Case Summary

In 1885, prosecuting attorney, S. C. Hyde, petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus to produce the body of Sterling P. White who was convicted and being held in the Seatco Territorial Penitentiary for the crime of manslaughter. Hyde petitioned in order for White to appear as a material witness in the case of the Territory of Washington v. Franklin Beander. Judge George M. Turner allowed the writ and commanded the Keepers of the Penitentiary to produce the body of White and bring him before the District Court of the Territory of Washington, with instructions to return White to the penitentiary after testifying.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Carceral

Petition subtype(s)

• Appear to testify (ad testificandum)

Sites of significance

• Seatco Territorial Penitentiary (Bucoda, Washington)

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

Remained in custody

Case Citation

Spokane County Government, Clerk, Territorial Case Files, 1879-1889, No. 1701

Source material(s)

Case File

Case document transcriptions

• hc.case.wa.0143.001
• hc.case.wa.0143.002
• hc.case.wa.0143.003
• hc.case.wa.0143.004

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Repository(s)

• Washington State Archives, Eastern Regional Branch (Cheney, WA) (Cheney, Washington)

State

• Washington

People

• White, Sterling P. (Bud White) (bound party)
• Hyde, S.C. (petitioner)
• Billings, William (respondent)
• Billings, William (holding party)
• Smith , J.R. (respondent)
• Smith , J.R. (holding party)
• Shead, Oliver (respondent)
• Shead, Oliver (holding party)
• Turner, George M. (judge)

• Additional parties

  Allen, J.S. (Notary Public)

  Clement, S.A. (Clerk)

  Whittier, E. J. (Sheriff of Spokane County)

  Mason, H. B. (Deputy Sheriff);