“ There, as here, the Supreme Court of Illinois denied leave to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, without requiring respondent to answer. In denying the relief sought the court made an 'announcement' to be filed with the record in the case, with respect to its practice upon original applications for habeas corpus in that court. In its announcement it declared: 'Any petition which raises questions of fact only will not be considered. ”

“ It follows that whenever the Illinois Supreme Court denies a petition for the writ originally filed in that court, without opinion or other indication of the ground of its decision, and when the petition relies on allegations of fact to raise federal questions, it is unnecessary for the petitioner, in order to exhaust his state remedies, to apply to this Court for certiorari to review the judgment of the Supreme Court of Illinois. ”

“ We do not reach the alternative argument, made by the Attorney General, that petitioners' remedy in the state courts is not habeas corpus, but the statutory substitute for the writ of error coram nobis, Ill.Civil Practice Act, § 72, Smith-Hurd Stats. ”