Sharp County record., 1878-11-21

Ing resolved 10 himself IndI He Woulu,
to use his own language, "one day
bring these people to his feet" In re-
lating this incident to the writer, he
said it was to the modification he felt
on that occasion that he owed his future
success.
On one of Mr.. PrentiSs's visits to
Natchez, the writer, who had then just
been admitted to the bar, took a stroll
with him to the Natchez Bluffs, which
are some 800 feet above the level of the
river, and from its long reach command
ed fine view. A glorious sunset, with
its crimson hues, was melting on the
western sky, and sprinkling the feecy
clouds with the golden splendor of its
rays, when Prentiss broke forth into
rapturous improvisation in which the
exquisite beauty of his language was on
ly equaled by the gorgeous brilliancy OF
the scene before US. When he had fin
ished, supposing that he had been
quoting from some author, the writer
asked where the supposed quotation
was fromP Tapping his forehead with
his fingers, he said, "From here, neV-
er heard it before"
In 1874 Mr.. Prentiss moved to New
Orleans (where the writer had preceded
him) and formed partnership with his
old confrere, General Huston. In JAN
uary, 1S48, he was employed i'll suit
against James Irwin, the son-in-law OF
Henry Clay, to set aside certain deeds
of trust made by James Irwin to his
brother Andrew, who lived in Tennes'
see, on the ground of fraud. Randall
Hunt, one of the ablest advocates at
the bar, was retained to defend Mr.. lr-
win. The case occupied three days in
taking the testimony, and created gen.
eral interest. On the testimony being
closed, the court adjourned until the
next day for the argument of the case.
There was a great deal of feeling on both
sides, and no little clashing and spar
ring between the counsel As they were
going down the Courthouse steps, the
writer being behind them, Hunt observ-
ed, with pompous, confident air,
"Well, Prsntiss, l rather think you
have got an alligator case to han
dle." eyes," replied Prentiss, with
his Kissing lisp, sit is an alligator
case, Hunt, and | am going to skin
him to morrow" And he kept his
word. The next day the courtroom
was crowded to its utmost capacity.
Mr. Prentiss, in summing up and COM
menting on the evidence before the jury,
dealt in bursts of scathing, witheriug
reflections on the conduct of the defend
ant. Why, gentlemen, said he, "the
evidence before you shows that this man
James Irwin, in robbing his creditors,
has not shown even the common homes
ty of the highwayman, much less his
courage, for the higewayman in taking
spoil does it at the risk of his life,
while he was never known to stoop so
low as to rob the poor" Here Mr.
Prentiss made deep pause, and, as if
rejecting on the severity of the language
he had used, he turned from the jury
and thus addressed the court: "May it
please the Court, on reflection, l deem
it my duty, in presence of this vast as
semblage, to tender an apology for the
language l have just permitted to escape
from my lips profound sensation]; for
in the olden days of chivalry, when
knight errantry prevailed, there was a
nobility, generosity and magnanmity
in the soul of the chivalrous highway
man never possessed by the defendant
in this case" The court and counsel
for the defendant looked dumbfoundcd,
while burst of irrepressible applause
broke forth from the audience Mr..
Prentiss continued: 81, therefore, feel
compelled to do justice to the knightly
honor of the highwayman for having
connected his name with that of man
so degraded and disgraced, and make
my apology to the court for the wrong
| have committed" Then, returning
to the jury he said: GA more fitting
and appropriate comparison, gentle
men, would be to associate the name of
James Irwin with that of the stealthy,
light-fngered pickpocket, who robs you
while not knowing that you
are robbed" The effect was blasting
and painfully withering, and which no
effort of the genius and eloquence of
Randall Hunt could obliterate. Prem
tiss had skinned the alligator
The result was, that young Henry
Clay Irwin, the Oldest son of Mr.. Irwin,
q high-toned and spirited young man,
only % years old, sent by the hands of
his second, Mr.. Robert Johnson, of
Kentucky, a peremptorv challenge to
Prentiss. The friends OF Mr. Prentiss,
Bale Peyton, then United States Dis
Attorney, and the late Alex. G..
Bullitt, editor of the Picayu''e, advised
him to decline the challenge on the
ground that he was not responsible for
L ,,rod a,rofncc;oanuI- a,ad tLa4