Case Summary

Warren and Mary Cowing divorced in 1903. During their divorce, Mary allegedly relinquished her parental rights to their son, William Cowing. The following year, Warren gave Mary an opportunity to see her son out of “sympathy and respect for her feelings.” Following this opportunity, Mary refused to return William to Warren. In his petition, Warren stated that Mary was a “drunkard” and “a woman of loose morals.” Judge Tallman granted Warren a writ of habeas corpus on November 13, 1904. In a newspaper article about the case, Mary denied Warren’s claims. She proceeded to say, “I will never give the boy up, and if he gets him back, he will have to take him over my dead body.” Newspaper coverage of the case reported that William and Mary were located in California a week later. 

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Interpersonal

Petition subtype(s)

• Child custody

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

Unknown

Case Citation

King County Government, Judicial Records, Superior Court, Case No. 45099

Source material(s)

Case File

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Repository(s)

• Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch (Bellevue, Washington)

State

• Washington

People

• Tallman, Boyd J. (judge)
• Cowing, Warren (petitioner)
• Cowing, William B. (bound party)
• Cowing, Mary (respondent)
• Cowing, Mary (responding party)
• Cowing, Mary (holding party)
• Allen, J.H. (petitioner attorney)

• Additional parties

  Koeffle, S.A (Clerk)