In the matter of application of Sunny Luckey alias Charles Edwards for writ of Habeas Corpus
August 29, 1893
- January 1, 1893
Petitioned on December 26, 1893
Filed before the King County Superior Court (Seattle, Washington)
Case ID: hc.case.wa.0899
Case Summary
In May 1891, Sunny Luckey, who also went by the alias Charles Edwards, allegedly murdered Dickson Scott in the Coweta District of the Muskogee Nation(spelling taken directly from case documents), which was then referred to as Indian Territory. Shortly after the alleged murder, Luckey reportedly fled to Washington. Around December 13th, 1893 King County Sheriff James H. Woolery arrested Luckey.
On December 26th, 1893 Luckey’s wife, Sula Edwards, with his lawyer, C. A. Ridenour, filed a writ of habeas corpus on his behalf. In it they claimed that Luckey’s detainment was illegal because they believed no official court judgment put him there. Judge Richard Osborn allowed the petition on December 28th, 1893.
Woolrey produced documentation that the Indian Agent for the Muskogee Nation, O. B. White, and Judge Sam C. Davis of the Coweta District Court both requested that Luckey be brought back to Indian Territory to be tried there. Additionally, Woolrey produced a letter from Judge William Caldwell confirming Luckey’s original charges. Woolrey also showed that Caldwell issued a warrant for Luckey to be held in custody at least until January 13th, when Caldwell had intended to try him in his court.
Information from ancestry.com points to Luckey being held in Seattle and then released February 6th, 1894. Additionally, newspaper reporting from January 17th, 1894 states that his petition was “dismissed on motion of petitioner”. Luckey's fate beyond this is unknown.
