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Cases
Habeas petitions described a broad range of carceral, institutional, and interpersonal confinement over the long nineteenth century, including those used to demand due process, resist enslavement, challenge child removal and reservation confinement, avoid deportation, present child custody claims and protest child marriage, and to challenge institutionalization and detention in private and state institutions. As a legal mechanism borrowed from British common law and guaranteed as a civil right in US federal and state constitutions, habeas provides a lens on a diverse community of legal actors.
Our encoding practice allows us to identify petitions in these three categories and to indicate where those categories overlap. In addition to these three general categories, our team has identified the specific carceral charge being challenged as well as the particular forms of institutional and interpersonal confinements being questioned.
You may also browse or search petitions by location and/or jurisdiction to learn more about the myriad complaints petitioners brought before judges in Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington between 1812 and 1924. Each case entry includes a full citation, a summary, links to people with a role in the case, a list of other people named, and any sites of significance. Visitors wanting access to full case files can contact the cited repository for information about obtaining copies. Those without institutional affiliations may request image scans from Dr. Jagodinsky directly. The Glossary defines the attributes used to structure data from the habeas petitions. The Code Book explains the relational structure of the data and functionality of the database website.
Featured story: The Habeas Corpus and Divorce Proceedings of Katie Mayes
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State
- Washington 18
- Nebraska 6
Petition Subtype
- Interpersonal: child custody 4
- Carceral: cause unspecified 2
- Carceral: desertion 2
- Institutional: child custody 2
- Institutional: underage military enlistment 2
- Carceral 1
- Carceral: being in possession of stolen goods 1
- Carceral: embezzlement 1
- Carceral: false pretenses 1
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- Carceral: larceny 1
- Carceral: living with a prostitution 1
- Carceral: obtaining money under false pretenses 1
- Carceral: prostitution 1
- Carceral: public charge 1
- Carceral: unlawfully collecting and removing garbage, ashes, filth, and other refuse matter without a contract 1
- Carceral: wrongful imprisonment 1
- Institutional: immigration 1
- Interpersonal: divorce 1
- Interpersonal: kidnapping 1
Sex of Bound Party
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- Female 9
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Age of Bound Party
- Adult 10
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Race of Bound Party
- Unindicated 21
- Chinese 1
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Court Name
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- Douglas County District Court (Omaha Nebraska) 3
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Repository
- Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch (Bellevue, Washington) 15
- History Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska) 4
- Douglas County District Court (Omaha, Nebraska) 3
- National Archives and Records Administration, Seattle Branch, Washington (Seattle, WA) (Seattle, Washington) 3
- National Archives and Records Administration, Kansas City (Kansas City, Kansas) 2
Points of Law Cited
- 103rd article of War 1
- 104th Article of War 1
- 47th Article of War 1
- 48th Article of War 1
- Act of April 11, 1890, General Statutes, Vol. 26, p. 54 1
- Carter v. McClaughry, 183 U.S. 365 1
- Carter v. Roberts, 177 U.S. 496 1
- Commonwealth v. Cushing, 11 Mass. 67 1
- Commonwealth v. Downer, 24 Peck 227 1
- Commonwealth v. Fox, 7 Pa. St. 336 1
- Ex parte Ortez, 100 Fed. 95 1
- Ex parte Schnied, 1 Dill. 587 1
- Exparte Anderson, 16 Iowa 1
- Fok Young Yo v. United States, 185 US 296, 305 1
- Hartman v. Hartman, 59 Ill. 57 1
- Hijo v. United States, 194 U.S. 315 1
- Immigration Act of March 3, 1891 (26 Stats. 1086); Nishimura Ekiu v. United States, 142 US 651, 660 1
- In re Baker, 23 Fed. Rep. 30 1
- In Re Bogart, 2 Sawyer, 396, Fed. Cases 1596 1
- In Re Broady, 128 Fed. 665 1
- In re Chapman, 37 Fed. Rep. 327 1
- In re Collin, 25 How. Pr. 157 1
- In Re Davidson, 21 Fed. 618 1
- In re Doyle, 18 Fed. Rep. 369 1
- In re Grimby, 187 U.S. 147 1
- In re Hope, 15 Fed. Rep. 259 1
- In re McNulty, 2 Lowell 270 1
- In re Morrissey, 137 Ill. 57 1
- In re Sheegre, 3 Mackey 323 1
- In re Webb, 24 How. Pr. 247 1
- In Re White, 17 Fed. 723 1
- Johnson v. United States, 3 McLean 89, Fed. Cases 7418 1
- Kelley v. Sprout, 97 Mass. 169 1
- Kurtz v. Moffitt, 115 US, 487; Burrus case, 136 U.S. 586; King V. McLean Asylum, 64 Fed. Rep. 331; Wisconsin v. Pelican Insurance Co. 127 U.S. 265-300 1
- Lem Moon Sing v. United States, 158 US 538 1
- Ordinance 4462 of the City of Omaha, Sections 1, 3, & 11 1
- re: Cosenow, 37 Federal Reporter, 668; re: Dowd, 90 Federal Reporter, 718 1
- re: Dohrendorf, et al. 40 Federal Reporter, 148 1
- re: Kaufman, 41 Federal Report, 876 1
- Refers to Barry v. Mercein, 5 How., 118 1
- S.E. H US Reporter 54 1
- Section 1342, Revised Statutes of the United States 1
- Section 1418 of the 1878 Revised Statutes of the United States 1
- Section 1419 of the 1878 Revised Statutes of the United States 1
- Section 1624 of the 1878 Revised Statutes of the United States 1
- Section 751 of the 1878 Revised Statutes of the United States 1
- Section 752 of the 1878 Revised Statutes of the United States 1
- Section 753 of the 1878 Revised Statutes of the United States 1
- The Japanese Immigrant Case 189, US 86 1
- unnamed case, 24 Fed. Rep. 13 1
- unnamed case, 87 Fed. Rep. 319 1
- unnamed case, 89 Fed. Rep. 150 1
- unnamed case, 90 Fed. Rep. 717 1
- U.S. ex rel Wagner, Nebraska 1
- U.S. v. Cook, 17 Wall. 168 1
- U.S. v. Stuart, Crabbe 265 1
- Vance v. Vance, 108 U.S. 514 1
People
- Tallman, Boyd J. 8
- Koepfli, C. A. (Clerk) 7
- Bell, William R. 5
- Cudihee, Edward (Cudahee) 5
- Broadwell, Frank A. (clerk) 3
- Delaney, Thomas R. 3
- Hanford, Cornelius Holgate 3
- Smith, Everett 3
- Brown, Harrison D. 2
- Cunningham, W. G. (deputy) 2
- Cushman, Edward E. 2
- Day, George A. 2
- Gordon, John B. 2
- Griffin, Arthur E. 2
- Grossmann, John H. (deputy) 2
- Hoyt, R. C. (clerk) 2
- Mathews, T. L. (U.S. marshal) 2
- Munger, William H. 2
- Oy, Ah (Loy Sen) 2
- Plimpton, C. E. (Deputy Clerk) 2
- Power, John (sheriff) 2
- Koepfli, C. A. (Clerk) 1
- Abbott, Lyle I. 1
- Adams, H.C. (Complainant) Brown, Stewart (Witness) Mason, Alfred (Witness) Koepfli, C. A. (Clerk) Plimpton, C. E. (Deputy County Clerk) Brewster, J. W. (Deputy Clerk) 1
- Agnew, James P. (Notary) 1
- Allen, Charles C. (court-martial member) 1
- Allen, J.H. 1
- Anderson, A.A. 1
- Angelique, M (Sister Superior M Angelique) 1
- Ayres, A. R. (Clerk of District Court) 1
- Baker, Pruitt (Alleged Kidnapped Child). 1
- Baxter, Irving F. 1
- Beach, H. C. 1
- Bell, R. A. (Judge who ruled in original custody case) 1
- Berg, Anna 1
- Berg, Robert 1
- Bethel, W. A. 1
- Bettlet, W. A. (Major and Judge Advocate, U.S. Army) 1
- Bevington, Ella 1
- Black, Andrew R. 1
- Branson, Z. S. (sheriff) 1
- Briggs, John 1
- Brown, J. W. (Deputy Clerk) 1
- Burgner, Joshua D. (notary public) 1
- Burkett, E. J. (U.S. congressman) 1
- Casking, M. H. (Deputy Clerk) 1
- Chandler, Louis B. (court-martial member) 1
- Chapman, Samuel M. 1
- Clapp, Charles S. (surety) 1
- Clark, Byron 1
- Clifford, Peter 1
- Combs, Henry 1
- Combs, James G. 1
- Combs, Thomas 1
- Congoon, George C. 1
- Conover, D. C. 1
- Cook, Henry 1
- Corbin, Frank 1
- Corbin, Jerome C. 1
- Coreoram, William (Deputy Sheriff) 1
- Cowing, Mary 1
- Cowing, Warren B. (Junior) 1
- Cowing, Warren B. (Senior) 1
- Crawford, Bryce (police judge) 1
- Cummins, Albert B. (Governor of Iowa) 1
- Dahl, A.H. (Notary Public); Koepfli, C.A. (Clerk) 1
- Day, Francies R. 1
- Deles Dernier, Chester 1
- Deles Dernier, Gertrude I. 1
- Deles Dernier, William 1
- Dickinson, Charles T. 1
- Dickson, A. B. (surety) 1
- Doane, William G. 1
- Doe, John 1
- Dunn, Ignatius J. 1
- Emerson, R.W. 1
- Emory, George Meade 1
- Estelle, Lee S. 1
- Finney, Sean (Witness) 1
- Fowler, James M. 1
- Frye, Jesse 1
- Fuller, D. W. (Justice of the Peace) 1
- Fuller, Melville (Chief Justice of U.S. Circuit Court) 1
- G., E. Heister (Notary Public) 1
- Gabriel, Ben 1
- Garfield, James 1
- Gill, Hiram C. 1
- Gustapen, Ernest L. (notary public) 1
- Harris, W. H. 1
- Hatch, George C. 1
- Hawkins, E. K. 1
- Hoagland, Henry V. 1
- Hohr, Louis H. (U.S. Army recruiter) 1
- Homan, H. A. (deputy U.S. marshal) 1
- Hossfeld, Henry (court-martial member) 1
- Howard, A. E. 1
- Hubbard, W.C. (Police Officer); Leighton, George (Police Officer) Looker, P.P. (Police Officer) Dennings, Henry (Notary Public) Corcoran, William (Chief Deputy) Koepfli, C.A. (Clerk) Plimpton, C.E. (deputy Clerk) Hawkins, J.E. (Notary Public) Brewster, J. W. (Deputy Clerk) 1
- Hughes, P. D. 1
- Humes, 1
- Huston, J. F. 1
24 results
Download JSON Download CSVIn the matter of the Application of Henry Combs for a writ of Habeas Corpus for Thomas Combs and Charles Ross
- Earliest record date: April 9, 1901
- Petition type(s): Carceral: unlawfully collecting and removing garbage, ashes, filth, and other refuse matter without a contract
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the application of Yvonne LeFevre, Marie LeFevre, and Georgette Normand for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: February 11, 1903
- Petition type(s): Carceral: immigration | Carceral: prostitution | Carceral: public charge | Institutional: immigration
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Released on bail | deported | jumped bail
In the matter of Jerome C. Corbin for the Writ of Habeas Corpus of Frank E. Corbin, a minor.
- Earliest record date: November 30, 1903
- Petition type(s): Institutional: underage military enlistment
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the application of Howard L. Rucker for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: January 21, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: false pretenses
- Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
- Fate of bound party: Released on bail
In the matter of the Application of Anna Berg et al for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Wasgreu
- Earliest record date: October 26, 1903
- Petition type(s): Institutional: child custody
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In re application of William Deles Dernier and Gertrude I. Deles Dernier for writ of habeas corpus of Chester Deles Dernier
- Earliest record date: February 4, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: desertion | Institutional: underage military enlistment
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the petition of Ida King for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: April 2, 1903
- Petition type(s): Carceral: larceny
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the Application of Ella Bevington Habeas Corpus of F. R. Day
- Earliest record date: April 12, 1904
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: kidnapping
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the Application of Josie Martin in Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: April 27, 1904
- Petition type(s): Institutional: child custody
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the application of Henry Cook for a writ of Habeas Corpus for and on behalf of James Garfield
- Earliest record date: May 16, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: wrongful imprisonment
- Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
Peter A. Clifford, Petitioner, vs. Herbert O. Williams and Grace E. Williams, Respondents in Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: January 19, 1904
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
- Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the Application of O. J. Watkins for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: June 11, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: obtaining money under false pretenses
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the Petition of Ben Gabriel for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: May 31, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: being in possession of stolen goods
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the Application of W. H. Harris for Writ Habeas Corp.
- Earliest record date: July 13, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: living with a prostitution
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the Application of Ah Oy, alias Loy Sen for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 14, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: embezzlement
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the Application of Ah Oy, alias Loy Sen for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 14, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the Application of B. C. McCormick for Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 16, 1904
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the Matter of the Application of Richard Townsend, by his Attorneys, McDonald & Woodland, for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: September 2, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: desertion
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the Application of James O'Donnell for writ Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: September 2, 1904
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: divorce | Carceral
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the Application of John King for writ Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: September 15, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: kidnapping
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the Application of Gideon W. Morley for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: September 20, 1904
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the Matter of the Application for Writ Habeas Corpus W. B. Cowing Jr.
- Earliest record date: November 14, 1904
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the Matter of the Application of W. J. Irwin for writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: November 19, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: grand larceny
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the Matter of the Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus for ___ Kramer whose first name is unknown, and __ Standish, first name unknown by A. E. Howard
- Earliest record date: February 6, 1904
- Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
- Petition outcome: Writ dismissed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
