Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1878-01-03
The Volunteer Counsel.

educated, and possessed extraordi-
nary genius He married beauty
who afterwards deserted him tol
another.
On the ninth of August, 1841,
| the Courthouse at Clarksville, Tex
as, was crowded to overfowing.-
An exciting case was to be tried
George Hopkins, q wealthy planter,
offered q gross insult to Mary Alli-
son, the young and beautiful wife
of the overseer. The husband
threatened to chastise him for the
outrage, when Hopkins went to
AllIson's house and shot him in
the door. The murderer was ar
rested and bailed to answer the
charge. The occurrence proGu led
great excitement, and Mr.. Hopkins,
in order to turn the tide of popu-
lar indignation, had circulated re-
ports about her character and she
sued him for slander.
The interest became deeper when
it was known that Ashley and
Pike, of Arkansas, and S. S. Prem
tiss, of New Orleans, Dy enormous
fees, had been retained to defend
Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The
Texas lawyers were overwhelmed
by their opponents. 1t was fight
of dwa,fs 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 had procured
witnesses who served his powerful
advocates. When the slander case
came up, it was left without an at
torney all had with drawn.
"Have you no counsel?" inquired
Judge Mills, kindly Of the plaintiff.
mo, sir, they have all deserted me
and | am too poor to employ any
more,'' replied the beautiful Mary,
bursting into tears. 'sIn such a
case will not some chivalrous mem
Der of the profession volunteer g.
said :he judge, giancing at the bar.
The thirty old lawyers were silent.
81 will, your honor," said a voice
from the crowd behind the bar
His clothes looked so shabby that
the court hcsitatcd to let the case
proceed under his management
Has your name been entered on
the rolls of tho State 2" demanded
the judge. ''It is immaterial," :"
answered the stranger, his thin,
bloodless lips curling up with a
sncer. "Here is my license from
the highest tribunal in America"
and he handed the judge broad
parchment. The trial went on
He suffered the witness to tell their
own story, and allowed the defense
to lead off 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 tho wonderful jury
that he could touch the foreman
with his long bony finger. He pro-
ceeded to tear to pieces the argu-
mcnts of Ashley, which melted
away at his touch like frost before
a sunbeam. Every one looked sur
prised. Anon he came to the daz
zling wit OF the poet-lawyer, Pike.
Then the curl of his lips 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 metcors. The
whole sonl was in his eyes the
heart streamed out of his face
Then, without any illusions to
Prentiss, he turned short round on
the pcrjured witnesses of Hopkins,
tore their testimony into shreds,
and hurled into their faces such
terrible in7estives that all trembled
like aspens, and two of them fed
from the courthouse. The excite
ment of the crowd was becoming
tremendous. Their united life, soul
seemed to hang upon the burning
tongue of the stranger, and. he in
spired them with the power OF
passion. He seemed to have stolen
natures long hidden secret of at
traction. 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 a wal
of strong evidence and imp-egnable
argument, cutting off all hope of es
cape. He dug beneath the murderer
feet. bitches of dilemas, and held ur
the slanderer to the scorn and con-
tempt of the popalace. Having thus
girt him about with circle of fire liz
stripped himself to the work of mas
Sacre.
Oh then it was vision both glo
rious and dreadful to behold the ora
tor. His actions, too, became as i'm
petuous rs the motions of an oak in
hurricane. His voice became trum