch, like frost before the
sunbeam; every one seemed surprised Anon
ne came to the dazzling wit of the poet LAWYER
Fike. Then the curl OF his lips grew sharner
his smooth face began to kindle. and his eve ,
10 open, dim and dreary no longer; but vivid
as n2ntnlng, red as fire globes, and glaring as
twin eteor5 Then. without bestowin2 an
alusion on Prentiss, he turned short round on
the per- ured Witnesses or Hopkins. tore Their
testimony into shreds, and hurled in their faces
suca terrible invectives, that all trembled like
a'pelS, and two OF them fed from the court
house. The excitement of the crowd was be-
Coming tremendous. Their united life and
soul seemed to harg on the burning tongue of
tae stranger; he in spired them with the DOW
e. OF MS maliynant passions; he seemed to
have stolen natures long hidden secret of at
traction. But his greatest triumph was to
come.
His eyes began to glance at the assassain
Hopkins, as his lean, taper fingers assumed
tne same direction. He hemmed in the
wfeScl with a wall of strong evidence and i'm
pre- ,nable argument, cutting off all hope of es-
CAPE. he dug cath tie murderer's feet
dItcles OF dilemma, and held the slanderer up
2 Sne scorn and contempt Of the populace.-
d avlng thus grit him about with circle of
fire, ne stripped himself for the massacre. -
y! then 1t was vi,ion SO glorious and
draaI mi IN hahol,1
came as ilnpetueus as the motion of an oak In
hurricane. bis voice became trumpet.
hled with wild wairiwinds, deafening the ear
with crash OF power, and yet iutermingled
all the While with sweet under-song of the
softe I cadence. His forehead glowed like
heated furnace, his comtenance was haopard
like that of a maniac, and ever and anon he
hung his long bony arms on high, as If grasp
ing after thunderbolts. 'Ait49
He dew picture OF murder in such appall-
ing colors, that in comparison hell itselfmight
be considered beautiful. He painted the Sian.
defer so black that the sun seemed dark AT
noon-day, when shining on such an accursed
monster; and then fixing both portraits on the
shrinking Hopkins, fastened them forever
Tle agitation OF the audience amounted near
ly to madness. q s5gi .iI-I -
All at once the speaker descended from the
per1ous height. His voice walled out, for the
muruefeu uea0 ana nVn9-the beautiful Ma
ry, more beautiful every moment, as her tears
flowed faster-tin men wept and sobbcd like
children. a -I''sls ,T',
lie closed by an exhortation to the iury.
and through them to byJtanders; he advised
them after they should bring in verdict for
Inc paintilf, not to offer violence to the defend
ant, however richly he might deserve it; in
other words not to lynch the villain, but to
leave his punishment to God. This was the
artruieSt trick of all, and best calculated to in
sure vengeance.
The jury reSurued verdict of S5OO00. and
the nj sht afterwards, Hopkins was taken out
of oed by lynchers, and beaten almost to death
As the court adjourned, the STRANGER said -
"John Tayior will preach here this EVENING at
early candle, ight." He did preach. anil }bo
house was crowded. / have listened to CLAW
Webster and Calhoun-to Dwight, Bascomb
and Bsscher-bnt never heard anything in
the fo.m Of sublime worI5, even remotely an
proxim ating to the eloquence of John Taylor
as mountain, and wildly rushing
as cataract of fire.
OTHER PEOPLES TROUBLES EASY TO
BEAR.-"You must really exercise patience"
said an old rat to brother that had been
caught in trap. "No doubt it is painful ;but
squeaking will do you no good whatever, and
1t i very distressing to us to hear" |
lyon are miphfv n I'm ma ssio1otav ..:l H.