People ex rel. Maher v. Williams

This was a petition for a writ of mandamus to compel Erastus S. Williams, one of the judges of the circuit court of Cook county, to sign and seal a certificate of evidence in a certain cause in chancery which had been tried before him. An answer was filed to the petition, to which a demurrer was interposed. The question, therefore, to be determined is, whether the facts set up in the answer constitute a legal defence to the case made in the petition.

It appears, from the answer, that the final decree in the chancery cause in which the certificate of evidence is desired, was filed on the 29th…