Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-01-22
THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.

THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.
JouN TAYLOR was licensed, whena youth
of twenty.one, to practice at the bar. lie
was poor, but well educated and pos
sessod of extraordinary genius. He mar
ried q beauty who afterward deserted him
for another
On the 9th of April, 1910, the court
house in Clarkvillc, Texas was crowded
TO oyertlowing. An exciting case was
TO be tried George Hopkins, wealthy
planter had offered gross insult to
Mary Ellison, the young and beautiful
wife of his overscer. The husband threat.
ened to chastise him for the outrage, when
Hopkins went to EllsOn's house and
shot him in his own door. The murderer
was arrested and bailed to answer the
charge. This occurrence produced great
excitement, and Hopkins, in order to turn
the tide of popular indignation, had cir
culatcd reports against her character, and
she had sued him for SANDER. Both suits
were pending-for murder and slandcr.
Tho interest became deeper when it
was known that Ashley aud Pike, of Ar
kansas, and S. s. Prentss, OF New Or
leans, by enormous fees, had been re-
tanned to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The TexGs
lawyers were overwhelmed by their op-
ponents, 1t was fight of dwarf against
giants.
The SANDER suit was for the 9th, and the
throng of spectators grew in numbers as
in excitement. Public opinion was set
ting in for Hopkins; his money had pro-
cured witnesses who served his powerful
advocates. When the slander case was
called, Mary Ellison was left without an
attorney--all had withdrawn
"Have you TO counsel? 2" 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.
"Insuch case, will not some chivalrous
member of the profession volunteer ?" said
| the judge, glancing around the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent.
al will, your honor" said voice from
! the thickest part of the crowd, behind the
bar.
At the sound of the voice many started
it was so earthly, sweet and mournful.
The first sensation was changed into
laughter when tail, 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 proceed under his manage
ment
Has your name been entered on the
rolls of the State?" demanded the Judge.
"It is immaterial," answered the strang-
er, his thin, bloodless lips curling up with
a sneer.
Here is my license from the highest
tribunal 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 of. Ashley spoke first, followed by
Pike and Prentiss. The latter brought
the house down in cheers, in which the
| jury joined.
It was now the strangers turn. HC
rose before the bar, not behind it, and SC
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 sunbeam
Every one looked surprised. Anon ht
came TO the dazzling wit of the poet law
yer Pike. Then the curl of his lip grew
sharper, his smooth face began to kindl,
up and his eyes to open, dim and dreary
no longer, but vivid as lightning, red a
fire globes and glaring as twin meteors
The whole soul was in the eye; the tul
heart streamed out of his face Thel
without bestowing an allusion to Prenliss
he turRed short around on the perjureC
Witnesses of Hopkins, tore their testimony
into threads, and hurled in their faces suCl
terrible inYeCtiVes that all trembled likl
aspens, and two of them fled from TIN
court house The excitement of thu
crowd was becoming tremendous. Theil
united life and soul seemed TO hang upoI
the burning tongue of the stranger, anC
be inspired them with the power Of hi
passions. He seemed to have stolen ma
ture's long hidden secret of attraction
But his greatest triumph was to come
His eyes began to glance at the ASSASSIN
Hopkins, as his lean, taper fingers assumed
the same direction. lie hemmcd tn,
wretch within a wall of strong evidenc,
and impregnable argument, cutting Off al
hope Of escape. He dug beneath the mur
derer's feet bitches Of dilemmas, and hel,
up the slander TO the scOTn and contemp
of the populace. Having thus girt hin
about with circle of fire, he stripped
himself TO the work of massacre.
OH then IL was a vision both glOriou
and dreadful TO behold the orator. His &C
ton became as impetuOus as tho motion
OF an oak in hurricane His voice be
CAME trumpet filed with wild whirl
pools, deafening the ears with crashes O
!. power, and yet intermingled all the Will
with a sweet undersong of the softest c,
dence. His forehead glowed like heate
, furnace, his countenance was haggard
like That OF s maniac, and ever and anOl
he aung his long, bony arm on high as /
grasping after thundeTbolts.
He drew a picture Of murder In sucl
, appalling colors, that, in comparison, hel
J itsGlf might seem beautiful; he paintel
the slanderer so black that the sun seeme
J dark at MONDAY, when shining on such
, monster. And then fixing both portrsi
on the shrinking Hopkins, fastened ther
, there forever. The agitation of the audi
! ence amounted almost TO madness
, AL at once the speaker descended from
the perilous height His voice walled ou
for the murdered dead and living-th
I beautiful Mary, more beautiful every mo
ment as her tears flowed faster and faster
till men wept and sobbed like children.
lie closed by strange exhortation I
the Jury, and through them to the bystany
J ers he advised the panel, after they shQul
bring in a verdict for the plaintiff not /
offer violence to the deuieud6gt howeVl
richly he might deserve Il H. other wore
I "pot 70 lynch the villain, bni 70 leave h