The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-05-02
THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.

John Taylor was licensed, when a
youth of twenty-one, to practice at the
bar. lie was poor but well educated,
and possessed extraordinary. genius.
He married a beauty who afterwards
deserted him for another.
On the ninth of August, 1841, the
Court House at Clarksville, Texas, was
crowded to oYerfowing. An exciting
case was to be tried. George Hopkins,
wealthy planter, offered a gross in
suit to Mary Allison, the young and
beautiful wife of his overseer. The
husband threatened to chastise him for
the outrage, when Hopkins went to Al
lison's house and shot him in the door.
The murderer was arrested and bailed
to answer the charge. The occurrence
produced great excitement, and Mr..
Hopkins, in order to turn the tide of
popular Indignation, had circulated re-
/ ports about her character and she sued
him for SANDER. Both suits were pend
ing-for murder and for slander.
The interest became deeper when it
was known that Ashley and Pike, of
Arkansas, and S. S. Preniiss, of New
Orleans, by enormous fees had been re-
tained to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texas
lawyers were overwhelmed by their Op-
ponents. 1t was a fight of dwarfs
against giants.
The sIander 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 had procured witnesses who
served his powerful advocates. When
the slander case came up, it was left
without an attorney-alI had with
drawn.
''Have you no counsel?7 inquired
Judge Mills, kindly, of the Plaintiff.
''No, sir, they have all deserted me and
am too poor to employ any more, re-
piled the beautiful Mary, bursting into
tears. "In such a case will not some
chivalrous member of the profession
volunteer?" said the Judge, glancing
around the bar. The thirty old law
yers were silent. Il will, your honor, -
said a voice from the crowd behind the
har. His clothes looked so shabby that
! the court hesitated to let the case pro-
ceed under his management. 'Ha;
your name been entered on the rolls OF
the State?" demanded the Judge. "It
is immaterial, answered the stranger
his thin, blOOdless lips curling up with
a sneer. "Iere is my license from the
highest tribunal in America" and he
handed the judge broad parchment
The trial 7yent on. He suffered the wit.
nesses to tell their own story, and al
lowed the defense to lead off. Ashley
spoke first, followed by Pike and Prem.
tiss. 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
50 near the won lering jury that he
could touch the foreman with his long
bony finger. lie proceeded to tear to
pieces the arguments Of Ashley, which
melted away At his touch like frost be-
fore a sunbeam. Every one looked sur,
prised. Anon he came 10 the dazzling
wit Of the poet-lawyer, Pike. Then the
curl Of his lip grew sharper, his smooth
face to kindIe up, his eyes to open, dim
and dreary no longer, but vivid as light
ming, 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 allusiOns
to Prentiss, he turned short round on
| the perjUred witnesses Of Hopkins, tore