the United
States that she had committed the forgery of the document produced in
that case, and had attempted to support it by perjury and subornation
of perjury, and had also been guilty of acts and conduct showing
herself to be an abandoned woman, without veracity. * * *

"Your petitioner further represents that the abandoned character of
the said Sarah Althea Terry, and the fact that she was found guilty
of perjury and forgery in the case above mentioned by the said
Circuit Court, and the fact of the revengeful malice entertained
toward your petitioner by said Sarah Althea Terry, are notorious in
the State of California, and are notorious in the city of Stockton,
and as your petitioner believes are well known to the district
attorney of the said county of San Joaquin, and also to the said
justice of the peace who issued the said warrant; and your petitioner
further alleges that had either of the said officers taken any pains
whatever to ascertain the truth in the case, he would have
ascertained and known that there was not the slightest pretext or
foundation for any such charge as was made, and also that the
affidavit of the said Sarah Althea Terry was not entitled to the
slightest consideration whatever.

"Your petitioner further states that it is to him incomprehensible
how any man, acting in a consideration of duty, could have listened
one moment to charges from such a source, and without having sought
some confirmation from disinterested witnesses; and your petitioner
believes and charges that the whole object of the proceeding is to
subject your petitioner to the humiliation of arrest and confinement
at Stockton, where the said Sarah Althea Terry may be able, by the
aid of partisans of hers, to carry out her long-continued and
repeated threats of personal violence upon your petitioner, and to
prevent your petitioner from discharging the duties of his office in
cases pending against her in the federal court at San Francisco."

The sheriff's return was as follows:

"Return of sheriff of San Joaquin county, Cala., County of San
Joaquin, State of California:

"SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

"_To the Honorable Circuit Court of the United States for the
Northern District of California:_

"I hereby certify and return that before the coming to me of
the hereto-annexed writ of _habeas corpus_, the said Stephen
J. Field was committed to my custody, and is detained by me
by virtue of a warrant is