The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1866-06-02
The Volunteer Counsel.
A THRILLING STORY.

of twenty one, to practice at the bar. He
was poor but well educated, and possessed
extraordinary genius. He married Il beauty,
who afterwards deserted him for another.
On the 9th of April, 1910, the courthouse
in GAINESVILLE, Texas, was crowded to over
flowing. An exciting case was about to be
tried. Gov. Hopkins, 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 Hopkins went to his house
and shot him in his door. The murderer
was arrested and bailed to answer the charge.
This occurrence produced great excitement
and Hopkins, in order to turn the tide OF
popular indignation, had circulated reports
against her character, and she had sued him
tor SANDER. Both suits were pending-for
murder and for 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.
1t was fight of dwarfs against giants.
The Islander suit was for the 9th, and the
throng of spectators grew in number as well
as excitement; public opinion was setting
for Hopkins; his money had procured wit
neSses who served his powerful! advocates.-
When the SANDER case was called, Mary Ell
lison was without an attorney-all had with
drawn.
''Have you no counsel p inquired Judge
Milet, looking kindly at the plaintiff.
"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 not some chivalrous
member Of the bar, volunteers said the
Judge, glancing around the bar.
The thirty lawyers we're silent.
II will, your honor said a voice from
the thickest part of tire crowd behind the
bar.
At the sound Of that voice many started
it was so unearthy, sweet and mourniul.
The first sensation was changed into laugh.
ter, when a tall, gaunt, spectral figure ell
bowed his way through the crowd and placed
himself within the bar. His clothes looked
so shabby that the Court hestatcd to let the
case proceed under his management.
Has your name been entered on the rolls
of the State?" inquired the Judge.
at is immaterial," answered the stranger,
his thin, bloodless lips curling up with Il
fendish sheer. ''Hcre is my license from
the highest tribunal in America - and he
handed the Judge broad parchment.
The trial went en-.
He suffered the witnesses to tell their own
story, and he allowed the defence to lead off
Ashley spoke first, followed by Pike and
Prcntiss. 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 a sunbeam, every one looking
surprised. Anon he came to the dazzling
wit Of the lawyer poet Pke-the curl of his
lip grew sharper, his thin face began to kin
die up, and his eyes to open. dim and dreary
no l,nger, but vivid as lightning, red as fire
globes, and glarng as meteors, the whole
soul was in the eye; the full heart streamed
out of his face. Then, without bestowing
an allusion to Prentiss, he turned short
around ON the perjured witnesses of Hop.
kins, tore their testimony into shreds, and
hurled into their faces such terrible invec.
tives that all trembled like aspens, and two
Of them fed from the court house. The eX.
element Of the crowd was becoming tremen-
dous. Their united life and soul seemed to
hang on the burning tongue of the stranger ;
he inspired them with the power Of his ma
lisnant passions; he seemed to have stolen
nature long hidden secret of attraction
But his greatest triumph was yet to come.
His eyes began to glance at the assassin
Hopkins, as mis- lean, taper fingers assumed
the same direction. He hemlned the wretch
with wall Of strong evidence and impreg,
nable argument, cutting off all hope of es-
cape. He dug beneath the murderer's feet
ultcheS OF dlcnmaS, ana neld the SlandercI
up to the scorn and contempt Of the popu,
lace Having thus girt him about with a
circle of fire, he stripped for the massacre
Oh, then it was vision, both glorious and
dreadful, to behold the orator! His actions
became as impetueus as the motion of an
oak in a hurricane. His voice became a
trumpet, filled with wild whirlpools, deafen.
ing the ear with crashes of power, and yet
ntermingled all the while with u sweet un.
,ler-song Of the softest cadence. His fore
head glowed like heated furnace, his coun
1enance was haggard, like that of maniac
and ever aud anon he flung his long bony
arms on high, as if grasping after thunder
bolts.
He drew his picture of murder in such
appalling coors, that in comparison he'll it.
self might be considered beautiful he paint
ed the slanderer so black that the sun seem
ed dark at MONDAY, when shining on such
an accused monster and then fixing both
portraits on the shrinking Hopkins, fastened
them there forever. The agitation of tn,
audience nearly amounted to madness.
All at once the speaker descended from
the perilous height His voice walled on