Case Summary

In 1911, the Yamhill County Court found William Gardner to be insane and committed him to the Oregon State Hospital. In 1913, Edwin Cady, whose relationship to Gardner is unclear, petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus on Gardner's behalf, which was granted. Records from both the insanity and habeas hearings reveal that Gardner believed his wife and daughter were being unfaithful in their marriages and that he had threatened violence against all parties as well as himself. After hearing the evidence, Gardner was remanded to the custody of the superintendent of the state hospital. In 1915, another party petitioned for habeas corpus on behalf of Gardner.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Institutional

Petition subtype(s)

• Insanity

Sites of significance

• Oregon State Insane Asylum (Salem, Oregon)

Outcome

Writ denied

Fate of bound party

Remained in custody

Case Citation

Marion County Circuit Court Dockets and Indexes, Index, Volume 5, 1892-1921, Accession No. 90A-16; Marion County Circuit Court Journal, Dept. No. 2, Vol. 32, May 1913-May 1915, Accession No. 93A-19, p. 66; Marion County Circuit Court Case Files, Case No. 11369

Source material(s)

Index | Journal | Case File

Length of case file

Between 31 and 40 pages

Related petitions

• In the Matter of the Application of W. T. Gardiner for a Writ of Habeas Corpus (James Walton Jr Petitioner)

Repository(s)

• Oregon State Archives (Salem, Oregon)

State

• Oregon

Tag(s)

• Domestic violence

People

• Gardner, William L. (W. T. Gardiner, John Doe Gardiner) (bound party)
• Gardner, William L. (W. T. Gardiner, John Doe Gardiner) (petitioner)
• Cady, Edwin L. (petitioner)
• Steiner, R. E. Lee (respondent)
• Steiner, R. E. Lee (responding party)
• Steiner, R. E. Lee (holding party)
• Galloway, William (judge)
• Pearce, Vine W. (authority ordering detention)
• Trindle, William H. (petitioner attorney)
• Kliks, B. A. (respondent attorney)

• Additional parties

  Ferguson, F. B. (complainant)

  Jones, G. W. (clerk)

  Henderson, W. G. (sheriff)

  Connor, R. L. (attorney)

  Williams, Charles C. (physician)

  Gardner, Harvey (father of bound party)

  Linderman, Lydia (mother of bound party)

  Jones, Georgia M. (deputy clerk)

  Minton, Albert N. (notary public)

  Gehlhar, Max (clerk)

  Boyer, U. G. (deputy clerk)

  Esch, William (sheriff)

  Boyington, M. G. (deputy clerk)

  Needham, Winfred I. (deputy sheriff)

  Gardner, Alice (daughter of bound party)

  Gardner, Lydia (presumed relative of bound party)

  Stivers, Rev. (accused paramour of wife of bound party)

  Watt, A. B. (accused paramour of wife of bound party)

  Ferguson, Frank (accused paramour of wife of bound party)

  Kinman, (accused paramour of wife of bound party)

  Corrigan, M. F. (guardian of bound party)