The Washington times., 1923-06-19

Arlington Lawyers Chosen to
Probe UnenviabIe Reputa-
tion Of County.
By IOsEPHINE TIGHE.

The grand jury of Arlington
county, sitting at Arlington court
house yesterday, requested Judge
Brent, of the circuit court, to
investigate divorce conditions in
that commonwealth. A few
hours previously in his charge to
the, grand jury, Judge Brant
called its attention to the fast.
increasing divorce menace in
Arlington county.
Smallest of Counties.
This county is said to. be the
smallest in the United States, less
than twenty-eight square miles, ana
within the last eighteen months "
has accumulated q staggering and
unenviable divorce reputation thAt
would make even the real Reno sit
UP and take notice
During the twelve months ending
December 81 last, 165 divorce cases
were filed in Arlington county
From January. 4, 1928 to June 16,'
265 cases have been spread MpOir
the cilancetvr book 1880 - 49,
In response to the Arlington
grand juryss, demand for the APP
pointment of a committee to sfft
these conditions to. the bottom,
Judge Brent Immediately selected
Harry r. Thomas, William r. CLOTH
and Frank L. Ball, three prominent
members Of the Arlington bar, and
they will at once begin investiga-
ton and 4the report will be filed
with the grand jury at its October
term.
Fairfax county, Virginia. is part
of Judge Brent's jurisdiction. and
two weeks ago he found it, neces-
sary to direct the attention Of the
Fairfax grand jury to the divorce
predicament within the boundaries
OF that county. It was all too plain
that Fairfax was fast developing
into still another Little Reno" So
Judge Brent decided it was time to
''start something"
Undesirable Actions.
In effect, the commonwealth of
Fairfax was being turned into a re-
ceptacle for the accumulated trash
and graft of the illegitinate divorce
traffic recently swept from out
Alexandria city by the fierce glare
of publicity focused on 1t through
the columns of The Washington
Times.
The original hand-written wills OF
George and Martha Washington
hang in glass case upon the walls
of the very room at Fairfax court
house in which the questionable d.
vorce cases are filed. a.
Are these precious, hand-written,
immortal relics of the Father Of His
Country to become companion
pieces" to dubious, typewriter suits
for divorce?
Judge Brent thinks not. In d..
recting the grand jury's attention
to divorce conditions, Judge Brent
says not. His closest friends and
his bitterest enemies agree that his
honor never starts anything that
he cannot finish. And he has surely
started something with regard to
divorce entries in Arlington and
Fairfax counties. ~
Washington Lawyers. ~
There is to be a sWabbing down
of the decks Of the Virginia ship
Of State, as far as the state OF
rnatrimony is concerned. There viii
be an exhaustive inquiry into di-
vorces- granted-while-you- wait. It be-
gan in Fairfax two weeks ago. It
extended to: Arlington county, yes
terday.
The grounds upon which Judge
Brent based his charge to the Fair
fax grand jury consists Of
1.-The swiftly growing number
of divorce suits instituted in the
circuit court, there;
2-The facts that most Of these
suits are for persons living in
Washington, persons whose legal
residence. in Fairfax, mcy be a
matter Of question
3-That the attorneys in the
majority OF these cases are not
members Of the bar of Fairfax
county.
Where these attorneys hail from
was not indicated by Judge Brent
but an examination of the Fairfax
record shows that seven-tenths Of
the foreign" legal talent, acting
for plaintiffs in divorce, are from
Alexandria and two-tenths from
Washington. With regard to th'
Alexandria lawyers, they are thu
same men whose names became IA
nniliar to the public when Th'
Times burst the Get Divorce Quick
Wallingford bubble some months
back
Court officials and bar associa
ton members at Fairfax take tn,
premises that except in remot
cases, persons living and abiding
-tGontinued on Page 24)