The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1869-04-22
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THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL

I and possessed ofextraordinary genius
: lie married lady who afterward de
serted him for another.
Q On the 9th of April, 1910, the court
house in GAINESVILLE, Texas, was
crowded to OVERLOOKING An exciting
) case was to be tried George Hop
kins, q wealthy planter, had offered a
gross insult to Mary Ellison, the
young and beautiful wife of his over
seer The husband threatened to
chastise him for the outrage. when
Hopkins went to Ellison's house and
shot him in his own door The muir
derer was arrested and bailed to an
swer the charge. This occurrence pro-
duced great excitement, and Hopkins,
in order to turn the tide of popular
) indignation, had circulated 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 Pike, Of Ar
kansas, and S, S. Prentiss, of New
Orleans, by enormous fees, had been
retained to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texas
lawyers were overwhelmed by their OPP
ponents. 1t was fight of u dwarf
against giants.
TIE SANDER suit was for the 9th,
and the throng Of spectators grew in
numbers as in excitement. Public
opinion was setting in for Hopkins;
his money had procured witnesses who
served his powerful advocates. When
the SANDER case was called Mary
Ellison was left without an attorney
all had withdrawn
"Ilave you no counscl?' inquired
Judge Mills, looking kindly on the
plaintiff.
emo, sir; they have MI deserted me,
and l am too poor to employ any
morc,' replied the beautiful Mary,
bursting into tears.
"In such case, will not some
chivalrous member of the profession
Ig1iunteer?' said the judge glancing
around at the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent.
81 will, your HONOR" said q voice
from the thick ST part Of the crowd
behind the bar
AT the sound of the voice many
started--it was so unearthly, sweet
and mournfuI, The 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 50
shabby that the court hcsitated to let
the case proceed under his manage,
ment
HAS your name been entered on the
rolls Of the State p demanded the
Judge.
sit is immaterial,' answered the
stranger, his thin bloodless lips curling
up with sheer.
"llerc is my license from the highest
tribunal in America ~ and bo b,pded !
the JUDGE broad narchmcnt. !,
The trial went on.
He suffered the witnesses to tell their
own story, and lie allowed the defence
to lead off. Ashley spoke first, fol
lowed by Pike and Prentiss. The
latter brought the house down in
cheers, in which the jury joined.
1t was now the strangers turn. lie
rose before the bar, not behind 1t, and
so near the wondering jury that he
might touch the foreman with his long
bony finger He proceed to tear to
pieces the arguments of Ashley, which
melted at his touch like frost before
sunbeams. Every one looked sur
prised. Anon he came to the dazzling |
Wit of the poet lawyer Pike. Then the {
curl of bis lip grew sharper, his smooth S
lace began to kindle up and his eyes to t
open. dim and dreary no longer, but h
vivid as lightning, red as fire globes, $
md as glaring as twin meteors. The f
whole soul was in the eye; the full
leart streamed out of his face. Then, r
without bcstowing an allusion to Prem d
ISIS, lie turned short round on the "
'erjured witnesses of Hopkins, tore r.
heir testimony into shreds, and hurled
ntO their faces such terrible invectivcs G.
ha! all trembled like aspens, and two o
f them fled from the court house. The il
xcitement of the crowd was becoming Il
Their united life and fl
oul seemed to hang upon the burning
ongue of the stranger, and he inspired tt
lem with the power of his passions. p
lie seemed to have stolen natures long 81
idden secret of attraction. But his il
reatest triumph was to come. G,
His eyes began to glance at the p
ssassin Hopkins, as his lean, taper
myers assumed the same direction. I'd
e hemmed the wretch within a wall D,
{ strong evidence and inpreonable III