Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1865-12-08
TIE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL
A THRILL I'M, STORY.

JoES TAYLOR was licensed, when youth
Of twenty-one, to practice at the bar. lie
was poor but well-educated, and possessed
extraordinary genius. lie married a beauty
who afterwards deserted him for another.
On the 9th Of April, 1910, the Court
House in GAINESVILLE, Texas, was crowded to
OVERLOOKING. An exciting ease was about to
be tried. Gen HOPKINS, a wealthy planter,
had offered gross insult to MARY ELLISON,
the young and beautiful wife Of his overseer.
The husband threatened to chastise him for
the outrage, when HoPKISs went to ELL
SON house and shot him in his door The
murderer was arrested and bailed to answer
the charge. This occurrence produced a
great excitement, and HOPKINS, III order to
turn the tide Of popular Indignation, had
circulated reports against her character, and
she had sued him for SANDER Both suits
were pending--for murder and SANDER.
The interest became deeper when it was
known that ASHLEY 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 law
yers were overwhelmed by their opponents,
it was fight Of dwarf5 against giants.
The SANDER 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 had procured wit
nesses who served his powerful advocates. -
When the SANDER case was called MARY Ell
LIsoN was left without an attorncv-all had
withdrawn.
& Have you no counsel ?" inquired Judge
MlLLEr, looking kindly at the plaintiff.
No, sir, they have deserted me, and |
an too poor to employ any more; replied
the beautiful Mary, bursting into tears.
In such case, Will not some chlvalrous
member of the bar, volunteer 2 said the
Judge glancing around the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent,
4 will, your honor" said voice from
the thickest part Of the crowd behind the
bar.
At the sound of that voice many started
it was so unearthly, sweet and mournful
The first sensation was changed into laugh
ter, when a tall, gaunt, spectral figure ell
bowed his way through the crowd, and plac
ed himself within the bar. His clothes looked
so shabby that the Court hcsitated to let the
case proceed under his management.
60 Has your name been entered on the rolls
Of the State p demanded the Judge
1T is immateral, answered the stranger,
his thin bloodless lips curling up with a iend
ISL sheer Here is my license, from the
highest tribunal in American and he hand
ed the Judge broad parchment.
The trial went on
lie suffered the witnesses TO tell their own
story, and he allowed the defense to lead off.
ASHLEY spoke first, followed by PIKE and
PRENr1ss. The latter brought the house
down with cheers in which the Jury joined.
1t was now the strangers turn; he rises
before the bar, not behind it--and so near
the wondering jury, that he might touch the
foreman with his long, bony fingers. He
proceeded to tear to pieces the arguments OF
ASHLEY, which melted away at his touch like
frost before q sun BEAM every one looked
surprised Anon he came to the dazzling
wit Of the lawyer, PIKE--tho curl Of his lip
grew sharper, his thin face began to kindle
up, and his eyes to open, dim and dreary no
longer, but vivid as lightning, red as fire
globes, and glaring as meteors, the whole
soul was in the eye; the full heart streamed
out OF his face. Then without bestowlng
an allusion to PEENrIss, he turned short
around Oh the perjured witnesses Of IlorKINs,
tore their testimony into shrcds and hurled
into their faces such terrible invectiyes that
all trcmbled like aspens, and two Of them fed
from the court house The excitement Of
The crowd was becoming tremendous. Their
united life and soul seemed to hang Oh the
burning tongue Of the stranger, he inspired
them with the power Of his mai@naat pas