The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-12-19
The Volunteer Counsel.

yOuin u kASHtS OHr, 10 pIaCLlES NJ tu'
bar He Was poor but we'll educated
and possessed extraordinary genius. HI
married beauty who afterwards deser
ted him for another
On the ninth of August. 1851, til.
Court House at Ciarkesville, Texas
was crowded to overfowing. An excl
ting case waste be tried. George Hop
k;ns, q wealthy planter offered gross
insult to Mary Allison, the young and
beautiful wife of his overseer. The
husband threatened to chastise him fol
the outrage, when Hopkins went Il
Allison's house and shot him in the
door The murderer was arrested and
bailed 10 answer the charge. The occur
renee produced great excitement, and
Mr. Hopkins. in order To turn the tide
Of popular indignation, had circulated
reports about her character and she
sued him for SANDER Both suits were
pending-for murder and SANDER
The interest became deeper when il
was known that Ashley & Pike, of Ar.
kansas; and s. s. Prentiss, of New Or.
leans, by enormous fees had been re-
tanned to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted The Texas
lawyers were overwhelmed by their op.
ponents. 1t was fight of dwarf:
against giants.
The slander suit was ready for trial
and the throng of spectators grew in
number, as in excitement. Public opin.
ION was setting in for Hopkins; his
money had procured witnesses who
served his powerful advocates. When the
SANDER case came up. it was left with.
out an attorney-sll had withdrawn
'Have you no COUNSEL" inquired
Judge Mills, kindly, Of the plaintiff
NO, sir, they have all deserted me and
| am too poor to employ any more, "
replied the beautiful Mary. bursting
into tears. "In such a case will not
some chivalrous member of the profess
sion volunteer" said the Judge, CLAN
cin 3 around the bar The thirty old
lawyers, were silent. II will, your
honor" said O voice from the crowd be-
hind the bar. His clothes looked SC
shabby that the court hesitated to let
the case proced under his management.
HAS your name been entered on the
rolls of the State?" demanded the
Judge. ut is immaterial." answered
3he stranger. his thin, bloodless lips
curling up with snecr. "Here is my
license from the highest tribunal in
America" and he handed the Judge a
broad parchment. The trial went on.
He suffered the witnesses to tell their
own story, aud allowed the defense to
lead off Ashley spoke first, followed
by Pike and Prentiss. The later 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
50 near the wondering jury that be
conld touch the foreman with his long
bony finger. He proceeded to tear to
pieces the arguments of Ashley. which
melted away at his touch like frost be-
fore sunbeam. Every one looked sur
prised Anon he clme 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 aud dreary no longer. but
vivid as lightning. red as rire globe:
and glaring as twin -meteors. The whole
soul was in his eyes; the full hear,
streamed out Of his face. Then. withou,
any illusions to Prentiss, he turned
short around on the perjured witnesses.
of Hopkins, tore their testimony into
shreds, and hurled into their faces such
terrible invectives that all trembled
like aspens, and two Of them fed 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 a.trac.
tion. But his greatest triumph was to
come.
His eyes began 10 glance ut the as
sassin Hopkins. as the lean, taper fin
gers assumed the same direction. He
enclosed the wretch within wal! oil
strong evidence aud impregnable srgu-
ment. cutting off ali hope of escape. He
dug beneath the murderer's feet bitches
of dilemmas. and held up the slanderel
to the scorn and contempt Of the popu-
lace. Having thus girt aim about with
a circle of fire he stripped himself IL
the work of massacre.
oh. then it was vision both glorious
and dreadful to behold the orator. His
actions, too, became as impctuous as
the motions Of an oak in hurricane
Hts voice became trumpet filed with
whirlpools, dcafening the ears with
crashes OF power. and yet interminssed
all the while with a sweet nndersonc
Of sweetest cadence. His forhead glow
I'd like . heated furnace. his counte-
nance was haggard like tha, Of a maniac
aud ever and anon he flung his long,
bony arms on high, As If grasping after
. thundcrbclt.
He drew picture of murder in APP
palling colors that in comparison he'll
itself might look beautiful; he painted
the slandcrer 80 black that the sun
seemed dark 1t MONDAY when shining
on such monster. And then, fixing
both portraits on the shrinking Hop
kins, fastened them there forever. The
agitation of the audience amounted 81.
most to madness.
All at once the speaker descended
from his lofty height. His voice
walled out to the murdered dead. and
living-tAc beautiful Mary. more beau
tiful every moment as her tears flowed
faster rnd faster-till men weps and
sobaed like children.
lie closed by = strong exhorsation to
the jury. and through them to the by
ISLANDERS: the panel. after they should
bring verdict foe the plaintiff not 10