Case Summary

On June 1, 1899, John C. Verbiest was arrested on charges of grand larceny while in town with his daughter, Susie Verbiest. John alleged that he was held in jail without trial for seventeen weeks before being released. On June 7, while John was imprisoned, Sheriff Lind Nelson, while claiming to be the legal guardian of Susie, entrusted her into the case of the Nebraska Children's Home Society of Omaha Nebraska without John’s knowledge or consent. Susie was then adopted from the Home Society by Michael and Alice Finkenbinder on December 13. John Verbiest then filed for a writ of habeas on Susie’s behalf in order to regain custody of her where he claimed he was the legal guardian of Susie, that Sheriff Nelson had no right to give Susie to the Home Society, and that the Finkenbinders are incapable of properly caring for Susie, and physically abuse and beat her. Judge Letton granted the writ and agreed to hear the petition, though the final outcome of the proceedings are unknown.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Interpersonal

Petition subtype(s)

• Child custody

Sites of significance

• Gage County Jail (Beatrice, Nebraska)
• Nebraska Children's Home Society (Omaha, Nebraska)

Outcome

Unknown

Fate of bound party

Unknown

Case Citation

Gage County District Court, Case Files, Box 122, No. 8393

Source material(s)

Case File

Length of case file

Between 6 and 10 pages

Repository(s)

• Gage County District Court (Beatrice, Nebraska)

State

• Nebraska

Tag(s)

• Children

People

• Verbiest, John C (petitioner)
• Verbiest, Susie M. (bound party)
• Finkenbinder, Michael (respondent)
• Finkenbinder, Michael (holding party)
• Finkenbinder, Alice (respondent)
• Finkenbinder, Alice (holding party)
• Letton, C. B. (Charles B.) (judge)
• McCandless, L. A. (petitioner attorney)

• Additional parties

  Charles L. Brewster (clerk) W. A. Waddington (sheriff), O. E. Filley (deputy), Lind Nelson (Sheriff)