The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-11-05
THE ARLINGTON LITIGATION.
A Committee Of Investigation Appointed
By the Last Legislature-The Com
mittee Acted Disgracefully-The

By the Last Legislature--The Com
mittee Acted Disgracefully-The
Supreme Court Takes . Hand.
Nearly everyone is familiar with the
Arlington litigation. 1t has been going
on for fourteen years, Every Superior
Court from Nash to Wayne has beer
full OF it. A large number of lawyers
IN the central portion of the State have
been employed on one side or the other
Mrs. Arlington boldly charges tha'
some of her lawyers have not done
their duty; that some Of them have 70,
ceived money that she ougnI
to have; that the litigants Oh
the other side have adOPIou
every scheme known to keep ner on.
of property, which is in the hanos OIL
her divorced husband and other
The Supreme Court has de
cided the legality of Mrs. AIRING
toms divorce, and that fact en-
titles her to the custody of the property
| she owned at the time of her marriage.
But the schemes go merrlly on. In
some mysterious way the litigation
always turns up in favor of persons
who are opposing Mrs. Arlington. Ac-
cording to a pamphlet published by
Mrs. Arlington a year or two ago, Civ
ing all the facts in the case, some Of the
lawyers have sat down, strong men
that they were, and wept over her
troubles, and yet she don't get her
property. Mrs. Arlington admits that
the lawyers cried, and hat she was al
most as sorry for them as for herself
and children, whom, she claims, have
been robbed of their property.
At any rate, the whole affair is a
stencil in the public nostrils, and sew
eral high judicial officers and lawyers
in this section of the State would stand
much higher in public esteem if this
litigation had been settled, as it could
have been, long ago, and in favor Of
the rightful owner of the property.
The courts of North Carolina are re-
markedly clean, as compared with
6OL4Os OAu V4AS OAO jill OVhOG S0SO6
will forever be a blot on the record.
After much hard work on the part
of Mrs. Arlington and a few friends,
the last Legislature was induced to
pass a resolution creating a committee
of three of its members a special court
of inquiry to investigate the whole
matter. The bill was started and
stolen. The very fact that such siren
uous methods were adopted to prevent
an investigation is evidence that some
body or several somebodies, didn't
want an investigation. In addition to
stealing the bill, a great deal Of lobby
ing was resorted to. Finally, late in
the session, the matter came up again,
a few good men were induced 80 take
hold of it, and a ''copy of the former
bill was introduced and became a law.
Just how the copy" was secured is not
stated, but a Democratic member of
the House produced a copy. The reso-
luton was passed late in the session
and was ratified on the 18th of March,
two days before the Legislature ed
journed.
H LAW CREATING THE COMMITTEE.
A Resolution in Favor of Mrs Pattie D.
B. Arlington.
Resolved, by the House of Representa-
tiUeS, the Senate COncWTring:
That A. A. Campbell, J. E. Bryan
and J. r. Phillips, members of the
House of Representatives from Chero
kee, Chatham and Pitt counties, re
spectively, be and they are hereby ap
pointed a committee of investigation tc
investigate all the matter growing out
of litigation, and all other troubles be
tween herself and husband, and al
other persons and things concerning OF
in anyway appertaining to her mat
tiers in connection with said litig6 ton
The said committee shall have full
and complete power and authority tC
send for persons and papers, and ex
anime the same, and to administer
oaths and examine witnesses, and with
full power to punish for contempt fol
disobedience to any lawful order in as
full a manner as is now vested in judges
of the Superior Court of the State.
They shall find the facts from the evi
dence and report said facts, and also
set out the evidence in full in said re
port and make their report to the Gen
eral Assembly, if it be possible to dc so,
before the adjournment, and if not,
then said report shall be made to the
Supreme Court.
That the Treasurer of the State il
hereby authorized to pay the necessary
expense of said committee while they