SC1896_FF1_095

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or had been the partner of C. C. Clay in the practice
of the law - the most of the members of
the bar, were either his personal or political friends
or were afraid of him, consequently no one of them
who was at all competent could be prevailed
upon to prosecute him. I think that propositions
were made to Thos. P. by two or 3 prominent
men to employ him to prosecute Mr
McC. before he left for N. C. the winter before,
but he then declined : He went however
to the Court, at which the trial was expected
to take place, remained a few days & returned
home. While at Huntsville, he was beset by
several of the leading men there to prosecute
Mr McC. A large fee was held out, as an
endorsement in part, & the certainty of making
a Majority of the people of the County his friends
but he still declined. A day or two after his
return home, he recd a letter from a distinguished
Member of the bar, who had not
the nerve to undertake the prosecution himself,
urging him to return to Huntsville Court
for the purpose of conducting the prosecution
saying to him amongst other things, that he had
it, in his power to immortalize himself &c.
His wife & myself both opposed his returning
He however did return, & such endorsements were
held out to him, that he consented to take
upon himself the professional Managament
of the prosecution. I am not sure, that
he had any assistance; perhaps Mr. Hutchinson
did assist him. Mr. McClung was tried and
acquitted, as might have been expected, not
for any want & skillor ability in the prosecution,
for all parties opinions agreed, that