The independent., 1907-03-21
MARCH 81, 1907.

Then there was trouble and an
tongues were set a-wagging in San Jose.
The guardians of the girl-for she was an
orphan-sued the school principal for de-
famation of character They won the
case, and the girl was reinstated She II
now prosperous matron, and herself
school principal.
To this little tempest in a far distant
teapot. Dolphin Micheal Delmas today
owes his great chance Of conducting the
defense of Harry X. Thaw, now on trial
for his life.
Delmas was the lawyer who won that
libel suit in San Jose, and who reinstated
that girl as pupil In the normal school
He was induced to take up this by H.
G. McPike, the boy lover in the case His
only consideration was friendship. He
since that day when that schoolgirl was
vindieated young McPike has wor-
SHIPPED Delmas. He considers him one Of
the greatest lawyers, not only of Cab
fornia, but of America.
It is also told for true that the said
Henry Clay McPike happened to be In
the east at the time Stanford White met
with the roof garden accident, and ne
took occasion to mention to the friends
of Harry Thaw that the greatest criminal
| lawyer lived In San Francisco and might
be secured by the defense II suitable in
ducements were held out. And 1t came
to pass that the great California giant
was chosen and with him Henry Clay
| IdCfihc WHO ike OciIIldS pronounced DeA-
mah) Is also of French extraction as one
might conclude from the sound of his
| name. Taken all the way through the
story is romantic, with Delmas as =
heroic figure all the way through Time
| and again he has crossed swords with the
great Southern Pacific system, and
| beaten II IN the courts in nearly every
battle. He has scornfully rejected a
standing offer of 100000 from the soul
| less corporation as an inducement to
lat mn h fonc ox.1 f1,ak t.
the face of the fact that he has needed
the money to pay him out of debt, for
he has no financial sense to speak Of.
4 In this somewhat romantic story of the
west, rounded out by the present exhibit
/ tion OF brilliant acting in the east, .
modest yet none tho less important per-
sonality in the drama is Henry Clay
McPike- He was the ancient lover per
haps lover stilD whose voice of appeal
1 in behalf of injured innocence started
| suited incidentally in bringing himself
| into a position of prominence that in
| the future assures him large pecuniary
advantage and such qualification as ono
! may derive from the conviction that he
has wiggled out Of the scrub class in
| his profession.
| Think as you may, say what you like,
This fact imnresses me somehow;
| The fame of Henry Clay McPike
Is soldily established now
Perhaps the envious will say
He shone with reflected light;
His future is secure, all right.
| When men accused of frightful crimes
For life and liberty shall strike,
/ They'll plead for Delnas's help betimes.
/ And for the favors of McPike.
The one to do his level best
It matters not to Henry Clay.
With knowledge partly gained from
books
| The other merely to suggest
And show his wisdom In his looks
| If 1t should ever be my fate
To srnite to earth a fellow-Worm,
/ And Tyrrell should invoke the state
| To hang me just to see me squrm,
I'd have somebody westward hike
! For help-if Delmas couldn't come,
Then I would plead ''Send on McPike,
I'm sure that he could help me some"
1t is a dangerous policy to delve too
| deeply into the study of any abstract
| proposition. See what happened to
Dowie. From condition Of fanaticism
he drifted along into one of positive
| lunacy, and his following became about
| as crazy as himself Some years ago a
| young man of this city formed the ac-
quaintance Of an alleged "spirt medium
| who Informed him that his guardian
| angel was no less parsonage that VIII
liam Shakespeare, deceased under whose
influence he might compose high order
of poetry If he would but let go of him
self and accept the proffered service OF
his dead friend The last we knew of
the young man he had given himself
over to the writing of bum poetry. under
the full belief Cor fool belief that every
word was inspired by the old master.
AS editor of the New York Voice DR..
Funke made an impression on the whole
country in favor of sober citizenship.
Aino AvIo cvooco