The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-07-18
Che 5alaitg Girste.
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I shall never forget NY first Wis
4on OF William Denton It. was il
the eourthouse7a ut Little Rock, Ark.
II the simmer of 1874. The occa
sion itself possessed a terrible in
terest, well calculated to fix in tho
memory all its. circumstances, a
concoHrse of spectators had assem-.
bled te-Witness. the trfaI of d youpp
and very beautiful girl on an fndict-
ment for murder. THE Judge wait
ed at the moment for the Sheriff to
bring An his prisOners and the eyes
of the impatient multitude eagerly
watched the door for the exDected
advenh when suddenly ast.8poe.
entere5ls whose remarkable appear-
ance rlEetsad universal attention
1iere ishis portrait, done as accur-
ately as pen can slSeteki It:
A figure tall, lean, sinewy and
straight as an arrow, q brow mas
slYe, soaring and smooth as polished
marble, intersected by large blue
veins, forked like the tongue Of, a
serpent ; eyes reddish yellow, re-
sem bling a Wrathful teagle'sZas
brilliant, as fearfully piercing; and
finally, q mouth, slight, cold and
sneering -the living embodiment of
unbrcathed curses! He was habit. d
in leather, ornamented after the
fashion Of Indian costumes, with
beads Of everyscolor in the rainbow,
Elbowing his way proudly and
slowly through the throng, and
seemingly altogether unconscious
that he was regarded as a phenome-
non that needed explanation, the
singular being, advanced, and with
the naughty air Of u king taking his
throne, seated himself within the
bar, crowed as it was with the disci-
pies Of Coke and Blackstone, sever
al OF whom, it was known, esteemed
themselves lfal superior to those old
and famous masters.
The contrast between the disdain-
ful countenances and Outlandish
garb Of the stranger excited especi-
ally the risibility ofthe lawyers, and
the junior members began a suppress
sed litter, which soon grew louder,
and swept around the circle. They
doubtless supposed the intruder to
be some wild hunter of the noun
tains; who had never before seen the
interior Of a hall of justice. In
stanJly the cause and object of the
laughter perceived i6 3 Turning his
head gradually, SO as to give each
laugheE a look Of infinite -seOFn, he
calculated the single word-"SaYa-
ges.'f ~
No pen can descibed the unspeak-
able malice, the defiant force which
he threw into that term; no Ian
.guage can express the internal furore
Of his utterance, although it hardly
exceeded a whisper. But he accen-
ted every letter as if it were a sep
arate mission of fire that scorchcd
his quivering lips, laying horrible
emphasis on the letters both at.thebe-
ginning and the ending Of the word.
1t was a mixed growl intermediate
betwixt the growIOf a red tiger and
the hiss of a rattlesnake--"SaYages" !"
it curedTeverybody Of the dispOsi-
tion to laugh. ~The general gaze,
however, was then diverted by the
advent of the fair prisoner, who
came IN surrounded by her guard.
The apparition was enough to drive
even a cynic mad, for hers was
style Of beauty to beWilder the tam
est immaginalioh and heart 3
cleaning picture, enameled with Gre
and fixed in a frame of gold from
the stars. 1t was the spell of en-
chantment to be felt as well as seen.
We might feel it in the hashes1 Of
her countenRnce, cIehr as'sun li9ht
brilliant as the iris; in the classic
contour of her features, symmetricd
as If cut by an artists chisel, in her
hair of rich ringlets, flowing without
braid, softer that silk, finer than
gossameF; in her eyes, blue as the
heaven of Southern summer, large,
liquid, dreamy, in her motions,
graceful, swimming, like the gentle
MIXTURES of a bird s wing in the sun
ny air, in her figure, slight, ethereal
Ia sylph' o.. a seTyH1h's, and more
than all, in the everlasting smile of
the rosy lips, so frank, so serene, so
like starlight, and yet thrilling the
soul as a shock of electricity. .svnpe
F AS the unfortunate girl, so taste
fully dressed, so incompatible as to
personal charms, calmly took her
place before the bar Of her judge, a
murmer of admiration arose from
the multitude, which the prompt in
terposition of the court could scarce
" express from swelling inte deafen-'
ing cheers. The murmer was fol
flowed by a loud unearthly groan
from a solitary bosom as of some
one in mortal anguish. All eyes
were centered aOn the stranger, and
al were struck With sarprise and
wonder, for his features writhed as
in torture-that his rain of tears
could not assuage. But what could
be the cause ofthis sudden en- etion? ?
Coald any connections exist betWeen
him, the apparently hunter, and that
fairy girl, more beautiful than a
blossom of summer, and in counte-
nance celestiaIas a stsr2 -
Tbs iadge furned to the prisoner
Greenleaf, The court has
been informed that your counsel,
Colonel Linton, is sick and cannot
attend. Have you employed any
other?
She answered in a voice as sweet
as the warble Of q nightingale, ana
clear as the song of the skylaFk-
.sNfy enemies have bribed all the
lawyers, even my own, 10 Be sieb; but
God will defend the Innocent"
At this response, so touching in
It's simple pathos, a portion of the
audience buzzed applause and the
rest wept. On the instant, however,
.he leatherrobed, stranger, syhose
lspect had previously eSeited 50
much merrfment, approached the
prisoner, and whispered something
.p her ear. She bounded several in
II. n~.or e. rsEfarn6 a wild |