List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 108


This is a list of cases reported in volume 108 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1882 and 1883.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 108 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. Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices.
When the cases in volume 108 U.S. were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
Morrison WaiteChief JusticeOhioSalmon P. Chase


March 23, 1888
Samuel Freeman MillerAssociate JusticeIowaPeter Vivian Daniel


October 13, 1890
Stephen Johnson FieldAssociate JusticeCalifornianewly created seat


December 1, 1897
Joseph P. BradleyAssociate JusticeNew Jerseynewly created seat


January 22, 1892
John Marshall HarlanAssociate JusticeKentuckyDavid Davis


October 14, 1911
William Burnham WoodsAssociate JusticeGeorgiaWilliam Strong


May 14, 1887
Stanley MatthewsAssociate JusticeOhioNoah Haynes Swayne


March 22, 1889
Horace GrayAssociate JusticeMassachusettsNathan Clifford


September 15, 1902
Samuel BlatchfordAssociate JusticeNew YorkWard Hunt


July 7, 1893

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 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. There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.
Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions.
Case NamePage & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinionDissenting opinionLower CourtDisposition
In re Amendments to Rules 1 & 10Waitenonenoneoriginalrules amended
Johnson v. WatersWaitenonenoneC.C.D. La.supersedeas denied
Lehigh Crane Iron Company v. HoaglandWaitenonenoneN.J. Sup. Ct.dismissal denied
Waples v. HaysWaitenonenoneC.C.D. La.affirmed
Bigelow v. ArmesWaitenonenoneSup. Ct. D.C.affirmed
Gray v. HoweWaitenonenoneSup. Ct. Terr. Utahaffirmed
Feibelman v. PackardWaitenonenoneC.C.D. La.dismissed
Woolf v. HamiltonWaitenonenoneSup. Ct. Terr. Utahdismissed
City of New Orleans v. New Orleans, Mobile and Texas Railroad CompanyWaitenonenoneC.C.D. La.continued
Mayer v. WalshWaitenonenoneC.C.S.D. Miss.continued
Chicago and Alton Railroad Company v. Wiggins Ferry CompanyWaitenonenoneC.C.E.D. Mo.affirmed
St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway v. Southern Exchange CompanyWaitenonenoneC.C.E.D. Mo.dismissal denied
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad Company v. DinsmoreWaitenonenoneC.C.D. Kan.certiorari granted
Stebbins v. DuncanWoodsnonenoneC.C.D. Ill.affirmed
Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance v. CushmanHarlannonenoneC.C.D. Ill.affirmed
Medsker v. BonebrakeMillernonenoneC.C.D. Ind.reversed
Stucky v. Masonic Savings BankMillernonenoneC.C.D. Ky.affirmed
New Hampshire v. LouisianaWaitenonenoneoriginaldismissed
The Nuestra Senora de ReglaWaitenonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Crossley v. City of New OrleansWaitenonenoneLa.dismissed
Merritt v. StephaniBlatchfordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Merritt v. ParkBlatchfordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
City of Ottawa v. CareyWaitenonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reversed
Arthur v. FoxWaitenonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Winchester v. LoudWaitenonenoneC.C.E.D. Mich.affirmed
Elliott v. SackettBlatchfordnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reversed
Ewell v. DaggsMatthewsnonenoneC.C.W.D. Tex.affirmed
The BelgenlandWaitenonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.mandamus denied
Shainwald v. LewisWaitenonenoneC.C.D. Nev.affirmed
Barton v. GeilerWaitenonenoneTenn.affirmed
Goldenberg v. MurphyWaitenonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Gage v. PumpellyWaitenonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.dismissal denied
Hilton v. DickinsonWaitenonenoneSup. Ct. D.C.dismissed
Ludloff v. United StatesBlatchfordnonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
City of Savannah v. KellyMatthewsnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ga.affirmed
City of Savannah v. MartinMatthewsnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ga.affirmed
United States v. Britton IWoodsnonenoneC.C.E.D. Mo.certification
United States v. Britton IIWoodsnonenoneC.C.E.D. Mo.certification
United States v. Britton IIIWoodsnonenoneC.C.E.D. Mo.certification
United States v. Britton IVper curiamnonenoneC.C.E.D. Mo.dismissed
Kirkbride v. Lafayette CountyHarlannonenoneC.C.W.D. Mo.reversed
St. Paul and Chicago Railway Company v. McLeanHarlannonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Manhattan Medicine Company v. WoodFieldnonenoneC.C.D. Me.affirmed
Memphis and Charleston Railroad Company v. United StatesWaitenonenoneC.C.W.D. Tenn.reversed
Ex parte NortonWaitenonenoneC.C.E.D. La.mandamus granted
District of Columbia v. Washington Market CompanyMatthewsnonenoneSup. Ct. D.C.affirmed
Wilkins v. EllettGraynonenoneC.C.W.D. Tenn.reversed
Hampton v. PhippsMatthewsnonenoneC.C.D.S.C.reversed
Basket v. HassellMatthewsnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.rehearing denied
Rountree v. SmithMillernonenoneC.C.W.D. Wis.affirmed
Little Miami and Columbus and Xenia Railroad Company v. United StatesWaitenonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioreversed
Wright v. United StatesWaitenonenoneC.C.M.D. Tenn.affirmed
Lewis v. City of ShreveportWaitenonenoneC.C.D. La.affirmed
Farlow v. KellyWaitenonenoneC.C.N.D. Ohioaffirmed
Ensminger v. PowersBlatchfordnonenoneC.C.W.D. Tenn.multiple
The Jesse Williamson, Jr.BlatchfordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.dismissed
Tutton v. VitiGraynonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.affirmed
Howard County v. Booneville Central National BankHarlannonenoneC.C.W.D. Mo.affirmed
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company v. Fifth Baptist ChurchFieldnonenoneSup. Ct. D.C.affirmed
United States v. AmbroseMillernonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohiocertification
The TornadoBlatchfordnonenoneC.C.D. La.affirmed
The ConnemaraGraynonenoneC.C.D. La.affirmed
Adriatic Fire Insurance Company v. TreadwellMatthewsnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Scruggs' Executor v. Memphis and Charleston Railroad CompanyWoodsnonenoneC.C.N.D. Miss.affirmed
Boese v. KingHarlannoneMatthewsN.Y.affirmed
Warren v. KingBlatchfordnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
In re Devoe Manufacturing CompanyBlatchfordnonenoneD.N.J.prohibition denied
Post v. PearsonGraynonenoneSup. Ct. Terr. Dakotaaffirmed
Hawkins v. BlakeMatthewsnonenoneC.C.E.D.N.C.affirmed
Clark v. BarnardMatthewsnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.reversed
Manning v. Cape Ann Isinglass and Glue CompanyWoodsnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Downton v. Yaeger Milling CompanyWoodsnonenoneC.C.E.D. Mo.affirmed
Gross v. United States Mortgage CompanyHarlannonenoneIll.affirmed
United States v. 43 Gallons of WhiskyFieldnonenoneC.C.D. Minn.reversed
Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company v. LuchsFieldnonenoneSup. Ct. D.C.affirmed
Western Pacific Railroad Company v. United StatesMillernonenoneC.C.D. Cal.affirmed
Vance v. VanceMillernonenoneLa.affirmed
Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company v. District of ColumbiaMillernonenoneSup. Ct. D.C.affirmed
Ruggles v. IllinoisWaiteHarlannoneIll.affirmed
Illinois Central Railroad Company v. IllinoisWaiteField; HarlannoneIll.affirmed
Hawley v. FairbanksWaitenonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.dismissed
Ex parte Hung HangWaitenonenoneS.F. Police Ct.habeas corpus denied
Meath v. Phillips CountyWaitenonenoneC.C.E.D. Ark.affirmed
Ex parte Tom TongWaitenonenoneC.C.D. Cal.remanded
Gibson v. BruceWaitenonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioaffirmed
New Jersey Zinc Company v. TrotterWaitenonenoneC.C.D.N.J.dismissed
Ex parte Baltimore and Ohio Railroad CompanyWaitenonenoneC.C.W.D. Va.mandamus denied
Scarborough v. PargoudWaitenonenoneLa.dismissed
Louisiana ex rel. New Orleans Gas Light Company v. City of New OrleansWaitenonenoneLa.dismissed