The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-08-17
The Volunteer counsel.

John Taylor was licensed when a
youth of twenty-one to practice at the
bar. He was poor, but well educated,
and possessed extraordinary genius.
He married a beauty, who afterwards
deserted him for another.
. !. On the 18th of April, 1910, the Court
House in Clarksville Texas, was
crowded to overfowing, An exciting
case was about to be tried. Geo. Hop
kins, q wealthy planter, had offered q
gross insult to Mary Ellison, the
young.and beautiful wife of his over
seer. The husband threatened to
chastise him fol tho outrage, when
Hopkins went to Ellison's house and
shot him in his own door. The mur.
derer was arrested and bailed to an
swer the charge. This occurrence
f, produced great excitement, and
Hopkins, in order to turn the tide of
popular indignatiohy had circulated
reports against her character, and she
had sued him for SANDER. Both suits
were pending-for slander and muir
der
The interest became deeper when it
was known that Ashly and Pike, of
Arkansas, and S. S. Prentiss of New
Orleans, by enormous fees, had been
retained to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texas
lawyers were overwhelmed by their
opponents. 1t was q fight Of dwarfs
against giants.
+ The sIander suit was for the 9th,
and the throng of spectators grew in
number as well as excitement, public
opinion was setting in for Hopkins !;
his money hud procured witnesses,
who served his powerful advocates.
When the slander case was called,
Mary Ellison was left without an at.
torney-all had withdrawn.
Have you no counsel?' inquired
Judge Mills, looking kindly at the
plaintiff.
No sir, they have now deserted me,
and / am too poor to employ any moro,
replied the beautiful Mary, bursting
into tears.
sIn such case, will not somechiv-
alrous member of the profession vol
untecrY said the Judge, gIancing
round at the bar
The thirty lawyers we're silent.
a.t Il will, your honor said voice
from the thickcst part of the crowd
behind the bar.
At the sound of that voice many
started--it was sounearthly, sweet and
p mournful. M
The first sensation was changed into
laughter, when tall, gaunt, spectral
figure elbowed his way through the
crowd, and placed himself within the
bar. His cloths looked so shabby thai
the court hesitated to let the case pro
ceed under his management.
Ia HAS your name been entered on the
rolls Of the Statc?' demanded the
Judge. uot
1t is immaterial,' answered thu
stranger, his thin, bloodless lips curl
ing up with fendish sneer. Hero
is my license from tho highest tribuna
in America + and he handed the judge
asmall parchment. The trial went on
He suffered the witnesses to tell theil
Ownstory, and he allowed the defens'
to lead off. Ashley spoke first, follow
ed by Pike and Prentiss. The latte
brought the house down with cheers
ginwhich the jury joined.
1t was now the strangers turn, h,
rises,--before the bar, not behind it,
and so ncar tho wondering jury tha
he might touch the foreman with hi
long bony finger. He proceeded tt
tear to pieces the arguments of Ash
ley, which melted away at bis toucl
like frost before asunbeam every on
looked surprised. Anon he came tt
dazzling wit of the poet lawyer, Pike
Then the curl Of his lips grew sharper
his smoothe face began to kindle up
and his eyes to open, dim and drear,
no longer, but vivid as lightning, rec
81 asffire globes, and glaring as twin me
teors. The whole soul was in his eye
the full heart streamed out Of his face
ilIhen without bestowing an illusion t.