Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-06-28

was one Of character from which the
fair milliner had everything to fear -
Hiram Shore belonged to a family at
once opulent, influential and dissipa
ted. He was himself licentious, brave
and revengcful, and a duelist of estab
tlished and terrible fame. 1t was gen
orally known that he had made ad.
vauces to win the favor of the lovely
Emma, and had shared the fate of all
her other wooers-a disdaintul repulse.
At nine o'clock on Christmas eve,
1888, the people of Little Rock were
startled by loud scream, as of some
one in mortal terror while following
that, with hardly an interval, came
successive reports of fre-arms-one,
two, three--a dozen deafening ex-
Iplosions. They flow to the shop of
the miliner, whence the sound ema-
mated, and pushed back the unfasten-
ed door. A dreadful scene was pre-
sented There she stood III the center
Of the room, with revolver, in each
hand, every barrel discharged, her
features pale, her eyes flashing wildly
and her lips parted with an awful
smile !! And there at her feet, welter-
ing in his warm blood, his bosom
literally riddled with shot, lay the all
dreaded duellist, Hiram Shore, gasp
ing in the last agony. He articulated
but single sentence, "Tell my moth
er that / am dead and gone to h-ll !"
and instantly expired.
"In Gods name, who did this y ex-
claimed the appalled, spectators.
Il did it, said the beautiful miller,
IN her sweet, silvery accounts. 81 did
it to save my honor I!
Such is a brief abstract of the es-
sential circumstances, as developed on
the examination of witnesses. The
testimony closed and the pleading be-
gan. -
First of all, Fowler, Pike and Ashly
Gall famous lawyers at that time in
the soutllwesD spoke III succession
for the prosecution. They about
equally par'itioned their eloquence be-
twlxed the prisoner and her advocate,
covering the latter with such sarcastic
wit, raiIlery and ridicule as made it
matter ofdoubt whether he orhis client
was the party then on trial. AS to
Denton, however, he seemed to pay
not the slightest attention to his op
ponents, but remained motionless.
with his forehead bowed on his hands,
like one in deep thought or slumber.
When his time came, however, he
suddenly sprang to his feet, crossed
the bar and took a position in front
ofthe jury. He then commenced in
whisper, but in a whisper so wild,
peculiar and indescrioably distinct as
to fill the floor from hall: to galleries.
AT the outset.he dealt in pure logic,
analyzing.-Snd combining the proven
facts, ti4i The whole mass Of confused
evidence Hooked transparent as globe
of crystal, through which the inno-
cence of his client shone luminous as
a sunbeam. while the jurors nodded to
each other signs Of thorough convic.
ton. That thrilling whisper, and
concentrated argument, and language
simple as a child's, had satisfied the
demands Of the intellect, and this too,
in only twenty minutes. 1t was like
the work OF a mathematical demon
stration.
He then changed his position so as
to sweep the bar with his glance, and
like raging lion, rushed upon his ad-
versares, tearing and rending their
sophistries into atoms. His sallow
face glowed like red-hot iron, the
forl ed blue vein swelled and writhed
on his brow, his eyes resembled live
Goals, and his voice was a clangor OF a
trumpet. | have never, before or
since, listened to such appalling denun
citation. 1t was like Joves eagle
charging a flock OF crows. 1t was
like Jove himself hurting thunderbolts
in the shuddering eyes of interior
gods. And yet in the highest temper
of his fury he seemed wonderfully
calm. He employed no gesture save
one--the flash of a long bony fore
finger directly at the faces of his legal
foes. He painted their venality and
unmanly baseness IN coaleasing for
money to crush friendless female, till
a shout of stihed wrath broke from
the multitude, and some of the sworn
panel cried "Shame!' And thus the
orator had carried another point--had