Garner v. Gordon

41 Ind. 92
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1872
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 41 Ind. 92 (Garner v. Gordon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garner v. Gordon, 41 Ind. 92 (Ind. 1872).

Opinion

Busicirk, J.

—Belle A. Gordon, the appellee, petitioned the judge of the Floyd Common Pleas Court, in vacation, for a writ of habeas corpus directed to Garner, the appellant, requiring him to bring before the judge, at chambers, Nellie A. Gordon, aged eleven years, and Mary E. Gordon, aged nine years, and show the cause of their detention.

The petition stated that the petitioner was lawfully married to Edwin Gordon, and that she had two children by him, who are now living, to wit, Nellie A. Gordon, aged eleven years, and Mary E. Gordon, aged nine years; that on the 8th day of August, 1863, her said husband departed this life, leaving said children in the care of the petitioner, as their mother; that she is now, and has been ever since the death of her said husband, a widow, and that she is entitled to the care and custody of her said children, as their mother, their father being dead, as above stated; but said children are detained and kept from her by one Lewis L. Garner, in the city of New Albany, Floyd county, State of Indiana, with whom said children are now living; and said Garner refuses to permit her to take or remove them from his house, or to even permit said children to go on the street with her; and when said petitioner had called at the house of said Garner to see her said children, she had been abused and ordered therefrom; that the said petitioner, with the means that said children have in their own right, and with what she can supply, is able and is perfectly willing to care for and support said children, and, therefore, claims the control of her said children, as of right; wherefore, etc.

A writ of habeas corpus was accordingly issued and made [94]*94returnable on the 18th day of July, 1871, at nine o’clock A. m., before the judge, at the court-house, in the city of New Albany, Indiana. The writ was returned executed, with the children named in custody.

Upon the return of the writ, the appellant filed his written application, supported by affidavit, asking ,for a change of venue from the said judge, upon the following grounds, viz.: first, because, as he believes, the Honorable Patrick PI. Jewett, the judge before whom said cause is pending, is and will be a material witness for him, said defendant, on the trial of said cause; and, second, because of the bias and prejudice of the said Honorable Patrick H. Jewett, the judge before whom said cause is pending, in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant in said cause. The motion was overruled, and the appellant excepted.

The appellant filed his written motion to quash the writ of habeas corpus upon the ground of the insufficiency of the petition, in this, that it does not allege that the said children were restrained of their liberty, and because there is no averment of the cause or pretence of such restraint; which motion the court overruled, and the appellant excepted.

The appellant then filed his verified return to the writ of habeas corpus, which was as follows:

“The defendant, Lewis L. Garner, for return to the wilt of habeas corpus herein issued, and to him directed, states on oath that he has and keeps the said Nellie A. Gordon and Mary E. Gordon, in said. petition and writ mentioned, in his custody and possession, under the authority and by the directions of Alfred W. Bently, who is, and. has been for three years, the guardian of their persons and estates, under the appointment of the said court of common pleas of Floyd county; who is a resident of the city of New Albany, in said county; and that, as such guardian, the said Alfred W. Bently, for the reasons hereinafter stated, is lawfully entitled to the custody of their persons, as against their mother, the plaintiff herein, who is now, and has been for more than a year last passed, a non-resident of the State [95]*95of Indiana, to wit, a resident of the State of Kentucky; that, the said Edwin Gordon, the father of said infants named in the petition, died at Floyd county, Indiana, in which county his estate is now in process of settlement; that said Nellie A. and Mary E. have always resided in this State and county, and that all the funds belonging to them are in the State of Indiana, and the county of Floyd. He further avers that said guardian, Alfred W. Bently, is the real party in interest herein, and this defendant solely acts under his direction and for him; and he further avers that if the custody of said children should be given to the petitioner, 'she intends to take them out of the jurisdiction of this court to the State of Kentucky. And the said defendant says that since the death of their father, the said Nellie A. Gordon and Mary E. Gordon have been nursed, taken care of, and provided for by this defendant and his wife, and have lived with and been treated by this defendant and his wife as their own children; that for years past the plaintiff has continuously treated her said children with coldness and neglect; that she has provided no home for them, and has now no home of her own to take them to; that she has neglected and abandoned her said children, even in sickness, and has ever manifested but little, if any, affection for them; that for years past she has wandered around from place to place, apparently unmindful of her said children, or of what would or might become of them; that on more than one occasion she has threatened to take the lives of her said children; that the plaintiff is, and has for years past been, a bawd and immoral woman, and has had, and now has, a notoriously bad reputation for chastity and-virtue; and, therefore, this defendant says that the plaintiff is not a suitable person to have the custody of the persons of the said children. And said children are now produced before the court.

“L. L. Garner.

“And the defendant, answering further, excepts to the sufficiency of the complaint herein, for the reason that the same does not aver that said children are restrained of their lib[96]*96erty, and there is no averment in said complaint of the cause or pretence on the part of the defendant, Lewis L. Garner, for such restraint, as required by the statute in such cases made and provided. Lewis L. Garner.”

And thereupon the said petitioner filed her exceptions to the return as follows:

“ First. The said Belle A. Gordon excepts to the sufficiency of that part of the return made by Lewis L. Garner to the writ of habeas corpus which alleges that said Garner has and keeps the said Nellie A. Gordon and Mary E. Gordon in his custody and possession under the authority and by the direction of one Alfred W. Bently, as appears and is alleged in the lines numbered from three to thirteen, inclusive, for the reason that said part of said return does not .state facts sufficient to constitute a legal excuse for the detention of said Nellie A. and Mary E. Gordon from the said Belle A. Gordon by the said Lewis L. Garner.

“Second. And the said Belle A. Gordon excepts to as much of said return as alleges that the said Nellie A. Gordon and Mary E. Gordon have been nursed, taken care of, and provided for by the said Garner and his wife, and have been treated by them as their own children, as set forth in lines of said return from fourteen to eighteen, inclusive, for the reason that the matters stated in said part of said return do not contain a legal excuse for the detention of said Nellie A. and Mary E. Gordon from the said Belle A. Gordon by said Lewis L. Garner,

“Third. The said Belle A. Gordon excepts to the sufficiency of so much of said return as alleges that the said Belle A.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Carey v. Carey
171 N.E.2d 487 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1961)
Dailey v. Dailey
149 N.E.2d 304 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1958)
Miller v. Trierweiler, Sheriff
108 N.E.2d 190 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1952)
State Ex Rel. Allen v. Fayette Circuit Court
81 N.E.2d 683 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1948)
Duckworth v. Duckworth
179 N.E. 773 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1932)
Harrison v. Harker
142 P. 716 (Utah Supreme Court, 1914)
Mahan v. Hendricks
99 N.E. 418 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1912)
Belch v. Manning
55 Fla. 229 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1908)
Willis v. Willis
75 N.E. 655 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1905)
Berkshire v. Caley
60 N.E. 696 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1901)
Schleuter v. Canatsy
47 N.E. 825 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1897)
Board of Children's Guardians v. Shutter
31 L.R.A. 740 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1893)
Dean v. State
29 N.E. 911 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1892)
Brooke v. Logan
13 N.E. 669 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1887)
Joab v. Sheets
99 Ind. 328 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Orr v. Miller
98 Ind. 436 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Milligan v. State ex rel. Children's Home
97 Ind. 355 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
McGlennan v. Margowski
90 Ind. 150 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1883)
McKenzie v. State ex rel. Dickinson
80 Ind. 547 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1881)
Farman v. Lauman
73 Ind. 568 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1881)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
41 Ind. 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garner-v-gordon-ind-1872.