Case Summary

Samuel and India Coffman were married and one day India left with their two minor children, Blanche and Olive. Samuel asked for a writ of habeas corpus to be issued to return the children to his care saying India did not have the right means to take care of the children. The writ was granted and the children were ordered to be returned to Samuel. However, four years later, the girls were living with India and her family in Mills County, Iowa.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Interpersonal

Petition subtype(s)

• Child custody

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

Released from custody

Case Citation

RG230 Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series 4: Criminal Appearance Docket Books, 1855-1900, Vol. 1: Pages 1-319, Feb. 13, 1896 - Nov. 1896, p. 62 (microfilm); RG230 Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series 2: General Index Books & Court Journals, Vol. 40: Apr. 23, 1895 - Aug. 1, 1896, p. 619; RG230 Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series 7: Criminal Case Files, 1897-1920, Box 1: Doc. 1 to 110, 1895-96, No. 62

Source material(s)

Case File | Docket | Journal

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Repository(s)

• History Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska)

State

• Nebraska

Tag(s)

• Children

People

• Dickinson, Charles T. (judge)
• Coffman, Blanche A. (bound party)
• Coffman, Olive W. (bound party)
• Coffman, Samuel J. (petitioner)
• Coffman, India A. (respondent)
• Coffman, India A. (responding party)
• Coffman, India A. (holding party)
• Yeiser, John O. (petitioner attorney)
• Smythe, Mahoney (petitioner attorney)

• Additional parties

  McDonald, John W. (sheriff)

  Grebe, Louis (deputy)

  Frank, Albyn L. (clerk)

  Coffman, Meyrle (22, other child)