Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-03-16
The Volunteer Counsel,


 John Taylor was licensed, when 2 youth of twenty-one, to practice at thu bar. He was poor but we'll educated and possessed extraordinary gcnius.-- He married a beauty who afterward. deserted him for another.
 On the 9th of.April, 1SIO, the Court. house at Clarksville, Texas, was crowd. ed to overfowing. An exciting case was about to be tried. General Hop. kins, wealthy planter, had offered q 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 Ellison and shot him at his own i door. The murderer was arrested and bailed to answer the charge. This oc- currence produced a great excitement, and Hopkins, in order to turn the tide of popular indignation, circulated re- ports against her, and she sued him for slander. Both suits were pending-for murder and slander.
 The interest became deeper when it was known that Ashley and Pike of 1 Arkanias, and 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.
 The islander suit was for the 9th, and the throng of spectators grew in num- Der and excitement. Public opinion was for Hopkins. His money had procured Witnesses who served his powerful ad- vocates.
 When the slander case was called, Mary Ellison was without an attorney, all had withdrawn.
 "llaye you no counsel asked Judge Millett, looking kindly upon the plain tiff.
 No, sir, they have all deserted mo. and am too poor to employ any one,'' replied the lady, glancing around the bar.
 The lawyers were silent.
 q will, your honor," said a 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 tall, gaunt, spectral figure, elbowed his way through the crowd and placed himself within the bar. His clothes were so shabby, that the Court hesitated to let the case pro- eeed under his management
 ''Has your name been entered upon the rolls of the State?' demanded the Judge. a, ae
 ''It is immaterial,' answered the stranger, his thin, bloodless lips curling with fiendish sheer. "Here is my li- cense, from the highest tribunal in the land !' and he handed the Judge long parchment.
 The trial went on.
 He suffered the witnesses to tell their own story, and allowed the defense to lead off; Ashley spoke first, then Pike and Prentiss. The latter brought the house down with cheers, in which the jury joined.
 It was now the strangers turn. He rises-before the bar, not behind it. and so near the wondering jury that ht might touch the foreman with his long bony fingers. He proceeded to tear tt pieces the arguments of Ashley, whicl melted away at his touch like frost be fore the sunbeam. Every one looked surprised. Anon he came to the dag zling wit of the lawyer, Pike-the cur of his lip grew sharper, his thin fact began to kindle up, and his eyes tt open, dim and drcary no longer, bu vivid as lightning, red as fire globes and glaring as meteors, the whole sou was in his eye the full heart streamct out of his face.
 Without bestowing an allusion t, | Prentiss, he turned short around on tn perjurcd witnesses of Hopkins, tore al their testimony into shreds, and hurlc, into their faces such terrible invective that all trembled like aspens and tw, of hem fled from the Court House. The excitement of the crowd was nov becoming tremendous. Their unite, Flie and soul seemed to hang on tn burning tongue of the stranger; he in l slired them with the powers of his ma lignant passions; he seemed to hay stolen natures long hidden secret of at traction. But his greatest triumph wa yet to come.
 His eyes began to glance at the as sassin Hopkins, as his lean, taper finger assumed the same direction. He hem med the wretch with a wall of stron, evidence and impregnable argument cutting on all hope of escape. He du, beneath the murderer's feet ditches o dilemma, and held the slanderer up {, the seorn and contempt of the popu 1 lace.
 Having thus girt him about with circle of fire, he stripped for the mas sacre.
 Oh, then it was a vision both glori  ous and dreadful 10 behold the author