The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-02-05
NUMBER 81.


A Volunteer COnuse1y
John Taylor was liceDsed, when
'outh of twenty-one, TO practice at The
'ar He was poor but we'll educated.
md possessed extraordinary genius -
lie married beauty who Afterwards dc.
erted hlm for another.
0n the ninth of August, 184T, the
.ourt house at Carksville, Texas, was
crowded TO overfoving An exciting
'ase was tried. George Hopkins, q
Wealthy planter, offered q gross insult to
Mary Allison, the young and beautiful
wife Of the overseer The husband
threatened to chastise him for the out.
age, when Hopkins went to Aiiison's
rouse 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 used
him for SANDER. Both suits we're pend.
ing-for murder and for slander
The interest became deeper when 10
was known that Ashley and Pike. OF
and S. S. Pentiss, of New
Orleans, by enormous fees had been re.
tanned TO defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texas
lawyers we're overwhelmed BY their OPP
ponents It was dwarfs against giaats..
The slander sui. was ready for trial,
and the throug Of spectators grew IN
numbers as in excitement Public opin-
ion was setting in for Hopkins His
money produced witnesses who served
his powerful advocates When the
SANDER case came up, it was left with.
out an attorney-alI hal withdrawn
"Have You no counsel ," Inquired
Judge Mill, 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 case will not some
chivalrous member Of the profession
volunteer said the Judge, glancing
around the bar The thirty old lawyers
were silent. II will, your honor, said
voice from the crowd behind the bar
His clothes looked so shabby that the
cnurt hesitated to let the case proceed
under his management. Has your
name been entered on the rolls Of the
State ?" demanded the judge "lt Is
immaterial," answered the stranger. bis
thin bloodless lips curling up with q
sneer. "Here is my license from the
highest tribunal in America" and be
handed the Judge broud parchment =
The trial went on He suffered the wit.
nesses to tell their own story and allow.
ed the defense to lead of Ashley spoke
Grst, followed by Pike and Prentiss =
The latter brought down the house in
cheers, in which the jury Joined sssi
Itwas now the strangers turn He
rose before the bar, not behind it, and
so near the wondering jury that he
could 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 man looked
surprised. Anon he came to the dag
zling wit of the poet lawyer, Pike -
Then the curl Of his lip grew sharper,
his smooth face began tn kindle up, his
eyes to open, dim and dresry no lon-
ger. but vivid as lightning, rel as fire
globes and glarfng as twin meteors.--
The whole soul was Ia bis eyes: the full
heart stresmed out of his face Then,
without any allusion to Prentiss, he
turned short round on the perjured wit
nesses OF Hopkins, tore their testimony
into shreds and hurled into their faces
such terrible inveciives that all tremblcd
like aspens, and two of them fed from
the court house. The excitement Of the
crowd was becoming tremendous Their
| united life-souls seemed TO hang on the
burning tongue Of the stranger, and he
inspired them with the power of pas
sion. He seemed to have stolen natures
long hidden secret of attraction. But
his great triumph wss to come.
His eyes began to glance at the as.
sassin Hopkins, as his lean. taper finger
assumed the same direction He en-.
closed the wretch within avail of strong
evidence and imrregnable argument,
cutting of all hope of escape.
He dug beneath the murderer's feet
bitches of dilemmas. and held up the
slanderer to the scornr and contempt OF
the populace. Having thus girt him
about with circle Of IRE, he stripped
himself to the work of massacre.
/ Oh! then it was vision both glorious
and dreadful to behold the orator. Hi
actions, too, became AZ impetuous q
the motions of an oak in hurricane =
His voice became a trumpet filled viii
whirlpools, deafening the ears will
crashes Of power. and vet intermingled
kall the while with sweet undersong o.
sweetest cadence. His forehead glowed
like a heated furnace. his countenancs
4 was haggard like that OF q maniac, ant
, ever and anon he flung his long, hony
arms on high, as il grasping after ,
!, ihundeIbolt.
!, He drew picture OF murder in ap
!, palling colors that In comparison hel
itself might look beautiful, be painted
the slanderer 50 black that the sui
seemed black at MONDAY when shinin,
|, upon such a monster And then fxinl
both portraits on the shuddering Hop
kins, fastened them there forever. Th
n agitation Of the audience amounted al
most to madness 'ssi
. Ali at once the spenker descende,
from his lofty height. His voice waile,
out to the murdered dead, and living
the beautiful Mary, more beautiful ever
moment as her tears flowed faster--ti
y men wept and sobbed like children.
! He closed by strong exhortation I
the jury. and through them to the bystsr
= ders; the panel, after they should brin
y a verdict for the plaintiff not to ofts
= violence to the defendant, however rici
It ly be might deserve it---in other word
>, not to lynch the william; bat to leave Ii
Q punishment to God. This was the mo-
e artful trick Of all, and was calculated I
e insure vengeance.
~ The jury returned verdict Of an
'e thousand dollars, and the night afte
. wards Hopkins was taken out Of his bs
by the lynchers and beaten almost
nj dooth Ae tho oonrt od;nrrrad al