Habeas Corpus of Theodore Mazzine for Martha Mazzine against Missionary Sisters of Sacred Heart

February 22, 1912 - April 10, 1912

Petitioned on February 22, 1912

Filed before the King County Superior Court (Seattle, Washington)

Case ID: hc.case.wa.1091

Case Summary

On February 22nd, 1912, Theodore Mazzine petitioned for the freedom of his 12 year old daughter, Martha Mazzine. Martha was taken a decade prior after the death of her mother by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, a convent and orphanage specifically serving Italians. According to witness testimonies, Theodore Mazzine and the convent came to the deal that Martha would be returned after a year. According to Theodore, he has since consistently asked for the return of Martha, culminating finally in this Habeas Corpus suit. The petition was granted on March 4th, 1912, and a date in court was set for March 18th, 1912. The next documentation is from April 9th, which includes 9 witnesses testifying on behalf of Theodore’s character as a man and father. The outcome of the case is unknown.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

Institutional

Petition subtype(s)

Child custody

Sites of significance

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

Unknown

Case Citation

King County Government, Judicial Records, Superior Court, Case No. 86263

Source material(s)

Case File

Length of case file

Between 21 and 30 pages

Repository(s)

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

State

Washington

Tag(s)

Children

People

Mazzine, Martha (bound party)
Mazzine, Theodore (petitioner)
Carsillo, Angeline (Sister Angelena) (responding party)
Carsillo, Angeline (Sister Angelena) (holding party)
Carsillo, Angeline (Sister Angelena) (respondent)
Rettagliata, Johanna (Mother Superior) (respondent)
Rettagliata, Johanna (Mother Superior) (responding party)
Rettagliata, Johanna (Mother Superior) (holding party)
Bush, N. W. (petitioner attorney)
Noon, Henry S. (petitioner attorney)
Frater, Archibald W. (judge)
Mazzine, Lena (interested party)
Mazzine, James (interested party)
Courigay, J. L. (respondent attorney)
Additional parties

Sickels, D. K. (Clerk); Hodge, Robert T. (Sheriff); Zimmerman, W. M. (Deputy); Portier, Arthur (Witness); Clark, Peter (Witness); Pfund, Flora (Witness); Stewart, Jean B. (Witness); Mazzine, Lena (Witness); Mazzine, James (Witness); Portier, Elise (Witness); Shannon, Ethel (Witness); German, B. F. (Witness); Phillips, J. M. (Witness); Taggart, R. E. (Notary Public) Pearsall, Dan (Notary Public)