Case Summary

On August 12, 1862, William Smith was found guilty of grand larceny, specifically, horse theft, by justice of the peace A. Dagget. He was put in jail in Walla Walla awaiting trial. The next day, he petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus against Walla Walla county sheriff James Buckley, claiming that there was no evidence to prove he commited the crime. He subpoenaed multiple witnesses on August 14, 1862. Buckley returned the writ of habeas corpus on August 15, stating that he produced Smith in front of judge E.P. Oliphant. The state also subpoenaed several witnesses on August 16, 1862. The outcome of the case is unknown.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Carceral

Petition subtype(s)

• Grand larceny

Outcome

Unknown

Fate of bound party

Unknown

Case Citation

Walla Walla County Government, Clerk, Territorial Court Criminal Case Files, 1860-1889, No. 579.

Source material(s)

Journal

Length of case file

Between 6 and 10 pages

Repository(s)

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

People

• Smith, William (petitioner)
• Smith, William (bound party)
• Oliphant, E.P. (Ethelbert Patterson Oliphant) (judge)
• Dagget, A. (authority ordering detention)
• Dagget, A. (justice of the peace)
• Buckley, James (respondent)
• Buckley, James (holding party)

• Additional parties

  Baily, Martin [witness]

  Buckley, James [sheriff]

  Cheroweth, F.A. [notary public]

  Dagget, A. [witness]

  Freeman, William L. [served subpoenas]

  Lilly, Norman [witness]

  Ousley, Henry [witness]

  Ping, Elisha [witness]

  Sexton, Bennet N. [clerk]

  Wells, John L. [witness]