The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-03-28
STORY OF DELMAS.
Something About Thaw's Lawyer
From the Far West.

Readers of the proceedings in the
Thaw trial are more or less interested
in the story of Dolphin M. Delmas,
leading counsel for the defense,
whose ability in heading off District
Attorney Jerome has been SO thor
oughly demonstrated since the case
has been going forward
From San Francisco comes the
story that years ago in the little sun
ny town of San Jose, Cal, school
girl one day passed flippant note TO
her boy lover The note fell into
the hands of the teacher and the girl
was dismissed from the normal
school for conduct "unbecoming a
lady" Then there was trouble and
all tongues were set a-wagging IN
San Jose The guardians of the girl
for she was an orphan-sued the
school principal, for defamation of
character. They won. their case, and
the girl was reinstated She is now
a prosperous matron and herself a
school principal. To this little tenn
pest IN a far distant teapot Dolphin
Michael Delmas today owes his great
chance of conducting the defense OF
Harry K Thaw, now on trial for his
lie.
Delmas was the lawyer who won
that little suit in San Jose and rein
stated that girl as pupil in the nor
NAL school. He was induced to take
up this petty suit by HI. c. McPike,
the boy lover in the case His only
consideration was friendship. He
certainly won that consideration
Fer since the day when that school
girl was indicated young McPike
has worshipped Delmas as demigod.
He considers him the greatest law
yer, not in California or of America.
but of any time. Now it so happened
that Mr. McPike, who has since be-
come a lawyer himself, was travelling
in the east at the time whep Thaw
shot White in the Madison Square
roof garden. McPike's father was a
warm friend of Associate Justice Nc
Kenna, of the United States supreme
court Judge McKenna was friend
of Thaw's father Young McPike
told Judge McKenna what he though.
and thinks of Delmas as a lawyer
Judge McKenna knew Delmas al
ready, for Delmas had appeared on
several occasions before the United
States supreme court as pleader and
whenever he has done so he has ap-
peared to advantage. 1t was Mr.. Del
case of the California railway tax
suits before the United States SUI
preme court after contest that had
lasted more than thirteen years
Judge McKenna is said to have ad-
vised Harry Thaw's family to engage
Delmas in his defense as 'the ablest
criminal lawyer now alive IN Amer
ica' Such an opinion coming from
a Judge who might himself sit on the
case in the court of last appeal was
bound to be all potent Mr.. McPike
telegraphed to Mr.. Delmas in Calior-
MIA to come on to Pittsburg and New
York. Delmas came Since then he
has been the leading attorney OF
counsel for the defense in Thaw's
case, and Mr.. McPike has been en-
gagged as junior counsel. Both law
yers have opened legal Offices in New
York together. In California Delmas'
young friend Mr.. McPike, is only one
of the many thousand. Not only Del
mas friends but even his enemies,
acknowledge Delmas as the greatest
living lawyer of California Old
judges and lawyers VINO have tried
issues with Dlmas do not hesitate to
compare him to such legal stars Of
the past as Rufus Choate. Daniel
Webster, Aaron Burr and Chief JUS
tice Marshall.