Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1865-10-19

i On the Stn OF AprH, JS4Os the court
house in Clarksville, Texas, was crowd
ed.to overfowing. An exciteing case
was about to be tried. George Hopkins,
a wealthy planter had offered gross in-
suit to Mary Ellison. the young and
beautiful wife of bis overseer. The hus-
band threatened to chastise him for the
outrage, when Hopkins went TO EllisOn's
house and shot him 10 his own door,
The murderer was arrested and bailed
to answer the charge. This occurrence
produced great excitement, and Hopkins
in order 20 turn the tide Of popular in
dignation, had circulated reports against
her character, and she sued him for
SANDER. Both suits were pending-for
murner and SANDER.
The interest became deeper when it
was known that Ashley and Pike, of Ar
kansas, and S. S. Prentiss, of New Or
leans, by enormous fees, had been re-
tanned to defend Hopkins.
The SANDER spit 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 witnesses who served his
powerful advocates.
When the SANDER case was called
Mary Ellison was left without an attor-
ney-all had Withdrawn.
"Have you no council 2" inquired
Judge Mills, looking kindly at the plant.
if.
"No, sir, they have all deserted me,
and am too poor to employ any mOre,"
replied the beautiful Mary bursting into
tears.
"In such case will some chivalrous
member of the profession volunteer Z"
said the Judge, glanclng around the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent.
Il will, your honor said voice from
the thickest part of the crowd behind the
bar. At the tone of that voice many
starled-it was 80 unearthiy sweet and
mo1rnful
The first sensation was changed into
laughter, a tall gaunt, spectral figure ST.
bowed his way through the crowd, aud
placed himself within the bar. His cloIh.
rug was so shabby that the court hesiiat-
ed 10 let the case proceed under his man
agement.
Has your name been entered on the
rolls of the Statep' demanded the Judge
1T is immaterlal," answered the
stranger, his thir, bloodles lips curling
up with q fendish Fneer. Here is my
license from the highest tribunals in
American and handed the Judge broad
parchment. The trial went on.
He suffered the witnesses to tell their
own story, and be allowed the defense to
lead of. Ashley spoke first, followed by
Pike and Prentiss. The latter brought
the house down in cheers, in which the
jury joined.
It was the stranger'sturn (; be rises
before the bar, nor behind it-and so
near the foreman that he might touch the
foreman with his long bony finger. He
proceeded to tear to pieces the arguments
of Ashley, which melted away at his
touch like frost before the sunbeam; every
one looked surprised. Anon be came to
the dazzeline wit of the poet lawyer
Then the curl Of his lip grew sharper,
bis smooth face begun to kindle up and
his eyes to open dim and dreary no long. |
er, but vivid as lightning, red as fire
globes, and glaring as twin meteors.-
The whole soul was in the eye; the full
heart streamed out of his face. Then
without beslowing an allusion to Prem.
tiss, turned short round on the perjUred |
witnesses Of Hopkins, tore their tesHmo-
by into shreds, and hurled in:o their faces
such terrible inyectiyes that all lrembled
like aspeDs, and Two Of them fed from
the curt house.
The excitement Of the crown was be-
coming tremendous. Theft united life +
and soul seemed to hang upon the burn
ing tongue Of the stranger; be inspired
them with the power of his malignant
passions; be seemed to have stolrnna-
ture's long hidden secret Of attraction.
Bot his greatest triumph was to come.
HIS eyes begun to glance at the as
sassin HOPKINS, as bis lean taper finger
assumed the same direction. Es Lem
med the wretch with wall Of strong
evidence ard impregnabIe afggmeut.
cutting of all hope Of escape He dug
beneath The murcerer's feet, diiches for
dilemma, and held the slandersr op 70
the scorn and con,emp' Of the populace.
Having thus girtsd him about with /
circuie of fire, he stripped himself TO The I
work Of massacre. He drew picture of /
murder in such appalling colors that in
comparison hell itself might be consid.