The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1869-01-21


bic to take in settlement with him.
: On motion of Mr.. Rigby, the Boart
adjourned sine die.
The Volunteer Counsel. A thrilling
story.
John Taylor was licensed, when a
youth of twenty-one, to practice at the
bar. He was poor, but we'll educated,
and possessed extraordinary genius. He
married a beauty who afterward desert
cd him for another.
On the 9th of April, 1910, the court.
house in Clarkville, Texas, was crowded
to overilowing. An exciting case was
to DO tried. George Hopkins, awealtly
planter, had offered gross insult to
Mary Ellison, the young and beautiful
wife of his Oversccr. The husband
threatened to chastisc him for the out
rage, when Hopkins went to Ellison's
house and shot him in his own door.
/ The murderer was arrested and bailcd
to answer the charge. This occurrence
produced great excitement, and Hop
kins, in order to turn the tide ofpopular
Indignation, had circulated reports
against her character, and she had sued
him for slander. Both suits were pend
ing-for murder and slander.
The interest became deeper when it
was known that Ashley and Pike, Of
Arkansas, and S. ;. Prcntiss, of New
Orleans, by enormous fees, had been re-
tanned to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texas
lawyers were overwhelmed by their
opponents. 1t was fight of a dwarf
against giants.
The slander suit was for the 9th, and
the throng ofspcctators grew in num-
bcrs as in excitement. Public opinion
was setting in for Hopkins; his money
had procured witnesses who served his
powerful advocates. When the slandcr
case was called, Mary Ellison was left
without an attorncy-all had with
drawn.
''1iave You no counsel?" inquired
Judge Mills, looking kindly on the plain
tiff.
"No, sir; they have all deserted me,
and | am too poor to employ any more,'
replied the beautiful Mary, bursting into
tears.
"1n such Il case, will not some chival-
rous member of the profession volun-
teer::' said the judge, glancing around
the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent
~ will, your honor,' said voice
from the thickest part ofthe crowd, be-
hind the bar.
At the sound of the voice many start
edit was so unearthly, sweet and
The first sensation was changed into
laughter when 4 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.
"llas your name been entered on the
rolls Of the State:' demanded the
Judge.
at is immatcrial," answered the
stranger, his thin, bloodless lips curling
Ip with Il snecr.
"lIcre is my license from the highest
in Americ..' and he handed
he Judge broad parchment.
The trial went on.
He suffered the witnesses to tell their
'wn story, and he allowed the defeuse
o lead off. Ashley spoke first, followed
y Pike and Prcntiss. The latter
the house down in cheers, in {
which the jury joined.
1t was now the strangers turn. He
ose before the bar not behind it, and
o near the wondering jury that he
night touch the foreman with his long
bony finger. lie proceeded to tear to
pieces the arguments of Ashley, which
Melted away ut his touch like frost be-
ore sunbeam. Every one looked SUR !
'riscd. Anon he came to the dazzling
Wit of the poet lawyer Pike. Then the
url of his lip grew sharper, his smooth
ace began to kindIe up and his eyes to {
'pen, dim and dreary no longer, but t
'ivid as lightning, red as fire globes, :
md glaring as twin metcors. The whole {
oul WAS in the eye; the full heart d
trcamcd out Of his face. Then with l
'ut bestowing an allusion to Prentiss,
lc turned short around on the perjurcd |
witnesses Of Hopkins, tore their testi- G
nouy into threads, and hurled in their Il
aces such terrible inVcctive5 that all |
rcmbled like aspens, and two of them l
led from the courthouse. The excite I
nent of the crowd was becoming tre- I
nendous. Their united life and soul I
seemed to hang upon the burning
ongue of the stranger, and he inspired
hem with the power of his passions.
ne seemed to have stolen natures long Z
hidden secret of attraction. But his
greatest triumph was to come. !
His eyes began to glance at the assas-
sin Hopkins, as his lean, taper fingers
Il t, =