Case Summary

He was charged with the crime of receiving and aiding in the concealment of stolen property, namely, diamonds of the value of $18,000. They were taken and carried away by Sherman W. Morris (Frank Sharcliffe) and stolen from William C. Pollack. The governor of Iowa,Albert B. Cummins, ordered the extradition of Thomas Dennison from Omaha on the grounds that he was a fugitive from justice. Dennison argued that the warrants of arrest and extradition were unlawful, that he was innocent and not related to the charge referred to, and that the constitutions of the states of Iowa, Nebraska, and the United States do not allow for his extradition back to Iowa. Dennison also argued that Elmer Thomas, the respondent attorney, conspired with people for the sole purpose of bringing Dennison into disrepute. The writ of Habeas Corpus was denied, Dennison requested a new trial on July 5th, a month after the case started, and it was denied.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Carceral

Petition subtype(s)

• Grand larceny

Sites of significance

• Douglas County Jail (Omaha, Nebraska)

Outcome

Writ denied

Fate of bound party

Remained in custody

Case Citation

Douglas County District Court, Criminal Appearance Docket Books, Vol. 8: ca.1903 - 1904, p. 263; Douglas County District Court, RG230 Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series 7: Criminal Case Files, 1897-1920, Roll 17: Doc. 8-214 to 8-331, May 2, 1904 - Sep. 17, 1904, No. 8-263 (microfilm)

Source material(s)

Docket | Case File

Length of case file

Between 76 and 100 pages

Repository(s)

• History Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska)
• Douglas County District Court (Omaha, Nebraska)

State

• Nebraska

Point(s) of law cited

Paragraph 2, Section 2, Art 4 of the Constitution; Provisions of the 14th amendment of the Constitution; Section 5278 of the Revised Statutes of the United States;

Tag(s)

• 14th amendment

People

• Dennison, Thomas (petitioner)
• Christian, George M. (respondent)
• Christian, George M. (holding party)
• Christian, George M. (responding party)
• Day, George A. (judge)
• Gavey, A. C. (judge)
• Redick, William A. (judge)
• Thomas, Elmer E. (respondent attorney)
• Brome, Harrison Crosby (respondent attorney)
• Connell, William J. (petitioner attorney)
• Richie, Albert S. (petitioner attorney)
• Mickey, John H. (authority ordering detention)

• Additional parties

  Broadwell, Frank A. (clerk)

  Grossmann, John H. (deputy)

  Power, John (sheriff)

  Best, F. C. (petitioner witness)

  Donnelly, William (respondent witness)

  Nest, George F. (petitioner witness)

  Mickey, John H. (respondent witness)

  Pinkerton, William A. (respondent witness)

  Irle, Andrew (notary public)

  Lindsay, H. C. (clerk of Nebraska Supreme Court)

  Kuhne, Paul (respondent witness)

  Rhoades, William E. (respondent witness)

  O’Shane Wallabee (respondent witness)

  Orcutt, Clinton (petitioner witness)

  Dempsey, M. F. (petitioner witness)

  Hayes, Thomas (petitioner witness)

  Savage, J. H. (petitioner witness)

  Shoop, William (petitioner witness)

  Dennison John (petitioner witness)

  Wilson, James (petitioner witness)

  Thomas, Nallie P. (notary public)

  Main, Fred (petitioner witness)

  Williams, R. C. (petitioner witness)

  Hudson, William (witness)

  Cory, Epes (witness)

  West, George F. (petitioner witness)

  Schlank, Charles (witness)

  Alton, Bob (witness)