May 6, 2017 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

A number of prominent lawyers served the community of Greenwood at the turn of the century. One of them is today's 'Person of Note', Arthur Murdoch Whiteside, Q.C., whose biography was included in the 1906 book, A History of British Columbia_[1] by R. Edward Gosnell:

ARTHUR MURDOCH WHITESIDE

"Arthur Murdoch Whiteside, a barrister practicing at the city of Greenwood, was born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1876. His father was Daniel Whiteside, one of the early pioneers of British Columbia, well known in the Cariboo country, which he entered in 1859, being successful in his operations there. He died in July, 1904. He married in 1873 Miss Ruth White, of Toronto.

Arthur M. Whiteside was educated in British Columbia. His law studies were pursued in the office of Chief Justice McColl at New Westminster and he was called to the bar in 1897. He then opened an office for practice in Rossland, but after remaining there for two years he came to Greenwood in the fall of 1898 and has since made his home in this place.

He is solicitor for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, for the Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Montreal & Boston Copper Company, thus representing several important corporations as well as many private parties whose litigation comes before the local and supreme courts.

Mr. Whiteside is prominently connected with the Masonic fraternity."

Among the many corporations and businessmen who were represented by Arthur Whiteside were the Deadwood Gold Copper Company, Montreal and Boston Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company, Royal Victoria Gold Mining Company, Miller Brothers, and George Arthur Rendell. These and dozens of others engaged his services, as he practiced in various law office partnerships here.

On November 19, 1898, the Boundary Creek Times_[2] reported that "Arthur M. Whiteside, a barrister from Rossland, has decided to locate in Greenwood. He has secured offices in the Barrett block."

The following month, an ad appeared in the Times for the law firm of "McLeod & Whiteside, Barristers and Solicitors, Barrett block, Copper Street, Greenwood". Just two months later, on January 7, 1899, the Times_[3] reported: "Clive Pringle of Rossland has joined the firm of McLeod & Whiteside, barristers. He reached Greenwood on Wednesday." And by December 30th of that year, the advertisement had again changed, to: "Pringle & Whiteside, Barristers & Solicitors, Notaries Public, etc., Barrett Block, Copper Street, Greenwood".

The firm of Pringle & Whiteside advertised their Greenwood practice regularly throughout 1902. By the start of 1903, however, the ads had changed again to: "Arthur M. Whiteside, Barrister & Solicitor, Rendell Block, Greenwood", and these ads ran consistently through 1909.

Three other interesting references are found, grouped together in a July 1900 issue of the Greenwood Weekly Times._[4] In the professional services section of the paper are adjacent ads for:

J. P. McLeod, Barrister and Solicitor, Notary Public, etc., Offices: Wallace-Miller block, Greenwood, B.C.

Pringle & Whiteside, with offices over the Bank of Montreal in Greenwood,

Geo. A. Stewart Potts, Barrister Solicitor etc., Notary Public, Offices: Miller block, Greenwood, B.C.

While we find no advertisement for a joint practice of Arthur Whiteside, Pringle and Potts, the three barristers apparently did join forces in 1900, as reported in the obituary for Mr. Potts in 1910:_[5]

"G. Stewart Potts, the well known lawyer of Winnipeg who sued the C. P. R. for his share in settling the mechanics' strike, died last week at Field. Mr. Potts, 10 years ago, was a member of the law firm of Pringle, Whiteside and Potts, of Greenwood."

The legal activities of Arthur M. Whiteside, Q.C., are mentioned many places in local newspapers of the day. One of the most interesting is a report given in a May 1902 issue_[6] of the Times, on a session of the Supreme Court held in Greenwood's historic courthouse.

Mr. Justice Walkem Opens Supreme Court and Court of Assize in Greenwood

Able Presentment by the Grand Jury in which the needs of City and District are Pointed Out — The Cases Tried.

"The sitting of the assize court was resumed at ten o'clock Monday morning. His Lordship, Mr. Justice Walkem presiding. The grand jury, having found a true bill against Joseph Taylor charging with haying negligently allowed a prisoner to escape, this case was proceeded with Mr. Whiteside appeared for the crown and W. H. P. Clement represented the prisoner.

The only witness heard was J. K. Johnson, police magistrate at Grand Forks. In his cross-examination it was brought out that the police magistrate had previous to the completion of the preliminary trial of the ''Blue Goose" charged with procuring, admitted her to bail, which was fixed at $500, herself in $250 and another prostitute in $250.

Afterwards Taylor was engaged as a special constable to watch the "Blue Goose" although she was still out on bail and while thus watched she skipped out to the other side. The learned judge pointed out that woman was free to go anywhere so long as the bail bond was in effect and consequently there was no offence in Taylor's allowing her to escape. He directed the petit jury to bring in a verdict of not guilty which was done.

All the other prisoners having escaped, this concluded the criminal cases. The learned judge again directed attention to the numerous escapes of prisoners and expressed the hope that the grand jury would further investigate the matter. Mr. Whiteside as representative of the crown also deprecated the numerous escapes and referred to previous cases in which prisoners got away from the city lockup. He also criticized the fact that not sufficient effort was made to capture the slayer of an Italian murdered in Greenwood two years ago. The learned judge said there must be something wrong when so many prisoners escape and a rigid investigation was necessary."