Category: Marriage

Over on Google Books, I located the following story of Ollie Roberson in a 1915 publication titled “The Lawyers Reports.” It is a listing of court cases from across the country.  The entire book is freely available and can be downloaded as a PDF.

On page 691 begins a description of Nevada vs. Ex Parte George Oliver Roberson for “extradition — abandonment of wife– act not within jurisdiction.”  The legal proceeding was for a writ of habeus corpus to secure his release from custody after being taken in on an extradition warrant.  The application was filed June 5, 1915.  Roberson stated that he was unlawfully imprisoned by two Nevada policeman and Sheriff J.C. Crawford of Martin County, NC Sheriff Crawford was there to pick him up as a Martin County jury had determined that in 1913 “Ollie” unlawfully and willfully abandoned his wife, Lucy, and their child.

However, Lucy testified that the marriage never really worked out and they’d both made plans to leave each other apparently.   She testified that they were married the morning of June 30, 1913 in Martin County. That same day, the took the train to Raleigh where they lived together until December 17, 1913.  On that day, Ollie went to Hamlet NC and the next day Lucy returned back home to her parents.  Lucy testified that her mother had sent her money a week before Ollie left because it was her intention to return home, and Ollie had secured a physician for her since she was expecting a child.  Ollie would end up in Nevada for school where he was enrolled as a student.  Both were young during all this, the report stating that Ollie was a minor when they married.

The writ was issued.  Check out the report – it’s quite interesting.