seat well satisfied that he would have a favorable verdict. In his
closing words Starkweather made some allusion to Stewart's staring eyes,
and cautioned the jury against being influenced by the well-known
absurdities which he was wont to introduce.

Stewart in the mean time sat with a pompously assumed calmness and
dignity, like a turkey cock beside his brooding mate before awaking the
dawn with his matin gobbling. After a time he began to gather himself
up, and slowly lengthened out to his full height, about six feet four.
His blue frock coat thrown back upon his shoulders sat loosely around
him. His arms hanging down beside him like useless appendages to a
statue; his white waistcoat all open except one or two buttons at the
bottom; his white necktie wound carelessly about his neck; his shirt
collar wide open; his face a kind of oblong quadrilateral containing
features grotesquely drawn downward; his eyes, large and prominent, so
turned as to show most of the sclerotic white of the eyeballs,--all were
combined to present the buffoon in his utmost burlesque of himself.

Alvan Stewart's first movement was to turn his head and roll his eyes so
as to fix the attention of his audience, who were ever ready to laugh
when his lips opened, whether wit or folly came from them. Then, with an
awkward bow, he paid his respects to the court, and, turning to the
jury, commenced:

"It appears, gentlemen of the jury, from the remarks of the opposing
counsel," here turning to Starkweather, "that my _eyes_ constitute the
principal thing at issue"--pausing a moment, then turning again to the
jury,--"in the cause pending before us. They are the same eyes that my
Maker fashioned for me, and I have used them continually ever since I
was a b-o-y,"--drawing the last word out with a deep guttural
voice,--"and this is the first time that I have ever heard their
legitimacy questioned." He then went on to compare his eyes to two full
moons rising upon the scene, a phenomenon made necessary to dispel a
little of the darkness that, under the pretence of light and justice,
had been ingeniously thrown around the cause they were to decide. For a
full half hour this rambling burlesque was continued, with a manner of
delivery indescribably ludicrous, only now and then touching upon the
cause on trial, and then only to fling ridicule upon some of the points
previously argued for the defendant.

During all this time the spectators were shaking with la