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
Basic Search
Simply enter the word you wish to find and the search engine will search for every instance of the word in the journals. For example: Fight. All instances of the use of the word fight will show up on the results page.
Wildcard Searches
Using an asterisk (*) will increase the odds of finding the results you are seeking. For example: Fight*. The search results will display every instance of fight, fights, fighting, etc. More than one wildcard may be used. For example: *ricar*. This search will return most references to the Aricara tribe, including Ricara, Ricares, Aricaris, Ricaries, Ricaree, Ricareis, and Ricarra. Using a question mark (?) instead of an asterisk (*) will allow you to search for a single character. For example, r?n will find all instances of ran and run, but will not find rain or ruin.
Capitalization
Searches are not case sensitive. For example: george will come up with the same results as George.
Phrase Search
Searching for a specific phrase may help narrow down the results. Rather long phrases are no problem. For example: "This white pudding we all esteem".
Subsequent Searches
Because of the creative spellings used by the journalists, it may be necessary to try your search multiple times. For example: P?ro*. This search brings up numerous variant spellings of the French word pirogue, "a large dugout canoe or open boat." Searching for P?*r*og?* will bring up other variant spellings. Searching for canoe or boat also may be helpful.
Filter by:
State
- Nebraska 5
- Washington 5
- Oregon 1
Petition Subtype
- Interpersonal: child custody 4
- Carceral: accessory to polygamy 1
- Carceral: attempted murder 1
- Carceral: cause unspecified 1
- Carceral: disturbing the peace 1
- Carceral: hunting violation 1
- Carceral: immigration 1
- Carceral: making written threats 1
- Carceral: polygamy 1
- Carceral: prostitution 1
- Interpersonal: kidnapping 1
Court Name
- Douglas County District Court (Omaha Nebraska) 3
- Lancaster County District Court (Lincoln Nebraska) 2
- Second Judicial District Court For The Territory Of Washington (Tacoma Washington) 2
- First Judicial District Court For The Territory Of Washington (Colfax Washington) 1
- First Judicial District Of Washington District Court (Walla Walla Washington) 1
- Marion County Circuit Court (Salem Oregon) 1
- Us District Court For The Western District Of Washington (Seattle Washington) 1
Repository
- History Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska) 5
- Washington State Archives, Eastern Regional Branch (Cheney, WA) (Cheney, Washington) 2
- Washington State Archives, Southwest Regional Branch (Olympia, WA) (Olympia, Washington) 2
- Douglas County District Court (Omaha, Nebraska) 1
- National Archives and Records Administration, Seattle Branch, Washington (Seattle, WA) (Seattle, Washington) 1
- Oregon State Archives (Salem, Oregon) 1
Type of Source
- Case File 7
- Journal 5
- Docket 2
- Complete Record 1
- Index 1
Points of Law Cited
- Act of Congress, approved February 20, 1907, amended by the act Approved March 26th, 1910 White Slave Traffic Act An Act to regulate the immigration of aliens into the United States, approved March 3, 1903 1
- Section 128, 1873 Criminal Practice Act of Washington Territory 1
- Section 5352, Revised Statutes of the United States 1
- Section 711, Revised Statutes of the United States 1
People
- Billings, William 2
- Greene, Roger Sherman 2
- O’Brien, R. G. (Clerk) 2
- Pound, Stephen B. 2
- Wingard, Samuel C. 2
- Allen, Clay 1
- Allen, Frank Jr. (deputy) 1
- Allen, J. B. 1
- Allen, Joseph S. 1
- Ayers, A. Reeves (Clerk) 1
- Bedder, R. H. (clerk) 1
- Boise, Reuben Patrick 1
- Boubert, Anna (victim) 1
- Bowie, Charles W. 1
- Boyle, John M. (U. S. Marshal) 1
- Bradway, Maria M. 1
- Brents, Thomas N. 1
- Buckingham, E. H. 1
- Bunueistu, A. D. 1
- Carroll, Thomas (witness) 1
- Caton, Nathan Thomas (Caten) 1
- Chambers, Mary 1
- Church, Martha (Martha Wright) 1
- Church, William A. 1
- Clarkson, Joseph B. 1
- Connell, William J. 1
- Coye, L. Milford 1
- Crosby, Frank L. (clerk) 1
- Cushman, Edward E. 1
- Dachez, Henri (Henry Duchet/Chox) 1
- Dachez, Victor (Henri Dachez's father) 1
- Densmore, J. B. (acting secretary of Labor) 1
- Dobrin, Mark (Notary Public) 1
- Dow, Lorenzo 1
- Easterday, M. L. (notary public) 1
- Edes, George A. (clerk) 1
- Ellington, E. C. (deputy clerk) 1
- Estelle, Lee S. 1
- Fishburne, George P. 1
- Fisher, Thomas M. 1
- Foncin, Alfoncile (Henri Dachez's mother) 1
- Ford, Tilmon (attorney) 1
- Fritcher, Etta 1
- Fritcher, Jessie 1
- Fritcher, John 1
- Fuller, Edward B. 1
- Fulton, Alexander S. (immigrant inspector) 1
- Gannon, M. V. 1
- George, Wyatt A. 1
- Groff, Louis A. 1
- Harshberger, F. M. (deputy) 1
- Hendir, 1
- James, Galen T. 1
- Johnson, William 1
- Judson, John Paul 1
- Kane, Dan (witness) 1
- Lamb, Walter J. 1
- Laseter, James H. (Lasater) 1
- Lathrop, Clara 1
- Lathrop, Louis S. 1
- Lloyd, Wesley 1
- Lyons, Charles S. (notary public) 1
- Mason, Ed 1
- McAfee, J. W. (doctor) 1
- McClay, Samuel 1
- McClay, Samuel (sheriff) 1
- Minto, John W. 1
- Mitchell, Robert 1
- Montgomery, Edwina 1
- Montgomery, George Clarence 1
- Montgomery, Myra Bell 1
- Montgomery, Samuel F. 1
- Moore, Frank E. (clerk) 1
- Morris, George (judge) 1
- Neterer, Jeremiah 1
- Patterson, Nelle 1
- Patterson, Nelle (wife of petitioner) 1
- Philpot, James E. 1
- Redick, Charles R. 1
- Rosseter, George R. (merchant) 1
- Rosseter, J. H. (complainant) 1
- Rummin, M. (deputy clerk); 1
- Rutherford, G. A. 1
- Rutherford, S. A. (notary public) 1
- Sawyer, Andrew J. 1
- Seibert, John (Complainant) 1
- Seibert, Sarah Elizabeth 1
- Sickels, W. K. (county clerk) 1
- Smith, John Speed (Chief Naturalization Examiner) 1
- Smith, S. M. (merchant) 1
- Soverign, Frank D. 1
- Syas, George (temporary guardian during proceedings) 1
- Taylor, R. W. 1
- Thomas, George F. (Sheriff) 1
- Thompson, J. B. (Deputy) 1
- Weatherford, J. W. (druggist) 1
- Weaver, Frank L. 1
- Wells, Joseph 1
- Wells, Martha (Maty, Matty, Mattie) 1
- White, Henry M. 1
11 results
Download JSON Download CSVSamuel Montgomery v. Edwina Montgomery
- Earliest record date: May 30, 1877
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody | new custody arrangement reached
In the Matter of the Application of Frank D. Soverign in the Matter of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: June 22, 1877
- Petition type(s): Carceral: hunting violation
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the application of Etta Fritcher for writ of Habeas Corpus on behalf of Jessie Fritcher
- Earliest record date: July 11, 1877
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the Matter of the Application of Edward B. Fuller for a Writ of Habeas Corpus to Discharge Him from the Illegal Restraint by William Billings at the Jail of said County
- Earliest record date: June 13, 1877
- Petition type(s): Carceral: making written threats | Carceral: accessory to polygamy
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the petition of C. W. Zaeuker for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: September 18, 1877
- Petition type(s): Carceral: cause unspecified
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
Joseph Wells v. William A Church & Martha Church
- Earliest record date: November 25, 1877
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody | Interpersonal: kidnapping
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the Application of Sarah Elizabeth Seibert for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: December 28, 1877
- Petition type(s): Carceral: polygamy
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the application of Louis S. Lathrop for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: October 8, 1877
- Petition type(s): Interpersonal: child custody
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: New custody arrangement reached
In the matter of Henri Dachez on Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: September 14, 1877
- Petition type(s): Carceral: prostitution | Carceral: immigration
- Petition outcome: Writ denied | writ dismissed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the application of William Johnson for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: August 25, 1877
- Petition type(s): Carceral: disturbing the peace
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
State of Nebraska vs. Ed Mason
- Earliest record date: October 15, 1877
- Petition type(s): Carceral: attempted murder
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Released on bail
