The Republican journal., 1869-04-22
The Volunteer Counsel.

y
OF twenty-one, to practise at the bar He
was poor, but we'll educated, and possesse
extraordinary genius.
On the niuth of April, 1910, the court
house in Clarksvi!le. Texas, was crowded to
overfowing. An exciting cass was about
to be tried. Geo. Hopkins wealthy plan
ter, had offered gross insult to Mary Eli
son, the young and beautiful wife of his
oyerseer. The husband threatened to chas-
tise him for the outrage, when Hopkins
went to Ellison's house and shot him in his
door. The murderer was arrested and bail
ed to answer the charge. This occurrence
produced great excitement, and Hopkins,
in order to turn the tide of popular indig-
nation, had circulated reports against the
character of Mrs. Hllisoq, and ahe had s,l-
ed him for SANDER. Both suits were pend
ing, for murder and SANDER.
The interest became deeper when it was
known that Ashley aud Pike, of Arkansa as,
and s. S. Prentiss, of New Orleans, by
enormous fees, had been retained to de-
fend Hopkins. In the murder case, Hopkins
was acquitted. The Texas lawyers were
overwhelmed by their opponents. It was g
fight oi dWarfs against giants. The SIAN
der suit was set down for the 9Th of April,
and the throng of spectators grew in num-
ber as well as excitement. Public opinion
was setting in for Hopkins. His money had
procured witnesses who served his advo-
Gates. When the case was called, Mary
Ellison was left without an attorney; all
had withdrawn.
"Have you no counsel?' inquired Judge
Mills, looking kindly at the plaintiff.
"Ao, sir, thsy have ill deserted he, and !
am too poor to employ Others . replied the
beautiful Mary, bursting into tears.
"ln such a case, will not some chival-
rous member of the profession volunteer?'' p
said the judge, glancing around the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent.
81 will, your honor" said voice from
the thickest part Of the crowd outside the
bar.
At the sound of that voice many started,
it was so unearthly, sweet and mournful.
But the first sensation was changed into
laughter, when a tall, gaunt, and spectral
figure elbowed his way through the crowd,
and placed himself within the bar. His
clothes looked so shabby that the court hes
tated to let the case proceed under his man
agement.
elias your name been entered on the
rolls of the bar Of the State ?" demanded the
Judge.
"Itis immaterial, answered the stranger,
his thin, bloodless lip curling up with a
sneer. "Here is license from the highes,
tribunal in America !" and he handed the
judge broad parchment. The trial went
on.
He suffered the witnesses to tell thei1
own story, and he allowed the defence to
lead on. Ashley spoke first, followed by
Pike and Prentiss. The latter brought the
house down with cheers in which the Jury
joined.
1t is 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 finger. He
proceeded to tear to pieces the arguments
Of Ashley, which melted away at his touch
like frost before the sun. Every one look.
ed surprised. Anon he came to the dazzling
wit of the poet lawyer, Pike. Then the
curl of his lip grew sharper, and his smooth
face began to kindle up, and his eyes to open
dim and dreamy no longer, but vivid as
lightning and red as fire-globes. His whole
soul was in his eyes his full heart pouring
out of them. And without an allusion to
Prentss, he turned short around on the
perjured witnesses of Hopkins, tore their
testimony into shreds, and hurled in their
faces such terrible invectives that they trem-
bled in their seats, and two of them fled
from the courthouse. The excitement of
the crowd was becoming uncomfortable.
Their united life and soul seemed to hang
upon the burning tongue of the stranger
who was overwhelming them with the pow
er of his terrible indignation. He held the
whole audience spell-bound. But his great
est triumph was to come.
His eyes began to glance at the assassin
Hopkins, and his lean taper fingers assum-
ed the same direction. He hemmed the
wretch with wall of strong evidence and
inpregnable argument, cutting off all hope of
escape. He dug beneath the murderer's
feet bitches of dilemma, and held the SLAM
derer up to the scorn and contempt of the
court. He girt him about with circle of
fire, and then stripped himself to tie work
of massacre.
Oh, then it was both glorious and dread
full to behold the orator! His actions be-
came as impetuous as the motion of the oak
in a hurricane His voice became trum-
pet filled with wild whirlwinds, deafening
the ear with the crashes of power, yet in
termingled all the while with sweat under
tone of the softest cadence. His forehead
glowed like heated furnace, his counte-
nance was haggard, like that of maniac,
and ever and anon he flung his long bony
arms on high as if grasping after thunder
bolts to hurl at his miserable victim.
He drew picture Of murder in such ap-
palling colors that in comparison hell itself
might be considered beautiful. He paint
ed the slanderer so black that the sun seem
ed dark at MONDAY, when shining on such
an accursed monster and fixing both por-
tro;to on <bo obr;pk;nr Hopk;po fos+opoJ