This is a list of cases reported in volume 141 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1891.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 141 U.S.

The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court . . .". The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices. Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 Congress originally fixed the number of justices at six (one chief justice and five associate justices). Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices (always including one chief justice).

When the cases in volume 141 U.S. were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:

Portrait Justice Office Home State Succeeded Date confirmed by the Senate(Vote) Tenure on Supreme Court Melville Fuller Chief Justice Illinois Morrison Waite (41–20) –July 4, 1910(Died) Stephen Johnson Field Associate Justice California newly created seat (Acclamation)–December 1, 1897(Retired) Joseph P. Bradley Associate Justice New Jersey newly created seat (46–9) –January 22, 1892(Died) John Marshall Harlan Associate Justice Kentucky David Davis (Acclamation) –October 14, 1911(Died) Horace Gray Associate Justice Massachusetts Nathan Clifford (51–5) –September 15, 1902(Died) Samuel Blatchford Associate Justice New York Ward Hunt (Acclamation) –July 7, 1893(Died) Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar Associate Justice Mississippi William Burnham Woods (32–28) –January 23, 1893(Died) David Josiah Brewer Associate Justice Kansas Stanley Matthews (53–11) –March 28, 1910(Died) Henry Billings Brown Associate Justice Michigan Samuel Freeman Miller (Acclamation) –May 28, 1906(Retired)

Notable court cases Marshall v. Holmes In Marshall v. Holmes, 141 U.S. 589 (1891), the Supreme Court held it unconscionable to allow a state court's decision to stand that had been based on documents later exposed as forgeries. It permitted a federal case seeking to set that verdict aside to go forward. Other courts noted shortly afterwards that the invocation of unconscionability seemed to conflict with the Court's holding 13 years earlier in United States v. Throckmorton that equitable relief could not be granted in cases of intrinsic fraud. The Court was asked later in Graver v. Faurot to reconcile the two cases, but declined. As of the early 21st century this issue remains unresolved; some state courts and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals have held that Marshall overruled Throckmorton while others have reaffirmed the latter case.

Citation style

Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate (from the US District Courts) jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited original jurisdiction (i.e., in which cases could be filed directly with the Supreme Court without first having been heard by a lower federal or state court). There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.

The Judiciary Act of 1891 created the United States Courts of Appeals and reassigned the jurisdiction of most routine appeals from the district and circuit courts to these appellate courts. The Act created nine new courts that were originally known as the "United States Circuit Courts of Appeals." The new courts had jurisdiction over most appeals of lower court decisions. The Supreme Court could review either legal issues that a court of appeals certified or decisions of court of appeals by writ of certiorari. The change resulted in an immediate reduction in the Supreme Court's workload (from 623 cases filed in 1890 to 379 in 1891 and 275 in 1892).

Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions. "# Cir." = United States Court of Appeals e.g., "3d Cir." = United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit "C.C.D." = United States Circuit Court for the District of . . . e.g.,"C.C.D.N.J." = United States Circuit Court for the District of New Jersey "D." = United States District Court for the District of . . . e.g.,"D. Mass." = United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts "E." = Eastern; "M." = Middle; "N." = Northern; "S." = Southern; "W." = Western e.g.,"C.C.S.D.N.Y." = United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York e.g.,"M.D. Ala." = United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama "Ct. Cl." = United States Court of Claims The abbreviation of a state's name alone indicates the highest appellate court in that state's judiciary at the time. e.g.,"Pa." = Supreme Court of Pennsylvania e.g.,"Me." = Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

List of cases

Case Name Page and year Opinion of the Court Concurring opinion(s) Dissenting opinion(s) Lower Court Disposition In re Garnett 1 (1891) Bradley none none S.D. Ga. prohibition denied Pullman's Palace Car Company v. Pennsylvania 18 (1891) Gray none Bradley Pa. affirmed Pullman's Palace Car Company v. Hayward 36 (1891) Gray none none C.C.D. Kan. affirmed Massachusetts v. Western Union Telegraph Company 40 (1891) Gray none none C.C.D. Mass. reversed Crutcher v. Kentucky 47 (1891) Bradley none none Ky. reversed Voight v. Wright 62 (1891) Bradley none none Va. Corp. Ct. reversed Stein v. Bienville Water Supply Company 67 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.S.D. Ala. affirmed Parker v. Ormsby 81 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.D. Neb. reversed Carpenter v. Strange 87 (1891) Fuller none none Tenn. reversed Evans v. State Bank 107 (1891) Fuller none none C.C.E.D. La. affirmed In re Mayfield 107 (1891) Brown none none W.D. Ark. habeas corpus granted Reynolds v. Burns 117 (1891) Brown none none C.C.E.D. Ark. dismissed Denny v. Pironi 121 (1891) Brown none none C.C.N.D. Tex. reversed St. Louis and San Francisco Railway Company v. McBride 127 (1891) Brewer none none C.C.W.D. Ark. affirmed Briggs v. Spaulding 132 (1891) Fuller none Gray C.C.N.D.N.Y. affirmed McAllister v. United States 174 (1891) Harlan none Field Ct. Cl. affirmed Wingard v. United States 201 (1891) Harlan none Field Ct. Cl. affirmed Gorman v. Havird 206 (1891) Brown none none Sup. Ct. Terr. Idaho dismissed Caldwell v. Texas 209 (1891) Fuller none none Tex. Civ. App. dismissed United States v. Griffith 212 (1891) Fuller none none Ct. Cl. dismissed Schutz v. Jordan 213 (1891) Brewer none none C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed Gregory Consolidated Mining Company v. Starr 222 (1891) Brewer none none Sup. Ct. Terr. Mont. multiple Pacific National Bank v. Eaton 227 (1891) Bradley none none Mass. reversed Thayer v. Butler 234 (1891) Bradley none none C.C.D. Mass. affirmed Butler v. Eaton 240 (1891) Bradley none none C.C.D. Mass. reversed Tuskaloosa Northern Railway Company v. Gude 244 (1891) per curiam none none C.C.N.D. Ala. dismissed Williams v. Passumpsic Savings Bank 249 (1891) Fuller none none C.C.N.D. Fla. dismissed Union Pacific Railroad Company v. Botsford 250 (1891) Gray none Brewer C.C.D. Ind. affirmed Griswold v. Hazard 260 (1891) Harlan none Brewer C.C.D.R.I. multiple Potter v. Couch 296 (1891) Gray none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed In re Green 325 (1891) Field none none Colo. mandamus denied McNulta v. Lochridge 327 (1891) Brown none none Ill. affirmed Magowan v. New York Belting and Packing Company 332 (1891) Blatchford none none C.C.D.N.J. affirmed Gage v. Bani 344 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed United States v. Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company 358 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.D. Kan. reversed Fowler v. Equitable Trust Company I 384 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.S.D. Ill. reversed Fowler v. Equitable Trust Company II 408 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.S.D. Ill. reversed Fowler v. Equitable Trust Company III 411 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.S.D. Ill. affirmed Hickman v. City of Ft. Scott 415 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.D. Kan. affirmed McClain v. Ortmayer 419 (1891) Brown none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed McLean v. Clapp 429 (1891) Brewer none none C.C.N.D. Ill. affirmed Kneeland v. Luce I 437 (1891) Brewer none none C.C.D. Ind. affirmed Crosby Steam Gage and Valve Company v. Consolidated Safety Valve Company 441 (1891) Blatchford none none C.C.D. Mass. affirmed McCreary v. Pennsylvania Canal Company 459 (1891) Brown none none C.C.E.D. Pa. affirmed American Net and Twine Company v. Worthington 468 (1891) Brown none none C.C.D. Mass. reversed Leadville Coal Company v. McCreery 475 (1891) Brewer none none C.C.N.D. Ohio affirmed Davis v. Patrick 479 (1891) Brewer none none C.C.D. Neb. affirmed Kneeland v. Luce II 491 (1891) Blatchford none none C.C.D. Ind. multiple Seitz v. Brewers' Refrigerating Machine Company 510 (1891) Fuller none none C.C.E.D.N.Y. affirmed Metropolitan National Bank v. Claggett 520 (1891) Lamar none none N.Y. Sup. Ct. affirmed Cross v. Allen 528 (1891) Lamar none none C.C.D. Or. affirmed Adams v. Bellaire Stamping Company 539 (1891) Field none none C.C.S.D. Ohio affirmed Olcott v. Headrick 543 (1891) Blatchford none none C.C.E.D. Tenn. affirmed Rogers v. United States 548 (1891) Blatchford none none C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed Rector v. Lipscomb 557 (1891) Brewer none none C.C.E.D. Ark. dismissed Patent Clothing Company, Ltd. v. Glover 560 (1891) Brewer none none C.C.S.D.N.Y. affirmed Fire Insurance Association, Ltd. v. Wickham 564 (1891) Brown none none C.C.E.D. Mich. affirmed In re Lau Ow Bew 583 (1891) Fuller none none 9th Cir. certiorari granted Marshall v. Holmes 589 (1891) Harlan none none La. Ct. App. reversed Johnson v. St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway Company 602 (1891) Blatchford none Lamar C.C.E.D. Ark. multiple Moline Plow Company v. Webb 616 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.W.D. Tex. reversed Willcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine Company v. Ewing 627 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.E.D. Pa. reversed Craig v. Continental Insurance Company 638 (1891) Blatchford none none C.C.E.D. Mich. affirmed Thompson v. Barer 648 (1891) Harlan none none C.C.N.D. Tex. affirmed Smyth v. New Orleans Canal and Banking Company 656 (1891) Field none none C.C.E.D. La. affirmed McLish v. Roff 661 (1891) Lamar none none U.S. Ct. Indian Terr. dismissed Ferry v. King County I 668 (1891) Fuller none none Wash. dismissed Ferry v. King County II 673 (1891) Fuller none none Wash. dismissed Myers v. Groom Shovel Company 674 (1891) Fuller none none C.C.W.D. Pa. affirmed Henderson Bridge Company v. City of Henderson 679 (1891) Blatchford none none Ky. dismissed Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway Company v. Roberts 690 (1891) Lamar none none C.C.D. Minn. dismissed Singer Manufacturing Company v. Wright 696 (1891) Field none none C.C.N.D. Ga. dismissed

Notes and references

External links Case reports in volume 141 from Library of Congress Case reports in volume 141 from Court Listener Case reports in volume 141 from the Caselaw Access Project of Harvard Law School Case reports in volume 141 from Google Scholar Case reports in volume 141 from Justia Case reports in volume 141 from Open Jurist Website of the United States Supreme Court United States Courts website about the Supreme Court National Archives, Records of the Supreme Court of the United States American Bar Association, How Does the Supreme Court Work? The Supreme Court Historical Society