Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-04-18
THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL.

The VOLUNTEER COUNSEL
John Taylor WAS licensed, when a yout
OF twenty-one to practice at the bar. II
was poor. but well educated, and posse:
sed considerable genius. He married
another.
On the 9th of April, $50 the Court
house in GAINESVILLE Texas, was crowded t
overtiowing. An exciting case was to b
tried. George Hopkins, wealthy planter
had offered gross insult to Mary Ellison
the young and beautiful wife of his over
seer. The husband threatened to chastis,
him for the outrage, when Hopkins Wen
to Ellisons house and shot him in his owr
door. The murderer was bailed to answer
the charge. This occurrence produced great
| excitement, and Hopkins. in order TO turn
the tide of popular Indignation. had circrl-
lated reports against her character. and she
had 81 4 him for SANDER Both suits were
pending-for murder and SANDER.
The interest became deeper when il was
known Ashley and Pike Of Arkansas, and
,. D. Prentiss of New Orleans. by enormous
lees, had been retained to defend Hopkins.
Hopkins was acquitted. The Texas law
yers were overwhelmed by their opponents.
IL was fight of dwarfs against giants.
lhe SANDER suit was for the 9th. and the
thronG OF spectators grew in numbers as
well as III excitement. Public opinion was
settling i'll favor of Hopkins. His moncy
had procured witnesses, who served rs
powerful advocates. When the SANDER
case was called Mary Ellison was left with
out an attorney-all had withdrawn.
Have you no COUNSEL inquired Judge
Mills, looking kindly on the plaintiff.
No, sir, they have all deserted me, and
am too poor to employ any more" said
the beautiful Mary, bursting into tears.
In such case will not some chiyalro,1s
member OF the profession volunteer" said
the Judge, glancing around.
The thirty lawyers were silent.
will, your Honor" said a voice from
the thickest of the crowd from behind the
bar.
AT the sound of the voice many started
It was so unea,thly sweet and mournful,
ne ilrst sensation was changed into laugh
Ter when tall, gaunt. spectral figure
cioo"e9 ms way through the crowd and
placed himself within the bar. His clothes
looked so shabby that the Court hesitated
10 let the case proceed under his manage
ment
has your name been entered on the
rolls OF this State demanded the Judge.
1t IS lmmaterial, answered the stranger. |
ms thin, Dloodless lips curling up with |
sheer. Here is my license from the high |
sst tribunal in America" and he handed |
he Judge broad parchment.
1he case went on. He suffered the wit
lesses to tell their own story, and allowed |
he defense to lead off Ashley spoke first
ollowcd by Pike and Prentiss. The latter
brought the house down in cheers. in which
he jury joined.
II was now the strangers turn. He rose
,Seforc the bar, not behind it, and so near
he wondering jury that he might touch the
brennan with his long, bony fingers. He
Proceeded to tear the arguments of Ashley
pieces, and they melted away at his
ouch, like frost before sunbeam Every
ne looked surprised Anon he came to
ne dazzling wit of he poet LAWYER. Pike.
hen the curl of his lip grew sharper. his
mooth face began to kindle up. and his
yes to open, dim and dreamy no longer,
Ut VIVID as lightning, red as fire globes and
laflng as twin meteOrS. The whole sOul
as IN his eyes, the whole soul streamed
Ut OF his face. Then, without bestowing an
fusion on Prentiss he turned short round
the peIJured witnesses of Hopkins. and /
IRE their testimony into threads. and
urled into their faces such terrible INJECT
es that all trembled like aspelis. and two
them fed from the Court house. The {
of the crowd was becoming ire {
endous. Their united life and soul :
eiled 10 hang upon the burning tongue +
the stranger, and he inspired them with +
c power of his passion. He seemed to !,
I'VE stolen natures long-hidden secret of +
traction. But his greatest triumph was \
t TO come. -
HIS eyes began to glance at the assassin, $
opklns, as his lean, taper fingers assumed e
c same direction. He hemmed the wretch y
thin a wall OF evidence and impregnable
gument, cutting off all hope of escape.
dug beneath the murderers feet bitches l.
dllemmas, and held up the slanderer to W
scorn and contempt of the populace el
iyng thus glrt him about with a circle CT
fire he stripped for the work of mas -
re. n
On then it was vision both glorious re
d dreadful TO behold the orator. His ac- fo
ms became as impetuous as the motions :"
an oak in hurricane. His voice became q"
trumpet filled with wild whirlpools deaf &C
ng the ear with crashes of power, and it
lAteihiiiSleu all the while with q sweet &c
dersong of the softest cadence. His fore II
al glowed like heated furnace. his it.
intenance was haggard like that of a ma H
C, and ever and anon he swung his long. to
~ arm on high, as if grasping after l..
lnderbolts.
lie drew picture of murder in such APP
ling colors that in comparison hell itself pi
5ht seem beautiful, he painted the SLAM u
or so black that the sun seemed dark M w
'nday when shining on such monster s.
d then, fixing both portraits upon the of
mixing Hopkins, fastened them there sp
ever. The agitation of the audience as
ounted almost to madness. w
III at once the speaker descended from Sp
perilous hight. His voice walled out be
the murdered dead, and living-the 1t
uhtul Mary, more beautiful every mo- to
ut as her tears flowed faster and faster. thu
men wept and sobbed like children. err
lie closed by strong exhortation TO the an
:, and through them to the bystanders.
panel after they should bring in YER
for the plaintiff, not to offer violence an
he defendant, however richly he might bu
,rve tin other words, not to lynch Ii,
villain, but leave his punishment to
|. This was the most artful trick of all
calculated to insure certain vengeance TX
he jury rendered a verdict of $4,000 to
the night afterward Hopkins was take- etc