The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-01-13
LlTTLET0N Is
So YEARS Oh D
EieRFiN TF4AIpl's CHIEF COINS EL
HAS HAD A REM ARLE
CAREER
'fIsya 8. N. Press Associations

jLittleton, chief counsel for Harry
Thaw. is to-day receiving the earnest
congratulations of his legal colleagues
and friends upon having passed anoth-
er milestone in his comparatively
ishort but famous career. Idttleton
was born in log cabin in Roane coun-
lty, Tennessee. January ~, 1872, so
that now he is only SO years of age.
His rapid rise to fame has been one
of the most phenomenal among the lie.
gal lights of the country. He has
gone up like a rocket, and there is
nothing to indicate descent His fell
low attorneys look upon him as a
fixed star in New York's legal frma-
ment. and one whose brilIiancy will
constantly increase with years.
The chief counsel for Thaw is self
educated man. having attended school
only one term. He was farm hand
and a bakers assistant in his youth,
and at the age of 16 became track
walker in Texas. 1t was here that
he was seized with the ambition to be-
come a lawyer, and at 10 this self
educated boy was admitted to the bar.
Down at Weatherford, Texas, the peo-
pie are still te1tsine nj the excessive
brightness nf Mart LittIeton. They
are not surprised that he has become
one of the greatest lawyers in the
country. They would not be surpris-
ed at any greatness Mart" may
achieve, even to the Presidency.
Llttleton left the little town of
Weatherford to embark on a greater
career in Dallas. He was only 81
when he invaded the big Texas city.
but the older and more seasoned at.
torneys' OF the Dallas bar were soon
forced to admit that the Weatherford
hoy lawyer" was a smart youngster,
and when he had shown his ability in
few important cases he cut large
niche for himself as one of the fore
most lawyers of the North Texas me-
tropolis.
On December 1, 1896, at the age of
Pa the young lawyer married Maui
Wilson in Dallas. Considering Dallas
too small to afford full scope for his
ability. Llttleton had determined to
establish himself in the nations me-
tropolis. Giving up her luxurious home
in Texas, the bride of few days set
forth with Littleton for New York
The couple had little money, but Lit.
Teton was primed with ambition anil
his young wife Astounding in faith.
So. that in 1896. Littleton first set foot
in New York-the great, careless.
heartless city he had come to con-
Quer.
| And he did conquer. The task was
not easy, at first, but Littleton's spirit
was indomitab1e. He did not wait for
opportunities, he made them. The
metropolitan lawyers, with blase snug
ness at first sneered at the enthu.
sinsms of the young Texan. But less
than three years after his arrival in
New York Littleton was made an as,
sistant district attorney of Kings coun-
ty. position which many older and
more experienced lawyers would have
been glad to secure. While serving
in this capacity in Brooklyn, Little.
ton prosecuted Get Rich Quick" Mil.
Ter and assisted in conducting many
other famous cases.
New York is quick to recognize gen
ius, so it was not long before Little.
ton had become famous as an orator
and an after-dinner speaker. He COM
blned the suave charm of the south
ern gentleman with the nervous alert.
ness of the Yankee, and the combina.
ton was a pleasing one to his audi.
tors.
1t was in 1900 that LittIeton became
national figure. Called upon to ell
in" at Brooklyn Democratic meeting
which was addressed by men of ma
tional fame. he became the orator of
the evening. In 1904 the Democrats
of New York decided that Littleton
was the one man to deliver the speech
nominating Alton B. Parker for the
Presidency at the st. Louis conven-
ton, and II the enthusiasm he created
among the delegates could have spread
among the voters Of the country, Par.
ker would have been elected. In 1901
and 1905 Littleton was borough presi.
dent of Brooklyn, and he makes his
home in the big borough across the
bridge.
He retired from public life two or
three years ago in order that he
might built up private law practice.
and in this he has been as successful
as In all of his other endeavors, if
he succeeds in securing the acquittal
of Harry K. Thaw. pitted. as he is,
against the master of criminal prose-
cution, Jerome, he will have succeed
ed in his boyish ambition to CON