The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-02-12
THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.
A Thrilling Story.

John Taylor was licensed when a youth
OF twcnty>oEe to practice at the bar He
was poor, but we'll educated, and possessed
extraordinary genius. He married beau
ty, who afterwards deserted him for an
other
On the 9th of April, 1910, the court
house in CIarkville, Texas, was crowded to
overlooking. An exciting case was to be
tried. George Hopkins, a wealthy planter,
had offered a gross insult to Mary Ellison,
the young and beautiful wife of his oyer
seer. The husband threatened to chastise
him for the outrage, when Hopkins went
to Eillson's house and shot him in his own
door. The murderer was arrested, and
bailed to answer the charge. The occur
renee prod uced great excitement, and Hop
kins, in order to turn the tide of popular in
dignation, had circulated reports against
her character, and she had sued him for
Islander. Both suits were pending-for
murder and SANDER.
The interest became deeper when it was
known that Ashley and Pike, of Arkansas,
and s. S. Prentiss, of New Orleans, BY
enormous fees, had been retained to defend
Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Tex s
lawyers were overwhelmed by their oppo-
nents. 1t was a 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 setting in
tor Hopkins his money had procured wit
nesses who served his powerful advocates.
hen the SANDER case was called Mary
Ellison was left without an attorney-al
had Withdrawn.
Have you no counsel ?" inquired
Judge Nils, looking kindly on the plain
tiff
"No, sir; they have all deserted me and
l am too poor to employ any more re-
piled the beautiful Mary, bursting into
tears.
In such a-case will no one volunteer ?"
said the Judge, glancing around the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent.
Il will, your honor" said a voice from
the thlckest part of the crowd, behind the
bar.
At the sound of the voice many started
it was SO unearthly, sweet and mourn
full.
The first sensation was changed into
laughter, when tall, gaunt, spectral fig
ure elbowed his way through the crowd,
aud placed himself within the bar. His
clothes looked SO shabby that the court hes
Itated to let the case proceed under his
management.
Has your name been entered upon the
oils of the state % demanded Judge
Mills.
st is immateral," answered the stran-
ger, his thin, bloodless lip curling up with
a sheer.
Here is my license from the highest
tribunal in America!'' and he handed the
Judge b. DAD parchment.
The trial went on.
He suffered the witnesses to tell their
own story, and he allowed the defense to
lead off. Ashley spoke first, followed by
Pike and Prentiss. The latter brought the
house down in cheers, in which the jury
Joined.
1t was now the strangers turn. He rose
before the bar, not behind it, and so near
the wondering jury that be might touch the
foreman with his long, bony finger. lie
proceeded to tear TO pieces the arguments
OF Ashley, which melted away at his touch
like frost before a sunbeam. Every one
looked surprised.
Anon he came to the dazzling wit of the
poet lawyer Pike. Then the curl of his lip
grew sharper, his smooth face began to
klndle up and his eyes to open, dim and
dreary no longer, but vivid as lightning,
red as fire globes, and glaring as twin me-
teors. The whole soul was in the eye tie
tull heart stresmed out of his face. Then
without bestowlng an allusion to Prentiss,
he turned short around on the perjured
witnesses Of Hopkins, tore their testimony
into threads, and hurled in their faces such
terrible invecives that all trembed ike as.
pens, and two of them fled from the court
house. The excitement of the crowd was
becoming tremendous. Their united lie
and soul seemed to hang upon the burning
tongue OF the stranger, and he inspired
them with the power of his passions He
seemed to have stolen nature long hidden
secret of attraction. But his greatest tri-
umph was to ccme.
His eyes began to glance at the assassin
Hopkins, as his lean, taper fingers assumed
the same direction He hemmed the
wretch within a wall of strong evidence and
argument, cutting off all hope
OF escape. lie dug beneath the murder
er feet bitches Of dilemmas, aud held up
the slaDderer to the scorn and contempt of
the populace. Having thus grit him about
with circle OF fire, he stripped himself to
the work OF massacre.
On then, 1t was VISION both glorious
and dreadful to behold the orator. His ac-
tons became as impetuous as the mo-
tons OF an oak in hurricane. His voice
became a trumpet filed with wild .whlrl-
pools, deafening the ears with crashes of
power, and yet intermingled ali the while
with a sweet underSong of the soItest ca
dence. His forehead giowed like heated
furnace, his countenance was haggered like
that OF maniac, and ever and anon he
flung his long bony arm on high as if
grasping for thunderbolts.
lie drew picture OF murder in such ap-
paillng colors, that, IN comparison, heil 1t
self might seem beautiful; he painted the
slanderer so black that the sun seemed
black at MONDAY when shining upon such
a monster. And then fixing both portraits
on the shrinking Hopkins, fastened them
there forever The agitation of the audi
ence amounted almost to madness.
Ali at once the speaker descended from
the perilous height. HIS voice walled TOR
the murdered dead and iIvlng-ihe beauii-
ful Mary, more beautiful every moment, as
her tears flowed faster and faster, till men
Wept and sobbcd like children.
lie closed by a strange exhortation to the
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