The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
SHE ISA MULATTO LAWYER.
Lutte a. LHTLE ADMITTED TO TIM
BAR IN TENNESSEE.
she IL n Kansas Young Woman and Intends
to Return to Her Native state for n Pc
lIticni Carecr-Hcr Ambition IL TO Make
n Name FOR HcrseIr Among tho Populista.

she IL n Kansas Young Woman ana Intends
to Return to Her Native state for n Pc
Iticnl Carecr-Hcr Ambition IL TO Make
n Name for Herself Among the Popuiists.
MEMPHIS. Tenn, Sent. l7.-Lutie A. Lytle,
n mulatto girl, was admitted here to practice
at the bar last week, thus becoming the only
woman of African parontago licensed TO prac
ticc law in this countr".
the simple process by which this woman was
enrolled upon the records Of the court waa
witnessed by a large throns who had got in.
formation of what was about to take place.
Tho affair meant such an upsctting of oil those
ideas to which people hercabouts are 40.
CustoIned that tho spectators wcro held speus
bound. and II pin could have been heard To
drop in the furthcst part Of tho courtroom.
This woman proposes to practice her profos.
sion in Kansas. and she means to make hors
self as conspicuous in politics as the freedom
to which women are accustomed In that State
will permit. She aspircs to fame as q politi.
clan, and tho practice Of the law she regards
merely AS u stepping stone. Contrary to what
might bc expected, she is not u Republican.
She is "a populist of the most pronounced type,
and she purposes to accomplish not less than
has been achieved by other women who have
left their imprint on the politics of Kansas.
Lutte Lytlc was born after the war, yet she
is not far removed from slavery. Her father
before the war belonged on the estate Of Col.
Patrick Sloan, near C~hilhowee, and after the
war continued to live on the old place. 1t was
there that this girl was born, twenty-five years
! ago. When she was quito young her parents
moved to Kansas, where by thrift and econ
omy they acquired u snug fortune. The father
is regarded as one of the wealthiest colored
men in Kansas. His homo is at Topeka. He
is in active business, but during late years he
has found plenty Of leisure to devote to poll
ties. His daughter got the best education
that could be furnished by the public schools
orcd pupils alike: She was an apt scholar.
The father, though un ardent party worker In
self. but, when his daughter was graduated
from the city schools, he began to direct his
influence toward obtaining something for her.
In Kansas there ARE few restrictions upon the
ambition of .wom,n. and when the Kansas
was the successful candidate for the place Of
cnErosaing clerk, an Office which she allied with
Office afforded the girl opportunity to become
acquainted with the leading men Of the State.
and shc was, not long in coming to the conclu-
battle - she q could u hold HE.eGr! o own With he s%toutosS
OF her contemporaries. Therefore, when her
the money nc She had earned to meet the ex:
Icnscs Of her instruction in tho law. She came
college, an Institution for the higher education
Of the coiored people. She applied herself to
Of young men studying beside her. but she held
her own With them all: Though she studied
ciety of her fellow students. She was a mem.
Der of the college glee club, and at the numer.
Gus musical entertainments given by the stus
dents she was relied upon to them
on the paino.
At the recent commencement of the Central
College OF Tennessee, among the graduates OK
the law department was Lutte A; Lytle. She
Was chosen the valcdictorian of her class. in
which Capacity she acquitted herself with
credit. Besides the certificate OF, graduation
the younS woman got a diploma licensing her
for the Central College IL. by the terms of its
charter. authorized TO grant such a license.
Another prerequisite for admission, to the bal
in this state is that the applicant shall have q
certificate Of good. moral character from a
county court, and Lutte Lytle applied to the
County Court OF Davidson and obtained the
1t remained for her to be enrolled upon the
Ti@a at at Of i thought SGuF Of a DONG 4 Prs sS ss Sa laEwfYfs,
hut Judge Anderson, to, whom she applied
ruled that inasmuch as the supreme Court OF
notary public in this State. it followed that nd
woman could be enrolled as a lawyer. Then ID
was that she decided TO apply at Memphis while
piled to Judge l.. =. Cooper OF the Criminal
Court here, end her name was enrolled without It
LAWYER T.. T. Settle. colored, himself a graduate
of the Howard Law School at Washington and
for her admission was seconded by A. b,
Saddler, who had studied with her at Central
College.
The young woman did not accept the invita-
ton that was extended her by Judge Cooper 10
wait in the court and conduct the defence ct
no lawyer; She said she, was in a hurry to
reach her home. She conducted herself in the
a bright face, and LAWYER .%Saddler, who
studied with her, says that she is unusually In
A woman has not been admitted before %
the bar in Tennessee.