The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-03-15
Is Justice g. Farce?

Many Of our readers and citizens
know Mrs. Pattie ID. b. Arlington, of
Nash. She has spent much Of her
time in Henderson attending courts,
and has stayed here months at a time.
She is a woman Of remarkable intelli-
gence, indomitable pluck and perse-
verance and great will power, and her
long experience in the courts has made
her a first rate lawyer besides giving
her the title of 1.-The famous ltgant"
III this respect she is locally almost as
great a celebrity as was the celebrated
Mrs. Myra Clark Gaines. We have
known for some time that Mrs. Ar
ringtOn was writing a history Of her
many ups and downs as Immediately
associated with her experience in the
courts fighting for the possession of her
property, &c. The prominence of the
persons concerned and the complicated
nature Of the various law suits that
have arisen surround her case with I'M
usual interest. We see from the Pro-
gressire Farmer that Mrs. Arlington
has published ''history'' of her court
experiences with the above title That
paper says
North Carolina has honest Judges, law
yers and iuries, but in some localities
Justice, as administered, is a mere farce.
We recently read q little book pub
lshCd by Mrs. Pattie Arlington, of Nash
county, who is well known in Raleigh
and all the central portion of the State.
The title, SIS Justice a Farce" seems
quite appropriate In this book Mrs.
Arlington, formerly Miss Freeman, tells
the story of her life. She was educated
at the best colleges in the state, and fell
heir to property worth from $4,000 to
S3O, 900. She married in Nash county
and settled on her own farm, a valuable
one. Her husband treated her most
shamefully. After living with the man
nearly eleven years, during which time
five children We're born, Mrs. Arlington
left her husband. She went to Illinois,
| taking her children with her. After re-
siding there year or two she obtained
| a divorce, came back to this State and
entered suit for the possession of her
| property, which was held by her late
husband. Mr.. Arlington fought the
suit some years on the ground that
the divorce was legal Finally the
courts OF this State, Supreme Court
included, legalized the divorce. This
should have given the lady possession
| of her property, but in some way
Arlington, through his lawyers, kept
throwing obstacles in the way. On
various pretenses the cases were
carried from court to court Nash,
Franklin, Vance, Wake, Wayne and
other county Superior Courts all came in
for a share. Now and then the Supreme
| Court would come in for a tussl with
the case. Some of their ways were dark
and mysterious. The book giving all
these particulars, many letters, etc, is
as interesting as the most thrilling
novel, and yet is based on facts.
\ few months ago Mrs. Arlington
again won the case in Vance Superior
Court. 1t was appealed to the Supreme
Court, as usual, and after trying to get
her rights for twenty years, her own
property, which she needed to live upon
and support and educate her five chill
dren, Mrs Arlington is still struggling
for possession.
Many black and dirty tricks were re-
sorted to in this case, some almost in
human. 1t also has Il funny side We
have heard that Mrs. Arlington had a
case before magistrate in Nash county,
the action growing out of the above suit
Tho defendant had the case moved to
another magistrates court. This j. p.
could not hear it thunder But he sat
patiently and listened (?) to the evidence
(Which was said to be more than suffi-
cient to convicD and when the case was
over he said: Il have listened patiently
and have heard no evidence sufficient to
convict OF course he didn't hear it
But Mrs. Arlington didn't know that he
was deaf until a year afterwards. That
is sample OF the many sharp practices
resorted to by the defendant and counsel
in these celebrated suits. rs Justice a
farce, is an appropriate question.