Case Summary

On February 2nd, 1887, Nancy O'Brien took her son, Harry O'Brien, away from their home in Fremont, Nebraska, without the knowledge of Samuel O'Brien, Nancy's husband and Harry's father. Nancy and Harry O'Brien travel to the Dakota territory and then to the territory of Washington. On July 9th, 1887, Samuel O'Brien filed a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of his son in the territory of Washington. On July 12th, 1887, Sheriff James Glispin brought Harry O'Brien to court on orders from Judge George Turner. Judge Turner then ruled in favor of Samuel O'Brien and handed custody of Harry O'Brien over to him.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Interpersonal

Petition subtype(s)

• Child custody

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

New custody arrangement reached

Case Citation

Spokane County Government; Clerk, Territorial Case Files, 1879-1889, No. 1993.5

Source material(s)

Case File

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Repository(s)

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

State

• Washington

People

• O'Brien, Samuel (petitioner)
• O'Brien, Nancy (respondent)
• O'Brien, Nancy (holding party)
• O'Brien, Harry (bound party)
• Turner, W. W. D. (petitioner attorney)
• Forster, George M. (petitioner attorney)
• McBrown, A. K. (respondent attorney)
• Turner, George M. (judge)

• Additional parties

  Glispin, James (sheriff)

  Duncan, A. J. (deputy);