Pierce v. Creecy

This is an appeal directly to this court from a judgment of the circuit court upon a writ of habeas corpus, remanding the petitioner, now appellant, to the custody of the respondent, now appellee. The petition for the writ of habeas corpus alleges that the petitioner was 'imprisoned, detained, confined, and restrained of his liberty, at the city of St Louis, within the district aforesaid, by Edmund P. Creecy, the chief of police of said city of St. Louis, in violation of the laws and Constitution of the United States.' There is no dispute about the facts, which, as they appear in the petition and the return, are as follows. The governor of the state of Texas made a requisition upon the governor of the state of Missouri, which is as follows:

To the Governor of the State of Missouri:

Whereas, it appears by the annexed documents, which are     hereby certified to be authentic, that H. Clay Pierce stands      charged with false swearing, committed in the state of Texas,      and information having been received that the said H. Clay      Pierce has fled from justice and has taken refuge in      Missouri.