The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-12-26


unnsr = Fakiek nse1y.
Hook vas : ecosehmsa, . man Of
wealth, and suspected Of being unfrisnd-
" 70 the American caase. During the
j1streeseo of the American army conse-
ouent on the invassion OF Cornwallis, IN
1881, an army commissary had taken
two Of Hooks oxen for the use OF the
troops. The oct was not strictly legal,
and on the establishment peace; Hook
by the advice Of Mr.. Cowan, . gsntie-
man Of come distinction in the Law,
thought proper to bring IN action OF
trespass against the commiosafy. Nh.
Henry appeared for the defsndant and
is said TO have deported himself in this
case to the infinite enjoyment Of bic
bearers, the unfortunate Book always
excepted. After Mr.. Henry became an
imsted in the case, he appeared TO have
complete control over the pass,ons of
his audience, ct ono time he excited their
indignation against Hook and vengeance
was visible in every coantenance; again,
when be chose to relax and ridicule him,
the whole audience was in . roar of
laughter. he painted tho distresses of
the American army, exposed almost
naked to the rigors Of wintry sky, and
marking the frozen ground over which
they trod with tho blood of their I'M
shod feet. "Where is the man he said,
who has IN American heart in his bos-
som, who would not have thrown open
bis fields, his barns, his cellars, the doors
Of his house, the portals of his breast, 70
receive with open arms the meancst SOL
der IN that little band of famished pat
riots? Where. is the man! There he
stands-but whether the heart of an
American beats in bis bosom, you, gen.
tlemen, are to judge" He then carried
the jury, by the powers of his imagine
ton, to the plains around Yorktown,
the surrender of which had followed
shortly after the act complained Of. He
depicted the surrender in the most glow
ing and noble colors of his eloquence /;
tho audience saw before their eyes the
humiliation and detection of the British
Is they marched out of their trenches |;
they saw the triumph which lighted mp
every patriot face, and heard the shouts
of victory, and the cry of "Wasniogton
and Liberty" Is it rang and echoed
through the American ranks, and was
reverberated from the bills and shores
of the neighboring river. "But bark !!
what notes of discord are those which
disturb the general joy, and silence the
reclamation of victory? They are the
notes of John Hook, hoarsely bawling
81 kA
beef! beef" The whole audience was
convulsed. The clerk of the court, no.
able to command himself and unwilling
to commit any breach of decorum, rush-
ed out of the Court House and threw
himself on the grass, 10 the most violent
paroxysm of laughter. Here he was
rolling, when Hook also, with very diff.
ferent feelings, came out, for relief, into
the yard. Jemmy Steptoe" said he to
clerk, "what the deuce ais ye man T"
Mr.. Steptoe was only able to say that no
could not help it. "Never mind" said
Hook, await till Billy Cowan gets up,
he'll show him the law" Mr.. Cowan
however was so completely overwhelm-
ed by the torrent which bore upon his
client, that when he rose to reply TO Mr..
Henry, he was scarcely able to make an
or audible remark. Tho jury
retired for forms sake, and instantly re-
turned with q victory for the defendant.
Nor did the effect Of Mr.. Henry's speech
stop here. The pcoplo wore 80 excited
by the audacity of such suit that Hook
began to hear around him cry moro
terrible than that of beef; it was the
cry of tar and feathers-from the ap-
plication of which, it is said. nothing
saved him but precipitate fight and
the speed of his horse.-Wirf.