# List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 103

This is a list of cases reported in volume 103 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1880 and 1881.

## Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 103 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 103 U.S. were decided the Court comprised nine of the following ten members at one time (William Burnham Woods replaced William Strong in January 1881):
| Justice | Office | Home State | Succeeded | Date confirmed by the Senate (Vote) | Tenure on Supreme Court |
| Morrison Waite | Chief Justice | Ohio | Salmon P. Chase | January 21, 1874 (63–0) | March 4, 1874 – March 23, 1888 (Died) |
| Nathan Clifford | Associate Justice | Maine | Benjamin Robbins Curtis | January 12, 1858 (26–23) | January 21, 1858 – July 25, 1881 (Died) |
| Noah Haynes Swayne | Associate Justice | Ohio | John McLean | January 24, 1862 (38–1) | January 27, 1862 – January 24, 1881 (Retired) |
| Samuel Freeman Miller | Associate Justice | Iowa | Peter Vivian Daniel | July 16, 1862 (Acclamation) | July 21, 1862 – October 13, 1890 (Died) |
| Stephen Johnson Field | Associate Justice | California | newly created seat | March 10, 1863 (Acclamation) | May 10, 1863 – December 1, 1897 (Retired) |
| William Strong | Associate Justice | Pennsylvania | Robert Cooper Grier | February 18, 1870 (No vote recorded) | March 14, 1870 – December 14, 1880 (Retired) |
| Joseph P. Bradley | Associate Justice | New Jersey | newly created seat | March 21, 1870 (46–9) | March 23, 1870 – January 22, 1892 (Died) |
| Ward Hunt | Associate Justice | New York | Samuel Nelson | December 11, 1872 (Acclamation) | January 9, 1873 – January 27, 1882 (Retired) |
| John Marshall Harlan | Associate Justice | Kentucky | David Davis | November 29, 1877 (Acclamation) | December 10, 1877 – October 14, 1911 (Died) |
| William Burnham Woods | Associate Justice | Georgia | William Strong | December 21, 1880 (39–8) | January 5, 1881 – May 14, 1887 (Died) |

## Notable Cases in volume 103 U.S.
### Kilbourn v. Thompson

Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U.S. 168 (1880) dealt with whether the United States House of Representatives may compel testimony. The Supreme Court held that the chamber has the power to punish persons for contempt if they refuse to obey a summons from the House.

### Neal v. Delaware

In Neal v. Delaware, 103 U.S. 370 (1881), the Supreme Court, with a majority opinion by Justice John Marshall Harlan, vacated the guilty verdict and death sentence on an African-American man accused of rape. In selecting persons to serve as jurors, no persons of color were in the jury pool, but rather were excluded because of their race though they were otherwise qualified. The Court held this to violate Neal's rights under the 14th Amendment. Neal was acquitted in a second trial that included black men in the jury pool but not on the trial jury. Neal has been cited by appellate courts more than 200 times, including by the Court in the 2019 case Flowers v. Mississippi.

## 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.
Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions.
* "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 in volume 103 U.S.

| Case Name | Page and year | Opinion of the Court | Concurring opinion(s) | Dissenting opinion(s) | Lower Court | Disposition |
| Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad Company v. Anne Arundel County | 1 (1881) | Waite | none | none | Md. | affirmed |
| Hall v. Wisconsin | 5 (1880) | Swayne | none | none | Wis. | reversed |
| Dennick v. Central Railroad of New Jersey | 11 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.N.D.N.Y. | reversed |
| Prewit v. Wilson | 22 (1881) | Field | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ala. | reversed |
| Insurance Company v. Stinson | 25 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.D. Mass. | affirmed |
| Folger v. United States | 30 (1881) | Harlan | none | Field | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Bamberger v. Terry | 40 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. Conn. | affirmed |
| Pennock v. Commissioners | 44 (1881) | Field | none | none | Kan. | affirmed |
| Congress and Empire Spring Company v. Knowlton | 49 (1881) | Woods | none | Harlan | C.C.N.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Mitchell v. Overman | 62 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ohio | affirmed |
| Stout v. Lye | 66 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ohio | affirmed |
| United States v. Hough | 71 (1880) | Miller | none | none | C.C.W.D. Tenn. | affirmed |
| Wall v. Monroe County | 74 (1881) | Field | none | none | C.C.E.D. Ark. | affirmed |
| Allen v. Louisiana | 80 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.E.D. Mo. | affirmed |
| Jones v. Van Benthuysen | 87 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D. La. | reversed |
| Boogher v. New York Life Insurance Company | 90 (1880) | Waite | none | none | C.C.E.D. Mich. | affirmed |
| National Bank of Genesee v. Whitney | 99 (1881) | Field | none | none | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | rehearing denied |
| Cucullu v. Hernandez | 105 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| Railroad Companies v. Schutte | 118 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.N.D. Fla. | affirmed |
| City of Chicago v. Tilley | 146 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Tilley v. Cook County | 155 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Chicot County v. Lewis | 164 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.E.D. Ark. | affirmed |
| Kilbourn v. Thompson | 168 (1881) | Miller | none | none | Sup. Ct. D.C. | multiple |
| Barney v. Latham | 205 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.D. Minn. | reversed |
| Wilmot v. Mudge | 217 (1881) | Miller | none | none | Mass. Super. Ct. | affirmed |
| Relfe v. Rundle | 222 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. La. | reversed |
| Blake v. United States | 227 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Ex parte Burtis | 238 (1881) | Waite | none | none | E.D.N.Y. | mandamus denied |
| The Benefactor | 239 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.E.D.N.Y. | reversed |
| Sharp v. Dover Stamping Company | 250 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.D. Mass. | reversed |
| Weightman v. Clark | 256 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Oscanyan v. Winchester Repeating Arms Company | 261 (1881) | Field | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Bondurant v. Watson I | 278 (1881) | Waite | none | none | La. | dismissed |
| Bondurant v. Watson II | 281 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| Louisiana v. United States | 289 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.E.D. Mo. | affirmed |
| Barbour v. Priest | 293 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ohio | reversed |
| The Illinois | 298 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.E.D. Pa. | affirmed |
| Moyer v. Dewey | 301 (1881) | Miller | none | none | N.Y. | affirmed |
| Miles v. United States | 304 (1881) | Woods | none | none | Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah | reversed |
| Bartlett Land and Lumber Company v. Saunders | 316 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.D.N.H. | affirmed |
| Ward v. Todd | 327 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.E.D. Ark. | affirmed |
| Bouldin v. Alexander | 330 (1880) | Waite | none | none | Sup. Ct. D.C. | reversed |
| Blake v. McKim | 336 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.D. Mass. | affirmed |
| Weitzel v. Rabe | 340 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ohio | affirmed |
| Webber v. Virginia | 344 (1881) | Field | none | none | Va. | reversed |
| Mechanics' and Traders' Insurance Company v. Kiger | 352 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| Wolff v. City of New Orleans | 358 (1881) | Field | Harlan | none | C.C.D. La. | reversed |
| Neal v. Delaware | 370 (1881) | Harlan | none | Waite; Field | Del. O. and T. | reversed |
| Coddington v. Pensacola and Georgia Railroad Company | 409 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.N.D. Fla. | affirmed |
| Lincoln Township v. Cambria Iron Company | 412 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.W.D. Mich. | affirmed |
| Wilson v. Gaines | 417 (1881) | Waite | none | none | Tenn. | affirmed |
| Seven Hickory Township v. Ellery | 423 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Saint Joseph and Denver City Railroad Company v. Baldwin | 426 (1881) | Field | none | none | Neb. | reversed |
| Fisk v. Arthur | 431 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| New York Life Insurance Company v. Bangs | 435 (1881) | Field | none | none | C.C.D. Minn. | affirmed |
| Terry v. McLure | 442 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D.S.C. | affirmed |
| Jones v. Walker | 444 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D. Ky. | affirmed |
| Unity Township v. Burrage | 447 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Wicke v. Ostrum | 461 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Edwards v. United States | 471 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.W.D. Mich. | affirmed |
| Thompson v. United States | 480 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.W.D. Mich. | affirmed |
| Kern v. Huidekoper | 485 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Dietzsch v. Huidekoper | 494 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Morgan County v. Allen | 498 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Allen v. Morgan County | 515 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Little Rock Waterworks Company v. Barret | 516 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.E.D. Ark. | affirmed |
| Green v. Fisk | 518 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. La. | dismissed |
| Louisiana v. City of New Orleans | 521 (1880) | Waite | none | none | La. | advancement denied |
| Dennison v. Alexander | 522 (1880) | Waite | none | none | Sup. Ct. D.C. | dismissed |
| Tipton County v. Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works | 523 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.W.D. Tenn. | affirmed |
| The Richmond | 540 (1880) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company v. Nelson | 544 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.D. Kan. | reversed |
| Dubuclet v. Louisiana | 550 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| Wayne County v. Kennicott | 554 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | reversed |
| Ouachita County v. Wolcott | 559 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.E.D. Ark. | reversed |
| Harter v. Kernochan | 562 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Ashburner v. California | 575 (1881) | Waite | none | none | Cal. | affirmed |
| Jarrolt v. Town of Moberly | 580 (1881) | Field | none | Harlan | C.C.W.D. Mo. | affirmed |
| Adam v. Norris | 591 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D. Cal. | affirmed |
| United States v. Quigley | 595 (1881) | Waite | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Swan v. Arthur | 597 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Kennedy v. City of Indianapolis | 599 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. Ind. | affirmed |
| Babbitt v. Clark | 606 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ohio | affirmed |
| Hoyt v. Sprague | 613 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.D.R.I. | affirmed |
| Williams v. Louisiana | 637 (1881) | Miller | none | none | La. | affirmed |
| Durkee v. Louisiana | 646 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| Bonham v. Needles | 648 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Wardell v. Union Pacific Railroad Company | 651 (1881) | Field | none | none | C.C.D. Neb. | affirmed |
| Peck v. Collins | 660 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | N.Y. | affirmed |
| St. Louis Smelting and Refining Company v. Kemp | 666 (1880) | Waite | none | none | Sup. Ct. D.C. | re-docketed |
| Schaumburg v. United States | 667 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.E.D. Pa. | affirmed |
| Milwaukee National Bank v. City Bank of Oswego | 668 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.N.D.N.Y. | reversed |
| McCarthy v. Provost | 673 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. La. | dismissed |
| Yates v. National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers | 674 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.E.D. Wis. | affirmed |
| Arthur v. Jacoby | 677 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Thacher's Distilled Spirits | 679 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Walnut Township v. Wade | 683 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Ohio v. Frank | 697 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| The Civilta | 699 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad Company v. United States | 703 (1881) | Miller | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| District of Columbia v. Cluss | 705 (1881) | Field | none | none | Sup. Ct. D.C. | affirmed |
| School District v. Insurance Company | 707 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D. Neb. | reversed |
| The Connecticut | 710 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.E.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Penniman's Case | 714 (1881) | Woods | none | none | R.I. | affirmed |
| Pacific Mail Steamship Company v. United States | 721 (1881) | Miller | none | none | Ct. Cl. | multiple |
| The Adriatic | 730 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | striking testimony denied |
| German National Bank v. Kimball | 732 (1881) | Miller | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Humphrey v. Baker | 736 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.E.D. Mich. | dismissed |
| Folsom v. Dewey | 738 (1881) | Waite | none | none | Sup. Ct. Terr. Utah | reversed |
| Grinnell v. Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company | 739 (1881) | Miller | none | none | Iowa | affirmed |
| Jasper County v. Ballou | 745 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Williams v. Claflin | 753 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D.S.C. | supersedeas modified |
| The Connemara | 754 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. La. | dismissal denied |
| Indiana and Illinois Central Railway Company v. Sprague | 756 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.D. Ind. | affirmed |
| Hinckley v. Morton | 764 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Clark v. Killian | 766 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | Sup. Ct. D.C. | affirmed |
| Whitsitt v. Railroad Company | 770 (1881) | Waite | none | none | not indicated | dismissed |
| Wilson County v. Third National Bank of Nashville | 770 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.M.D. Tenn. | affirmed |
| New York Life Insurance Company v. Bangs | 780 (1881) | Field | none | none | C.C.D. Minn. | affirmed |
| Central National Bank v. Royal Insurance Company | 783 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Hopkins and Dickinson Manufacturing Company v. Corbin | 786 (1881) | Woods | none | none | C.C.D. Conn. | affirmed |
| Cook v. Lillo | 792 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| Ex parte Des Moines and Minneapolis Railroad Company | 794 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. Iowa | mandamus denied |
| Crouch v. Roemer | 797 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D.N.J. | affirmed |
| Johnston v. Laflin | 800 (1881) | Field | none | none | C.C.E.D. Mo. | affirmed |
| Thompson v. Perrine | 806 (1881) | Harlan | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Buffalo and Jamestown Railroad Company v. Falconer | 821 (1881) | Bradley | none | none | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | affirmed |
| Brown v. Slee | 828 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. Iowa | affirmed |
| Richmond Mining Company of Nevada v. Eureka Consolidated Mining Company | 839 (1881) | Waite | none | none | C.C.D. Nev. | affirmed |