The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-08-05
rne yolunteer Counsel

deserted him for another,
nn Tho Qlh of August, 1871 the court
bouse at Clarksyille, Texas, was crowd,
cJ 70 Overlooking An exciting ease
.ns ia be tried, George Hopkins, q
wcnlthy planter had offered gross in,
sult To- Mary Allison, the young and
beautiful wife OF his oyerseer The
husband threatepod TO ohaslise him for
the outrage, when Hopkins went to
Allison,s house and shot him in his
door. The murderer was arrested, and
boiled 10 answer the charge, The ocs
mrrence produced great excitement
and Mr.. Hopkins, in order to turn the
tide of popular indignation, had circu-
lated reports about her character and
sbo had sued him for Islander, Both
suits were pei ding for murder and for
SANDER
The interest became deeper when it
was known that Ashley and Pike, OF
Arkansas, and 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 dwarts
against giants
The SANDER suit was ready for trial,
and the tmong OF spectators grew in
number, as in excitement, Public opin>
ion was setting in for Hopkins; his
money had procured witnesses who
had served his powerful advocates
When the Islander case came up, 1t was
left without an attorney-all had withs
drawn.
"lIavo you no COUNSEL" inquired
Judge Mills, looking kindly on the
plaintiff. mo, sir, they have all de,
serted me, and am too poor to EN-
ploy any more" replied the beautiful
Mary, bursting into tears an such a
case will not some chivalrous member
of the profession volunteer ? said the
Judge, glancng around the bar The
thirty old lawyers were silent 81 will,
your honor" said voice from the
part of the crowd behind the
bar. His clothes looked so shappy
that the court hesitated to let the case
proceed under his management, "lIas
your name been entered on the rolls of
state2' demanded the judge at is
answered the stranger his
thin, bloodless lips curling up with a
sheer. Here is my license from the
highest tribunal in America and he
handed the judge broad parchment.
The trial went on, He suffered the
witnesses to tell their own story and al.
lowed the defense to lead OIL, Ashley
spoke first, followed by Pike and Prem
.iss. The latter brought down the house
in cheers, in which the jury joined
1t was now the strangers turn. lie
rose before the bar, not behind it, and
so near the wondering jury, that he
could touch the foreman with his long
,ony finger. He proceeded to tear to
pieces the arguments of Ashley, which
Melted away at his touch like frost be-
ore the sunbeam. Every one looked |
urprised Anon he came to the dazs
ling wit of the poet lawyer Pike. Then t
he curl of his lip grew sharper, his ]
mooth face began to kindle up, his {
yes to open, dim and draary no S
onger but vivid as Lightning, red as t
re-globes and glazing as twin meteors. ?
he whole sould was in his eye; the !
MI heart streamed out Of his face,
hen, without making an illusion to :,
'rentiss, he turned short round, on the +
eriured witnesses of Hopkins tore +
heir testimony into shreds, and hurled p
nto their faces such terrible inyectiYes r
hat all trembled like aspens, and two q
them fled from the courthouse. The Fl
xcitement of the crowd was becoming O
Their united life and
oul seemed to hang upon the burns
ng tongue of the stranger, and he inN 4
PRED them with the power OF his pas Z
ION. He seemed to have stolen ma
lre's long hidden secret Of attraction
nut his greatest triumph was to come d
lis eyes began to glance at the assassin I,
hopkins, as his lean, taper figure as
lmed the same direction, He enclosed .,
he wretch within wall of strong evi- ~
ence and impregnable argument, cut
ng OIL all hope of escape. lie dug be- 81
cath the murderer's feet bitches OF
ilemmas, and held up the slanderer
, the scorn and contempt OF the popu-
ICE. Having thus grit him with cir o
lie of fire, he stripped himself to the b
'ork of massacre "
Oh thenit was q vision both glori~ IA
us and dreadful to behold the orator.
lis action too became as impetuous as
he motions of an oak in a hurricane.
lis voice became trumpet filled with "
,hirpools, deSlening the ears with a
rashes of power, and yet intermingled
II the while with sweet undersong
f sweetest cadence. His forehead
lowed like n heated turnance, his J
ountenance was haggard like that OF :,
laniac, and ever and anon he flung his y
ong, bony arms on high, as if grasping ,,
fter thunderbolt ii
He drew q picture of murder in such q
ppalling colors that in comparison hell d
self might look beautiful; he painted il
he SANDER so black that the sun Il
eemed dark at MONDAY when shining il
n such monster. And then, liking d
9th portraits on the shrinking Hopkins, 4
lstened them there forever. The agi-
ion of the audience amounted almost
0 madness.
sAll at once the speaker descended
rom his lofty height. His voice walled
mt for the murdered dead, and living r
the beautiful Mary, more beautiful o
very moment as her tears flowed faster 1
nd faster, till men wept and sobbed like v
g
lie closed by a strong exhortation to O
he Jury, and through them to the by. :
tanders, the panel, after they should !!
ring in verdict for the plaintiff not
o offer violence to the defendant, how.
yer richly he might deserve tin
ther words, mot to lynch the villain Ia, i
nut leave his punishment to God" This
vas the most artful trick of all, and y
alculated to insure vengeance. a