Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-02-19
PEN PICTURE
W. B. DELMAS
Striking characteristics Of
Man Who Hopes to
Free ThaW

Black gives the following pen picture
OF Delmas who has taken charge of
the Thaw trial.
Mr.. Delmas of California, the man
upon whom Harry Thaw depends to
save his life, looks as much like the
great Napoleon as he did some Is
crowded years ago-the first time
saw him, in California.
The first time I ever looked at Mr..
Delmas I saw him over the heads of
a court room full of women and court
room hangers on. He was the attor-
ney on one side in one of the most
celebrated will cases ever tried in the
state famous for it's will cases.
A rich man had died somewhere up
state. and dying had left huge sacks
of jingling gold somewhere outside
the ia Of his comm.
brother, arose and claimed half of
the estate on the ground that the dead
millionaire was the father of her child
and that he had made will in favor
of that child and of her.
The widow of the millionaire de-
nounced the claim of the woman who
announced herself to be the dead mans
/ light o. love, and the two women went
to court and tore each other to pieces
in the full gaze of the curious and
not always applauding public.
Both women were handsome, both
were at that interesting age when the
past casts q glamor over the plainest
face and where the future is not close
enough to be terrifying.
The widow of the dead millionaire
was tall, slender and Macdonald like
The light O. love was tall rosy and had
a pair OF eyes full of the joy of living.
All San Francisco fought at the door
OF that court room for entrance to the
trial.
The light O love was represented by
man named Johnson. He was o law
yer, a man known to the whole coae'
as a man Of amazing eloquence. Mr..
Delmas represented the Madonna
faced widow.
The case dragged and dragged One
witness contradicted today what an
other said yesterday. And tomorrow
came three who told yet different
story. There were writing experts,
and medical experts and legal experts
on the stand besides perfect crowd of
plain people.
drew near to the close AMI Mr. john
son made the address Cor his client
He made a magnificent speech, reason
atle and well considered, bat in tie
end he caught up the child who was
NE of the contestants III the case
m ell him up to tn jury, tangled
hair, blue eyes. frightened, flushed face
and all.
And if you gentlemen, do not give
my client justice" said Mr.. Johnson,
Il call here and now upon the God
of the widow and the fathar!ess %
give this innocent child his rights in
the estate of his acknowledged father"
Some OF the jurors cried, some of
them sneered and some of them laugh
ed aloud but every one of them was
moved out of the lethargy into which
the long weeks of tireless litigation
had thrown them.
Mr.. Delmas rose on the heels of At
OF hysteria which threatened to con-
vulse the entire court room. He spoke
as calmly as If he were ordering his
breakfast. His straightforward and
handsome face was as bereaved of any
trace of emotion as Is the carven face
of an angel on an ancient and forgot
ten tomb. The singing logic of his
argument bit like vitriol into every
mind that marked and understood him.
He tore the evidence with which
Mr.. Johnson had fortified his clients
case to pieces, bit by bit, shred by |
shred, and atom by atom. He did it |
with cold irony that was somehow |
overwhelmingly convincing.
This won't do" whispered a listen.
ing lawyer to me. This will never
do. Delmas' logic is all right but I
terics. He'll get the case. unless
someone throws bucket of cold wa
ter into that jury box before the Judge
delivers his charge"
When the evidence had been abso-
utely swept out of the case as floor
Is swept before the energetic broom of
; conscientious housemaid, Mr., Del
mas turned suddenly tn the convinced /