The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-20
ARLINGTON
8 Ar IS
PROBE
Searching Investigation of Re-
puted Scandals Begun by
Leading Lawyers.
By JOSEPHINE TIGHE.

Judge Brent, of the Circuit
Court of Virginia, swung the d.
vorce traffic signal at stop Stop"
when he called the attention of
the Arlington county grand jury
to the amazing increase of divorce
suits filed in that county.
Yesterday afternoon the sign
read "Go-Go" with regard to the
committee of three whom Judge
Brent appointed in response to the
grand jury's behest that the di-
vorce situation must be looked
into and report made to the
grand jury at the October term.
Selects Big Men.
Judge Brent went as high as he
could in the selection OF this COM
mittee, the members being Frank L.
Ball, leading attorney Of Arlington
and at present a candidate for the
State senate: William c. Cloth, for
eight years police judge of Airing
ton, now running for common
wealth's attorney. and Harry r.
Thomas, present police judge of the
county
Mr.. Thomas heads the investiga-
ton committee and the .stEoy1O,s.
sign points to right away and right
ahead with the inquiry. There will
be no smoke screens, no traffic
jams to obscure the thorougl1ness or
impede the progress of the examina-
ton. No higher-ups or lower-downs
will be permitted to interfere with
the searching and rigid inquiry into
each and every case. AS far as the
financial end of it is concerned, the
a e l. Ii.
Tor home, county and State. NOT
one of the three men III receive a
cent of pay. Two Of them are in
the midst of running for State and
county office. Yet nothing is to be
allowed to block the gangway and
plans already are being worked out
for sift ing Arlingtons divorce con-
ditions to the very bottom.
A member of the committee on
investigation says there is but one
way to proceed, and that is by mi
mute scrutiny of each Individual
case of the 112 divorce suits pre-
sented In 1923, and not yet acted on,
and OF those of the $50 cases still
on the docket from 1-2-a total
Of 272.
Practice of Lawyers.
In recent months, and more egpe-
cially since the divorce ring in Alex
andria was tied into a knot by this
newspaper. 1t has become the prac-
tice of lawyers handling divorce
cases to force plaintiffs to file sworn
affidavits of residence along with
divorce pleas. This would. of course,
protect the attorney in many cases,
but when the investigating commit
tee runs against something-rotten-
L. 81 20 lat
tiff, as to legal residence, it will
only tend to further hurt and not
help said plaintiff
There are over half dozen we'll
established lawyers in Arlington,
among them being Frank L. Ball,
Harry r. Thomas, Charles T. Jesse,
Amos c. Crounse. George D. Lee, r.
Blakely James and William c. Cloth.
AS with the bar association Of Fair
fax county, as stated in The Wash
ington Times yesterday, these gen.
tlemen stand solidly by Judge Brent
in his move to shake the illegitimate
divorce-suit shackles off Arlington
county. The county clerk, William
II. Duncan, and Deputy Clerk Ralph
z. Remington are bending every ef-
fort to assist in the compaign TO
cleanse Arlington county. And as
with the Fairfax attorneys. so with
the Arlington lawyers, in being TOO
frequently approached by clients
who understand that a Get-DVorce'
Quick. w allingford can be arranged.
In both Fairfax and Arlington coun-
ties, the members of the bar refuse
all cases except those which they
know to be bona-fide cases by legai
residents.
Shuns Divorce Cases.
Frank L. Ball, member oil
Judge Brent's investigating commit
tee, became 80 disgruntled with the
conditions of the divorce mart IN
Arlington, that at the beginning o.
1928 he announced he would handle
no more divorce cases, and those
suits filed by him in 1928 are suits
which he accepted prior to De
cember 81, 1922.
The work of the committee, which
Is already functioning, will begir
in earnest after court adjourns mex
week. Each suit will be taken II
turn and a trip to the alleged Ar
lington county place of residence h
made by the committeeman. Wo
to the man or woman who has no
faithfully established the one-yea
legal residence! And woe to his o
her divorce anticipations!
But two days have elapsed sine
fCanfinued m paoa o6l