This case was heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1882. It involved the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad Company, James W. Elwell and R. Biddle Roberts (the plaintiffs) and William R. Fosdick, James D. Fish, Frederick W. Huidekoper, Thomas W Shannon and John M. Dennison (the defendants). The plaintiffs had filed a bill in the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Indiana, seeking to enjoin the defendants from interfering with the plaintiffs' possession of certain railroad property. The defendants had obtained a judgment in the Circuit Court of the State of Indiana, which gave them the right to take possession of the property. The plaintiffs argued that the judgment was void because the Circuit Court of the State of Indiana did not have jurisdiction over the matter. The Supreme Court agreed with the plaintiffs and held that the judgment was void because the Circuit Court of the State of Indiana did not have jurisdiction over the matter. The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Circuit Court of the State of Indiana and remanded the case for further proceedings.

In the case of Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad Company, James W. Elwell and R. Biddle Roberts v. William R. Fosdick, James D. Fish, Frederick W Huidekoper Thomas W Shannon and John M Dennison the dissenting opinion was that a receiver appointed by a court in Illinois had no power to bring suit against parties outside of its jurisdiction unless it was authorized by Congress or an act of the state legislature granting such authority to do so; as there was no such authorization present in this case then any action taken by said receiver would be invalid under law and thus should not be allowed to stand as valid judgement against those named defendants who were located outside of Illinois' jurisdiction at the time when said suit was brought forward for consideration before the Supreme Court justices hearing this case..