Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-11-29

yers were overwhelmed by their opponents.
1t was fight of dwarfs against giants.
The slander suit was ready for trial, and
the throng of spectators grew in number, as
in excitement. Public opinion was setting
in for Hopkins; his money procured wit.
nesses who served his powerful advocates.
When the slander case came up, it was left
without an attorney-all had withdrawn.
"Have YOU no counsel ?" inquired Judge
Mills, kind ly, of the plaintiff: "No, sir; they
have all deserted me, and I am too poor to
employ any more,'' replied the beautiful
Mary, bursting into tears "1n such case,
will not some chivalrous member of the pro-
fession volunteer?" said the Judge, gancing
around the bar. The thirty odd lawyers were
silent. II will, your honor" said voice
from the crowd behind the bar. His clothes
looked so shabby that the court hesitated to
let the case proceed upon his management.
"Has your name been entered on the rolls of
the State ?" demanded the Judge. ut is i'm
material" answered the stranger; his thin,
bloodless lips curling up with sneer. "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 eff. Ashley spoke
first, followed by Pike and Prentiss. The
latter brought down the house in cheers, in
which the jury joined.
1t was now the strangers turn. He rose
before the bar, not behind it, and so near the
wondering jury that he could touch the fore
man with his long bony finger. He proceed
ed to tear to pieces the arguments of Ashley,
which melted away at his touch like frost be-
fore 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,
his eyes to open, dim and dreary no longer,
but vivid as lightning, red as fire globes and
glaring as twin meteors. The whole soul was
in his eyes the full heart streamed out of
his face. Then, without any allusons to
Prentiss, be turned short round on the per-
jured witnesses of Hopkins, tore their testi-
mony into shreds, and hurled into their faces
such terrible invectives that all trembled
like aspens, and two of them fled from the
courthouse. The excitement of the crowd
was becoming tremendous. Their united life
soul seemed to hang upon the burning tongue
of the stranger, and he inspired them with
the power of passion. He seemed to have
stolen natures long hidden secret of attrac-
ton. But his greatest triumph was to come.
His eyes began to glance at the assassin
Hopkins, as his lean, taper fingers assumed
the same direction. He enclosed the wretch
within wall of strong evidence and impreg.
nable argument cutting off all hope of es.
cape. He dug beneath the nurderer's feet
bitches of dilemmas, and held up the SLAM
derer to the scorn and contempt of the popu-
lace. :. Having thus girt him about with q
circle of fire, he stripped himself to the work
of massacre.
Oh! then it was vision both glorious and
dreadful to behold the orator. His actions,
too, became as impetuous as the motions Of
an oak in hurricane. His voice became q
trumpet filled with whirlpools, deafening the
ears with crashes of power, and yet inter.
mingled all the while with sweet undersong
of sweetest cadence. His forehead glowed
like heated furnace, his countenance was
haggard like that of a maniac, and ever and
anon he flung his long, bony arms on high, as
if grasping after thunderbolt.
He drew picture of murder in such appal-
ling colors that, in mparson, hell itself might
look beautiful; he painted the slanderer so
black that the sun seemed dark at monday
when shining on such monster. And then.
fixing both portraits on the shrinking Hop.
kins, fastened them there forever. The agi.
tation of the audience amounted almost to
madness
All at once the speaker descended from his
lofty height. His voice walled out to The
murdered dead, and living-the beautiful
Mary. more beautiful every moment as her
tears flowed faster and faster-till men wept
and sobbed like children.
He closed by strong exhortation to the
jury, and through them to the bystanders
the panel, after they should bring verdict
for the plaintiff, not to offer violence to the
defendant, however richly be might deserve
tin other words, not to lynch the villain,
but to leave his punishment to God. This
was the most artful trick of all, and was cal
culated to insure vengeance.
The jury rendered verdict of fifty thous-
and dollars, and the night afterwards Hop
kins was taken out of his bed by the lynchers
and beaten almost to death. AS the court
adjourned, the stranger said: "John Taylor
will preach here at early candle light"
He did preach ,and the house was crowded.
We have listened to Clay, Webster and
Beecher, but never heard anything in the
form of sublime words even approximating
to the eloquence of John Taylor; massive as
mountain and rushing as cataract of fire.