In the District Court of the First Judicial District of Washington Territory holding terms at Walla Walla city for the Counties of Walla Walla and Columbia
Joseph Wells Plaintiff vs William A Church & Martha Church Defendant
The Plaintiff complaining of the Defendants shows to the court the following facts to suit
1st that at the times hereafter named Maty Wells was his lawful wife and that this plaintiff with his said wife resided and kept horses in Columbia County Washington Territory, at which place the Plff has continued to reside and at which county the Defts then and now reside
2 That on the 26th day of June 1877 said defendants at the county aforesaid wrongfully forcibly and against the will of the Plff and against the will of his wife Maty took and carried her from the house of the Plff to the house of the Defts in said County where they have ever since forcibly and by threats of violence to her person restrained him of her her liberty and will not permit the Plfft to speak to, nor see his said wife
3 That the pretended cause of the illegal restraint of his said wife of her liberty is [?] at the Plff but[?] the Plaintiff says that he is informed and believes that his said wife is very anxious to come to him and that the real reason why the Defts restrained his said wife of her liberty is that the said William A Church may have an opportunity to violate her chastity which he has attempted to do Wherefore the Plff prays that a writ of Habeas corpus be issued forthwith and that the Defts be required to bring into the court forwith the said Maty Wells that they may be dealt with according to law and the said Maty set at liberty and for his costs and disbursement and for general relif
J H Laseter
Pltts Atty
