The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-01-04
A VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.
A Thrilling story.

at the bar. lie was poor, but we'll cdu
Gated, and possessed extraordinary genius.
He married Il beauty who afterwards de-
serted him for another.
On the 9th of April, 1910, the Court
House in Clarksyille, Texas, was crowded
to overflowing. An exciting case was to
be tried,-George Hopkins, wealthy
planter, had offered gross insult to Ma
ry Ellison. the young and beautiful wife
Of his oversecr. The husband threat
ened to chastise him for the outrage,
when Hopkins went to Ellisons house
and shot him i'll his own door. The
murderer was arrested and baicd to an
swer the charge. The occurrence pro-
duced great excitement, and Hopkins in
order to turn the tide of popular indig-
nation, had circulated reports against her
character, and she had sued him for
SANDER Both suits were pending-for
murder and slander
The interest became deeper when it
was known that Ashley and Pike of Ar
kansas, and 5. S. Premise, Of New Or
leans, by enormous fees, had been retained
to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted on the charge
of murder,-the Texas lawyers having
been overwhelmed by their opponents
1t was fight Of dwarfs against giants.
The slander suit was set for the 9th,
and the throng Of spectators grew in
numbers as in excitement. Public opin-
ion was setting in for Hopkins, his mon
ey had procured witnesses who served his
powerful advocates. When the SANDER
case was called, Mary Ellison was left
without an attorney-all had withdrawn.
" Have you no counsel 2" inquired
Judge Nils, looking kindly on the plain
tiff.
" No sir they have all deserted me,
and am too poor to employ any MORE"
replied the beautiful girl bursting into
tears.
In such case, will not some chival-
rous member Of the profession volun-
"-said the Judge, glancing around
the bar.
The thirty lawyers were silent
81 will, your Honor" said voice
from the thickest part of the crowd be-
hind 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, spectral figure e-
bowed 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
management.
Has your name been entered on the
rolls Of the State ?" demanded the Judge.
''l 1t is immaterial." answered the stran-
ger, his thin, bloodlcss lips curling up
with snecr.
Here is my license from the highest
tribunal in America and he handed the
Judge Il broad parchment.
The trial went on.
lie 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 to the wondering jury that he might
touch the foreman with his long bony
fingers. He proceeds to tear to pieces
the arguments of Ashley, which melted
away at his touch like frost before the
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 kindle up and his eyes to open-dim
and dreary no longer, but vivid as light
ming, red as fire globes, and glaring as
twin meteors. The whole soul was in his
eye the full heart streamed out of his
face. Then without bestowing an allu-
sion to Prentiss, he turned short around
on the peUured witnesses of Hopkins,
tore their testimony into shreds, and hurl-
ed in their faces such terrible invectivos
that all trembled like aspens, and two of
them fled from the court house. The ex-
citement of the crowd was becoming tre-
mendouS Their unitad life and Soul