The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1868-01-22
HILLSBoROUGH,~ c., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1865,

as"You once seat an orphan to jail when
he was guilues Of wrong Or Of crime.
Again, you sent an old neighbor to Jail for
no crime but poverty. They both stand
before you. And should misfertunes ever
come upon you, James Wilson, may you
find others more humane and forgiving
than you have been. This is world Of
changes, and disease and bad luck may
waste you in such an hour as YOU know
not" '"9t'' hea ttgaottt .%pbE3E' .>"..aJ|
aa A paIeuess crspt over Wilson'S face, and
before he could reply. Douglass and Milton
had passed from his store. ~ 'sftI.,H
Ten years later, and two OF the charac-
ters Of our story are again brought togelh-
ell. A change has been wrought in the At.
fairs of James Wilson, the rich village mer.
ehant. Disease has been IN his household,
and his store asd dwelling have been laid
in ashes. Financial reverses followed in
quick succession, until all bis property was
swept away, and he found himself several
thousand jollars in debt. Driven to des-
psr4tion, aud struggling to save his falling
fortunes, he atteap pied tn secrete portion
Of his meaas by the aid ofoa friend. The
scheme was detected, and he was arrested
an chasgs of swiadling. and semitic prison.
ltTwasthen the ruined man learned the Bit
terness of poverty ami deserti0n. Not a
frisnd wuuld be his bail. The fckle papu-
lace turned against him as quickly as they
+, had against WiIliam Milton years before.
lie complained of tais billsrly-he could
not see why his Did friends shoald desert
/ him because he vas unlortanate-surely
tl4t vas no crime. So reasoned The man
! whu sent Milton to The debtors cell. His
integrity had not passed the ordeal as On
iarnshed as did that of his early friend.
Dark and gloomy were the days between
the arrest and the trial. Wilson had little
TO hope from the magnanimiiy of the prose
tcuting attorney, ~ that official bad been
lrejcs:ed BY one oil his daughters on account
tof the attorneys povery. From the prison
er's box. Wilson IOaked in vain for friends
,n the sea OF faces. He had lost his proper.
" and had 10 friends. ~ .ft~
| Te the inquiry Of the Court who would
deiend hun, Wilson answered that he had
retained none, his face burning as he az
swefsd, iar he had no means TO enpi"y
. Counsel. One and another Vt the lawyers
IN the bar plead prior engagements. and
begged 10 be excused from acting as VIII
sous counsel at the request oI the Court.
This marked reluctance TO defend hiG,
s;ung the prisoner keenly, and he BIT his
lin until il bIed. Any one Of the brood. a
month before, would have most eagerly
performed any service for the wealthy aer-
chant.
Al this jancturr. : tall and muscular gen
tieman strude up 10 the bar aud rendered
his service as counsel for the prisoner al
the bar. Tue stranger head was gray, but
his presence was singularly noble and COIN
mandinr. and his eve full and lustrous.
The .ineiy chiselvd mouth toIdi;s own sto-
ry Ul daring, hrmness aud iron will. The
prosecuting attorney looked little blank as
the distinguished looking gentleman took
his seat within the bar and answered tor his
client. q, The interest in the audience be-
came intense, Tor they expected something
from 81 fne looking inan. And the pres
enee of that psrsunsge--his lofty bearing
and eagle eye-was already making inte-
rest fsr his a,tonishrd client.
The trial proceeded. The e"unsel tor
the def,nee asked lev question, of tae wit
nesses. coutentlng himselIwlih playipg.with
MS prnknile, now and then locking upon
,hnse who swnra :. swift. There wss
terror in his very eve, aud the swift wit
nesss.: quaied as they read his scorniul
gIanrr The District Attorney INDUCED in
frequent coarse and aggraVatipg remarks as
the testimony proceeded.
The plea Of the stranger was a most hin.
ished specimen Of logic. irony and pa,hos.
The tile Of feeling in the people. reacted
under his eIoquence. and rushed again to
the merchant. "A few words. calm, but
most feurfally wiihering. crushed the pro.
scouting attorneys attsm.pt to wound The