Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-03-09
THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.

youth of twenty.one, to practice at thu
bar. He was poor but well educated
and possessed extraordinary genius. II,
married beauty, whs afterwards de
serted him for another.
On the 9th of April, l840 the court
house at Clarksville, Texas, was crowded
to overhowing An exciting case was
about to- be tried. General Hopkins, q
wealthy planter, had offered gross in
suit to Mary Ellison, the young and jeau
tiful wife of his overseer. The husband
threatened to chastse him for the out
rage, when Hopkins went to Ellison
and shot him at his own door. The mur.
derer was arrested apd bailed to answer
the charge. This occurrence produced
great excitement, and Hopkins, in
order,to turn the tide of popular indig.
nation, circulated reports against her
character, and she had sued him for
SANDER. Both suits were pending--ior
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 re-
tained to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texas
lawyers were overwhelmed by their op.
ponents; it was fight of dwarfs 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 witnesses who served his
powerful advocates. When the slander
case was called, Mary Ellison was left
without an attorney, all had withdrawn.
Have you no counselY' inquired
Judge Millett, looking kindly at the
plaintiff.
mo, sir, they have all deserted me,
and am too poor to employ any more"
replied the lady, glancing around the
bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent.
! will, your honor" said q voice
from the thickest part of the crowd be.
hind the bar.
At the sound of that voice many
started-it was unearthly, sweet and
mournful.
The first sensation was changed into
laughter, when a tall, gaunt, spectral
figure elbowed his way through the
crowd, and placed himself within the
bar. His clothes looked so shabby that
the Court hesitated TO let the case pro-
ceed under his management
Has your name been entered on the
rolls of the State p demanded the Judge
at is immaterial," answered the
stranger, his thin bloodless lips curling
up with fendish sneer. " Here is my
license from the highest tribnnal in
America |" and he handed the Judge
broad parchment.
The trial went on.
He suffered the witnesses to tell their
own story, and he allowed the defense TO
lead off, Ashley spoke first, followed by
Pike and Prentiss The latter brought
the hsuse down with cheers, in which the
jury Joined.
1t was now the strangers turn; he
rises-before the bar, not behind it-apd
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 sun
beam. Every one looked surprised.
Anon he came to the dazzling wit of the
lawyer, Pike-the 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 Caring as meteors, the whole
soul was in his eye; the full heart |
stresmed out Of his face. Then without |
bestowing an allusion to Prentiss, be |
turned short around on the perjBred wit
nesses of Hopkins, tore their testimony |
into shreds and hurled into their faces |
such terrible inYectives that all trembled /
like aspens and two of them fed from the |
Court House. The excitement Of the |
crowd was becoming tremendous. Their /
united life aud soul seemed TO han9 on |
the burning tongue Of the stranger; he
inspired them with the power Of his ma
lignant 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 assas.
sin Hopkins, as his lean, taper fingers
assumed the same direction. He hem
med the wretch with wall Of s.foag cyl
dence aud impregnable argument cut
tiuE Oft all hope Of escape. He dug
beneath the mdrderer's feet bitches OF
dilemma, and held the slanderer up TO
the seorn and contempt Of the populaee-
Having thus girt him about with circle
Of fire, be stripped himself fer the mas
sacre.
oh. then it wds a vision both glorious
and dreadful to behold the author. His
lriione became as impetuous as tie mo-