The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-01-21
THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.

JOHN TAYLOR was llcenSeu, WneEa yOutn
of twenty one, to practice at the bar. He
was poor, but well educated, and pos
sessed of extraordinary genius. He mar
ried beauty who afterward deserted him
for another.
On the 9th of April, 1910, the court
house in Clarkville, Texas, was crowded
to OVERLOOKING. 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 Overseer. The husband threat
ened to chastise him for the outrage, when
Hopkins went to Ellison'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
culated reports against her character, and
she had sued him for SANDER. Both suits
were pending-fOr murder and SANDER.
The interest became deeper when it
was known that Ashley and Pike, of Ar
kansas, and S. S. Prentiss, Of New Or
leans, by enormous fees, had been re
tanned to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texas
lawyers were overwhelmed by their OPP
ponents. II 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 SANDER case was
called Mary Ellison was left without an
attorney-all had withdrawn.
Have you 10 counsel" inquired
Judge Mills, looking kindly on the plain
tiff
mo, sir; they have all deserted me,
and l am too poor to employ any more,
replied the beautiful Mary, bursting into
tears.
In such a case, will not some chivalrous
member of the profession volunteer ?" said
the Judge, glancing around the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent.
az will, yOtir 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 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 proceed under his manage
ment
elias your name been entered on the
rolls of the State:" demanded the Judge
at is immaterial," answered the strang
er, his thin, bloodless lips curling up with
. eneer.
"Here is My license from the highes,
tribunal in America!" and he handed tlit
Judge broad parchment.
The trial went on.
He suffered the witnesses to tell their
own story, and he allowed the defense tc
lead Of. Ashley cpoke first, followed by
Pike and Prentiss. The latter htouFht
the house down in cheers, in which the
jury joined.
1t was now the strangers turn. Ht
rose before the bar, not behind it, and sc
near the wondering Jury that he might
/ touch the foreman with mis- long bcny
/ 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 HI
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 drear,
no longer, bit vivid as lightning, red a
fire globes, and Slaring as twin meteors
The whole soul was in the eye; the ful
heart streamed out Of his face. Thel
without bestowing an allusiOn TO PrentiSs
he turned short around on the perjure
witnesses of Hopkins, tore their testimon
into threads, and hurled in their faces sue
terrible invectives that all trembled llk
aspens, and two of them fled from tn
court house. The excitement of tn
crowd was becoming tremendous. Thei
united life and soul seemed to hang upo
the burning tongue of the stranger, an
he inspired them with the power of hi
passions. He seemed to have stolen ms
fure's long hidden secret OF attraction
But his greatest triumph was to come.
His eyes began to glance at the assassi
Hopkins, as his lean, taper fingers assume
the same direction. He hemmed II
wretch within wall of strong evidene
and impregnable argument cutting off a
. hope Of escape He dug beneath the mu
, derer's feet bitches Of dilemmas, and he
, nm the SANDER to the scorn and conteml
, of the populace Having thus girt hi
r about with circle Of fire, he strip,
, himself TO the work of massacre
: OH then it was vision both glorio
{ and dreadful to behold the orator. His a
! ton became as impetuous as the motto
! of an oak in hurricane. His voice }
9 came a trumpet filed with wild Will
$ p0nls, deafenine the ears with craahfs