Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-15

Dolphin Michael Delmas, the ma
poleon of the California bar" was
brought into the limeiight of metro
polltan life for the first time last week,
when he assumed active charge of the
defense of Harry X. Thaw. Every
thing seemed to be against him. He
was called upon to stay the tide OF
adverse circumstances that was
jeopardizing the life of the young
Pittsburg millionaire. John II. Glea-
sons long and indeterminate address
for the defense had been followed on
Tuesday by the decentralization of
Thaw's case when District Attorney
Jerome tore to tatters the expert tes-
timony regarding the defendants men,
tai condition. MIR. Delmas started to
alter this situation on Wednesday, He
was a stranger in the city and to many
details of the practice in the New
York courts. His abilities were uu-
known, except by hearsay. First he
showed his daring by ruthlessly cast
ing aside the debris OF Thaw's case
and arranging a campaign of his own.
Then he won q point and surprised
District Attorney Jerome by introduce
ing testimony tending to show that
stanford White had threatened to kill
Thaw His skill as q trial lawyer was
manifest, especially as Mrs Thaw told
her story. The narrative was punctu-
ated with points of emphasis like so
many lega. mile stones. Seldom is a
lawyer put to such a supreme test un-
der adverse circumstances. The re-
suit was entirely to his credit The
externals of the man--his appearance,
courtly speech, and little mannerisms
left a final impression of strong.
though somewhat elusive, personality.
Mr.. Delmas is Napoleon" of the
west in more senses than one. Those
who know him best say he rather
prides himself on his resemblance to
the Corsican conqueror There is q
suggestion of Napoleon in the poise of
his head, his profile, ana the shape of
his temples. His facial resemblance to
Napoleon is emphasized by the habit
of wearing n pointed lock of hair over
his forehead, like that seen in the po,'~
traits of the French emperor His
friends in San Francisco have twitted
him on Il story that he was indeed n
descendant of Napoleon. Some Cali
fornianJ even believe that, Mr. Delmas
being of French extraction, there is
some kinship between the two men.
When the story is mentioned to him
the lawyer assumes an air of gentle
depreciation.
The most striking of his mannerisms
are his flowing gestures and a habit of
looking at a witness or into the jury
box with his head bent forward and
his eyes cast upward. He has habit
of holding his eyeglasses in his hand
while gesturing. As he throws forward
mis- head and turns up his eyes he
raises his glasses horizontally and
looks across them, forming picture
that is distinctive and striking.
Mr.. DelmaS is 80 years old and prac-
ticed law in California for thirty odd
years. Most of his practice has been
in civil cases, and some consider him
at his best in that branch of his pro-
fession. The Parker and Martin will
cases in San Francisco brought him
into general notice. The suit which
carried his fame all over the country
however was the contest over the mil
lions of the late Senator Fair He
represented the contestant Mrs
Craven, and met one of his infrequent
defeats. He also defended a libel suit
against Claus Spreckels, and was re-
Gently sought for the position of gen.
eral counsel of the Southern Pacific
railway, but declined the offer
While he never posed as a criminal
lawyer, some of his greatest victories
have been won in such cases. He has
had sixteen clients accused of homi-
eide, and all have been acquitted. He
defended D. j. Arnold. who shot Gran
mis- after a street fight in San Fran
cisco. Another noted criminal case
in which he acted as advisory counsel
was that of Truxton Beale, formerly
in the diplomatic service, and one of
the witnesses to the killing of Stanford
White. Beale was charged, with Thos
H. Williams, of attempting to kill Fred
erick Marriott, the editor of the San
Francisco News Letter. The case had
some startling parallels with that of
Harry K. Thaw. Marriott was said to
have made an insulting remark regard
ing the woman who afterward became
Beale's wife. The defense was car
ried to a successful issue by recourse
to the "unwritten law"
These trials, however, hardly hint at
the personality of Mr.. Delmas. He be-
longs to the Chesterfieldian type of
man. His suave speech. rounded ges-
lures and measured periods, all framed