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.
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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.
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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
- Washington 17
Petition Subtype
- Carceral: drug use 5
- Carceral: immigration 4
- Carceral: opium use 2
- Carceral: assault and battery 1
- Carceral: assault with intent to kill 1
- Carceral: contempt of court 1
- Carceral: espionage act 1
- Carceral: malicious mayhem 1
- Carceral: Postal Theft 1
- Carceral: prostitution 1
- Carceral: running an opium den 1
- Carceral: selling and dealing narcotic drugs 1
- Carceral: tampering with witness(es) 1
- Carceral: treason 1
- Carceral: violation of liquor law(s) 1
- carceral: Violation of White Slave Traffic Act 1
Court Name
- Us District Court For The Western District Of Washington (Seattle Washington) 9
- Second Judicial District Court For The Territory Of Washington (Tacoma Washington) 5
- Pierce County Jail (Tacoma Washington) 1
- Third Judicial District Court For The Territory Of Washington (Seattle Washington) 1
- Us Circuit Court For The Western District Of Washington (Seattle Washington) 1
Points of Law Cited
- No Label 1
- 21 A E Page 1075 Note 4 1
- 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
- Article 5 Of The Constitution 2363 Rem Bal Code 52 Rem Bal Code State V Petit 74 Wash 510 State V Gaul 55 Wash 295 State V Petit 74 Wash 510 State V Gaul 44 Wash 295 State V Surry 23 Wash 655 State V Bringgold 40 Wash 12 State V Ewing 67 Wash 395 1
- Blitz V United States 38 L Ed 725 1
- Chapter 149 Of The Code Of Washington Territory (Year 1881) Section 2073 Of The Code Of Washington Territory 1
- Chinese Restriction Act 1
- Espionage Act Section 3 1
- Ex Parte Gifford 25 Nevada (57 Pac 484) 1
- Ex Parte Hunt 28 Texas App (13 Sw 145) 1
- Fotson Vs Elbert County 43 S E 492 (Georgia) 1
- Harrison Act 1
- Howard V Moyer 206 Fed 555 1
- Howard V United States 75 Fed 986 1
- Immigration Act Of 1907 1
- In Re Breton 93 Maine (44 Atl 125) 1
- Kirkman Vs Mclaughry 152 Federal P 2558 1
- Mann Act 1
- Myers V Morgan 224 Fed 413 1
- Section 1014 Of The Revised Statutes Of The United States Section 194 Of The Penal Code Of The United States 1
- Section 240 Of The Penal Code And Section 5 Of The Act Of March 3rd 1917 In Wa 1
- United States V Patterson 29 Fed 775 1
- Unites States V Peeke 153 Fed 166 1
- Us Vs Patterson 29 Federal P 775 1
- Us Vs Peeke 153 Federal P 166 1
- Vol 15 Fosters Federal Procedure 1741 1
- Vol 8 Ruling C L Section 242 1
People
- Cushman Edward E 6
- Boyle John M 4
- Crosby Frank L (Clerk) 5
- Neterer Jeremiah 5
- White Henry M 2
- Allen Clay 4
- Slomen Barney 2
- Smith Harry 2
- Jim 1
- Joe (Joe Chinaman) 1
- Sam 1
- Allyn Frank 2
- Arlington Mary 1
- Beeler J G 2
- Boyle John M (Us Marshal) 2
- Campbell Alex 1
- Dachez Henri (Henry Duchet/Chox) 1
- Falconer Raleigh M 1
- Fulmer Edwin O 1
- Helmore Charles M 1
- Him Ah 1
- Hing Sam 1
- Hoyt John Philo 2
- Jacoby Joseph R H 1
- Johnson Timothy (Tim) 1
- Kee Ah 1
- Kee Jim 1
- Longmire Robert E 2
- Martin Winter S 2
- Mcdonald Neil (Macdonald) 1
- Patterson James D 1
- Patterson W J 1
- Plastino Sam 1
- Price James H 1
- Ronald J T (Presiding Judge) 1
- Sam John 1
- Sing Ah 1
- Sock Ah (Lock) 1
- Sullivan John J 2
- Tait Albert 1
- Toda T 1
- Wingard W W 1
- (Gosney Tw) (Original Coplaintiff) 1
- Abimethy Jr A S (Notary) Arlington Henry (Husband Of Mary Arlington) Brotton M 1
- Allen Fannie (Surety) 1
- Allen Frank Jr (Deputy) 1
- Allen Wn N (Surety) 1
- Ayer H Reeves (Clerk) 1
- Ayres A Reeves (Clerk) 1
- Barclay Robert H 1
- Baron Helen (Female Minor In State V Plastino) 1
- Bass Dw (Notary Public) 1
- Beeks M T (Notary Public) 1
- Best J B (Justice Of The Peace) 1
- Boubert Anna (Victim) 1
- Boyle John H 1
- Boyle John M (U S Marshal) 1
- Bradley Henry E (Witness) 1
- Bradley Mrs H Esther (Witness) 1
- Brown Bowelur (Affiant) 1
- Brown Browder D (Former Counsel For Petitioner) 1
- Brown George M (Bondsman) 1
- Buckley (Store Owner And Witness) 1
- Bunueistu A D 1
- Byrd Lewis 1
- Cable Benjamin S 1
- Card E M (Judge For Bail Bond) 1
- Cardiff Goldie (Alleged Prostitute) 1
- Carney (Coroner) 1
- Carroll Thomas (Witness) 1
- Case C E (Suspect) 1
- Ceblast Lo (Deputy Clerk) 1
- Ced L O (County Clerk) 1
- Chan Ah 1
- Chang Jin 1
- Choey Nam 1
- Coiner B W (Notary Public) 1
- Collins Daniel (Coroner) 1
- Conway F R 1
- Corcoran Dominick (Witness) 1
- Coye L Milford 1
- Cramer Myron C (Deputy) 1
- Crochitt James S 1
- Crosby Frank L (Clerk) Beele Adam (Notary Public) 1
- Dachez Victor (Henri Dachezs Father) 1
- Davisson Ira S 1
- Debruler Ellis (Commissioner Of Immigration) 1
- Dechnish Charles F (Notary Public) 1
- Denning Henry (Notary Public) 1
- Densmore J B (Acting Secretary Of Labor) 1
- Desmond Thomas (Clerk) 1
- Ding Ou 1
- Dore John Francis 1
- Dow Lorenzo 1
- Dow Lorenzo (Former Counsel For Petitioner) 1
- Dutuil Frank S 1
- Ellington E C (Deputy Clerk) 1
- Ellington E C (Deputy) 1
- Ellis J (Jury) 1
- Emerson 1
17 results
Download JSON Download CSVJames Riley v. Egbert H. Tucker
- Earliest record date: April 18, 1861
- Petition type(s): Carceral: assault with intent to kill | Carceral: assault and battery | Carceral: malicious mayhem
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the application of Sam Hing, John Sam, Joe Chinaman, Jim Kee, Ah Kee, Ah Sing, Ah Him, all Chinamen,--and James D. Patterson for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 2, 1884
- Petition type(s): Carceral: opium use | Carceral: running an opium den
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the Application of Same, Sock, and Jim for Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: August 16, 1884
- Petition type(s): Carceral: drug use | Carceral: opium use
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
Territory of Washington v. Arlington and Johnson
- Earliest record date: January 23, 1885
- Petition type(s): Carceral: drug use
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the Matter of the Application of Ah Sing For a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: September 25, 1888
- Petition type(s): Carceral: immigration
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the Matter of the Application of Albert Tait for a Writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: August 12, 1889
- Petition type(s): Carceral: contempt of court
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the application T. Toda for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: January 13, 1913
- Petition type(s): Carceral: Postal Theft
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Custody transferred to third party
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
Harry Smith and Barney Slomen v. United States
- Earliest record date: July 1, 1916
- Petition type(s): Carceral: drug use
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
Harry Smith v. United States
- Earliest record date: July 1, 1916
- Petition type(s): Carceral: drug use
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
Charles M. Helmore v. United States
- Earliest record date: July 18, 1916
- Petition type(s): Carceral: drug use
- Petition outcome: Writ denied
- Fate of bound party: Remained in custody
In the matter of the application of Sam Plastino for a writ of habeas corpus
- Earliest record date: April 25, 1911
- Petition type(s): carceral: Violation of White Slave Traffic Act | Carceral: immigration
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the matter of the application for a writ of Habeas Corpus of W. W. Wingard
- Earliest record date: August 16, 1915
- Petition type(s): Carceral: tampering with witness(es)
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
In the Matter of the Petition of Neil MacDonald for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: April 15, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: espionage act | Carceral: treason
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the petition of Raleigh M. Falconer for a writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 5, 1918
- Petition type(s): Carceral: violation of liquor law(s)
- Petition outcome: Writ allowed
- Fate of bound party: Released from custody
United States of America v Aiken Salter
- Earliest record date: August 16, 1923
- Petition type(s): Carceral: selling and dealing narcotic drugs
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
In the matter of the application of Nam Choey and 12 other men for writ of Habeas Corpus
- Earliest record date: July 6, 1888
- Petition type(s): Carceral: immigration
- Petition outcome: Unknown
- Fate of bound party: Unknown
