The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-11-03

4
her ear. She bounded several inches from
the floor, uttered a wild shricks aud then
stood pale and trembling, as if in the presence
OF ghost from the grave. All now could
perceive that there must be some mysterious
connection between the two, and the scene
assumed the profound interest of genuine
romance. The stranger addressed the Court
IN accents as sonorous as the tone of an organ.
May it please your honor, will defend
the legal rights of this lady"
What y exclaimed the astonished Judge,
are you a licensed attorney ?''
"The question is inmetera and irregular. .
replied the stranger, with sneer, sas your
statute entities any person to act as counsel at
the request Of the party s.5e
But does the prisoner request it?" asked
the Judge.
Let her speak for herself: said the strang-
err.
II do was her answer, as a long drawn
breath escaped, that seemed to rend her very
heart strings.
What Is your name, as it must be placed
on record (! Intercepted the judge.
William Denton said the stranger.
The case progressed. We will briefly epit
omize the substance Of the evidence About
twelve months previously, the defendant ar
rived IN town and opened millinery estab-
lishment Residing in small room back of
her shop and all alone, she prepared various
articles Of her trade with unwearied toll and
consummate taste. Her habits we're seclud-
ed, modest and retiring, and hence she might
have hoped to escape notorety, but for the
perilous gift Of that extraordinary beauty,
which too often, to the triendless proves
curse She was soon sought after by the
gay fire flies of fashion, the bushes of whose
life is everywhere seduction and ruin Blu.
the beautiful stranger rejected them all alike
with unutterable scorn aud contempt
Among those disappointed admirers was
one Of character from which the fair mill-
ner had everything to fear. Hiram Shore
belonged to family at once opulent infu-
entail and dissi pated He was himself licen-
tious, brave and rcvepgeful, and a duelist of
established terrible fame It was generally
known that he had made advances to WIN the
favor of the lovely Emma, and he had shared
the fate Of all the other wooers-a dsdainful
repulse.
At nine o'clock on Christmas night. 1888,
the people of Little Rock we're startled by a.
LOUD scream as OF some one In mortal terror :
while following that, with an interval, came
successive reports Of fire arms one, two.
tflree-a dozen deafening explosions. They
few to the shop of the ullllner, whence the
sound emanated, and pushed back the unfast-
ened door. A dreadful scene was presented
There she stood in the centre of the room,
with revolver in each hand, every barrel
discharged her features palid her eyes flashed
wildly, and her lips parted with an awful
smile And there at her feet, weltering in
his warm blood, his bosom literally riddled
with shot, lay the all dreaded duelist, Hiram
Shore, gssping in the last agony He artic
ulated but siny le sentence--s',T my moth
err that I am dead and gone to I'LL, and in
stantly expired
IN Gods name, who did this 2" exclaimed
the appalled, spectators a ''
81 did it! said the beautiful milliner, in
her sweet, slvery accents. II did it to save
my honor" i.a~
Such is a brief abstract of the essential
circumstances. developed in the examination
of witnesses. The testimony closed and the
pleading began e;i
First of all, Flower Pike and Ashley, Gall
famous lawyers at that time in the southwest
spoke in succession for che prosecution. They
about equally partitioned their cloquence be.
twlxt the prisoner and her advocate, covering
the latter with such sarcastic wit, raillery,
and rdicule, as made it a matter of doubt
whether he OF his client was the party then
On trial. As to Denton, however, he seemed
n M not ncIIf Il.
nents, but res,ained motionlcss, with his fore
head bowed on his hands, like one buried in
deep thought or slumber. ~ t h
When his time came, however, he sudden
ly sprang to- his feet crossed the bar, and
took position almost touching the foreman
Of the jury. He then commenced in whis-1
Per, but in whisper SO wild, peculiar and
sindescribaby distinct as to gill the hall from
floor to galleries e-9n =
At the outset he~dealt in pure logic, ana
lying and combining the proven facts, the.
whole mass of confused evidence looked trans
parent as globe Of crystal, through which
the innocence of his client shone luminous as
sunbeam, while the jurors nodded to each
other signs OF thorough conviction. That
thrilling whisper, and concentrated argument
and language simple as a child's had satisfied
the demands of intellect, and this. too in only
twenty minutes. 1t was like the work Of a
mathematical demonstration. :
lie then changed his posture so as to sweep
the bar with his glance, and, like a raging
lion, rushed upon his adversaries, tearing aud
-rending their sophistries into atoms His sal
low face gowed like a red hot iron, the fork
ed blue veins swelled and wreathed on his
brow, his eyes resenbled live Goals, and his
voice was like the clangor of trumpet. I
have never, before or since. listened to such
appalling denunciations. It was like Jove''3
eagle charging flock of crows And yet in
the highest tempest of his fury he seemed
wonderfully ca m. He employed no gesture
save one-the flash ola long, bony fore Gu
ger directly at the paid faces of his legal foes
lie painted their vanality and humanity base
ness IN coalescing for money to crush friend.
less female, till sort Of stiAed wrath broke
from the multitude, and some Of the sworn
panel cried "Shame!v And thus the orator