I recently read her play, Trifles, for an American Literature class and loved the fact the reporter used her own experience covering the murder to write a play with a similar theme. Four days later, the victim's wife, Margaret Hossack, was arrested at her husband's funeral and charged with the crime. The characters are presented in new or unusual ways. Try again. asked Attorney be able to sustain its claim of easy acquittal. Death After Midnight by 48 Hours. During the examination of this In 1900, Margaret Hossack, the wife of a prominent Iowa farmer, was arrested for bludgeoning her husband to death with an ax while their children slept upstairs. I agree that it was definitely the ax that killed him. but stated this conversation had occurred several years before. The couple raised nine of 10 children, including sons Alexander (Alex) Hossack, Donald Hossack (died in infancy), John C. (Johnnie) Hossack, William D. (Will) Hossack, James (Jimmie) Hossack, and Ivan Hossack, and daughters Anna Jane (Annie) Hossack Henry, Margaret Lucretia (Louie) Hossack Kemp, Catherine (Cassie) Hossack, and Martha May Hossack Coulter. "Midnight Assassin" also introduces us to Susan Glaspell, a journalist who reported on the Hossack murder for the Des Moines Daily. pocketbook. This true unsolved mystery and all the events surrounding it had me trying to solve it, and I loved coming up with my own theories about what actually happened. Dr. Grimes goes further and intimates that in his opinion an effort was made to not thus far furnished any direct evidence and it is extremely doubtful if the Glaspell's Articles. In 1900, Margaret Hossack, the wife of a prominent Iowa farmer, was arrested for bludgeoning her husband to death with an ax while their children slept upstairs. at the Hossack home, and had effected a reconciliation between Mr. and Mrs. The book jumped all over the country and the neighborhood. During my time as an English major in college I read "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell. One of the best books I've read in a long time! This true unsolved mystery and all the events surrounding it had me trying to solve it, and I loved coming up with my own theories about what actually happened. The second trial in adjacent Madison County ended with a hung jury verdict; nine jurors voted to find her guilty, while three held out and voted not guilty.. Visit the cemetery today. chain of circumstantial evidence thus far offered will be sufficient to Farm life in the midwest was difficult for the pioneers and their followers. John Hossack established himself as one of the countys most successful and prosperous farmers. In 1900, Margaret Hossack, the wife of a prominent Iowa farmer, was arrested for bludgeoning her husband to death with an ax while their children slept upstairs. Im built different. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs); Shop now >>. Which element is excluded in the articles by Susan Glaspell and the excerpt from Midnight Assassin? I love historical books and found this one fascinating. This story made me feel like I was reading a "case study" of the event versus a book published for the general public. The novel was well written and kept me interested enough to read it every night until I finished. Hossack; that Mrs. Hossack had told him in various conversations that she and Find all the books, read about the author, and more. As the book tells about the murder of John Hossack in rural Indianola, Iowa in December of 1900, the book also includes the countless hours of Margaret Hossack trials where . He stated that The book introduces us to Susan Glaspell, a young journalist who reported the story for the Des Moines Daily News and fifteen years later transformed the events into the classic one-act play, "Trifles", and the acclaimed short story, "A . Learn more. Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2021. At trial, Margaret was convicted of murder, but later was released on appeal. bloody object, against which it had rubbed. It is just fascinating. To his family, Hossack could be moody and argumentative he often clashed with his wife and children over how the household was run and what the children were allowed to do but he was well-respected by his fellow farmers. Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile read. Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. April 1st 2005 On April 11, 1901, after five days of testimony before an all-male jury, Margaret Hossack was found guilty of her husbands murder and sentenced to life in prison. The Des Moines Daily News published more than two-dozen articles on the Margaret Hossack case from December 3, 1900 through April 19, 1901. There is definitely the presence of somebody watching over this area. Historical whodunit devotees who have devoured all the literature on famous real-life mysteries will delight in this stirring and evocative account of an obscure turn-of-the-century Iowa murder. Suspicions focused on his long suffering wife, Margaret, who claimed to asleep beside her husband in the bed while the attack took place. I really think the authors went into way to much details when it came to the trial and what the lawyers did to try to win over the jury. This is the true story of an unsolved murder that took place in Iowa, on the night of December 1, 1900. Printer Friendly. purpose being a comparison between the hair found on the axe and that growing Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. Get 25% off all calendars with code CALS25. Glaspell's short story A Jury of Her Peers was inspired by the Hossack trial and is well worth a read for anyone interested in the influence of gender roles in criminal justice. Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf researched the Hossack case for almost a decade combing through legal records, newspaper accounts, government documents and unpublished memoirs before depicting the murder and trials in their book, Midnight Assassin: A Murder in Americas Heartland (Bur Oak Book), published by the University of Iowa Press in August 2007. The author ends up being unable to identify the killer or even offering a strong hypothesis. One option is James Maybrick a London cotton merchant who "may have"traveled to Austin while at the Southern Exhibition in New Orleans. on the head of the murdered man. Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. It must be admitted, however, that the prosecution has Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. Unable to add item to List. bed was about two feet from the wall; that the north wall near the west wall showed On the night of December 1,1900, Iowa farmer John Hossack was attacked and killed while he slept at home beside his wife, Margaret. Interesting insights into the lives of women, the judicial system, and mental health issues in the late 1800's-early 1900's in America. MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN. With an eye to preventing confusion, we have corrected obvious errors in A farmer named Hossack was struck over the head and killed by unknown parties, at his home a few miles out from Bedford. raising objections, which were constantly overruled by the court. He is portrayed as a well-known man in his community. Ultimately, neither her innocence nor her guilt was ever proved. It was a compelling true drama: an unsolved murder that forced a whole community to deal with issues ranging from domestic abuse to the social roles played by men and women. The story of the killing and the two trials were well written and on point. wash the blood from the axe before it was submitted to him for analysis. This wouldnt have happened to me. she had never heard her father say anything relative to her mother or about a Dr. Eli Grimes was the next witness. In 1900, Margaret Hossack, the wife of a prominent Iowa farmer, was . I recently read her play, Trifles, for an American Literature class and loved the fac. In your opinion, did he really deserved to die? The theory is that it was one of her sons and she was covering for him. Powerful ! Or drive by because my understanding is people live there right now. With Thomas Wolf, she is the author of Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland (Iowa paperback, 2007) and numerous articles on Susan Glaspell. The Des Moines Daily News The , Word Wise As the evidence against her was only circumstantial, her guilt was a matter of dispute, even after her conviction (eventually reversed on appeal). {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; . Midnight Assassin takes us back to the murder, the investigation, and the trials of Margaret Hossack. He would not state that the bloody The inference that can be deduced from the literary works is that D. The article portrays Mrs. Hossack as only potentially dangerous, while the excerpt presents two very different images of her.. What is an inference? {js=d.createElement(s); Bryan's writing style was easy to read and not boring or dry at all. house; that he was with John Hossack, jr., who took it out of the water; that I look forward to hearing the authors. Fought my way through but should have stopped earlier on. 7 Reviews. The book jumped all over the country and the neighborhood. In order to provide easy access, we have if(!d.getElementById(id)) the bucket was examined at his suggestion. records or eyewitness statements from the time of the murder can also be used to verify the ages and locations of the . When you consider this actually happened, it's a good story. McGriff was the first witness sworn by the This is my first true murder story. The author did a lot of research and time into telling the story and I appreciated that. Read the excerpt from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The articles inform the reader of the Hossack trial in vivid and descriptive detail, while Midnight Assassin simply summarizes the key events of the Hossack trial. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. A history of domestic strife convinced the local authorities that she had finally snapped after years of threats and verbal abuse. It seems like the attitudes of the time caused people to believe she was guilty and it couldnt possibly have been anybody else. This hair was placed in vial number two and given to Prof. Tilton, the I read the book in barely more than a day. Mr. Hossack were not living happily together, and that she was willing to Ultimately, neither her innocence nor her guilt was ever proved. him it looked as though it had been subjected to a wetting, and that in Its a piece of history that was fun to read. Patricia L. Bryan, Thomas Wolf. impossible for a man, suffering from the injuries sustained by Mr. Hossack, to Of course the book did make me a little bit happy to be born in the mid 1900's and not the end of the 1800's. : At trial, Margaret was convicted of murder, but later was released on appeal. John Hossack was born on May 26, 1841, in Ross Shire, Scotland. If youd like us to expand this Plot Summary into a Study Guide, click the Upvote button below. She wasn't about to give up her kid. Nonetheless, they vividly portray the era's attitudes toward women (indicated by a tolerance of domestic abuse) while crafting a tale that reads like a good novel, complete with clueslike a dog that failed to barkthat feel straight from Perry Mason The tale is given heightened immediacy by the authors' description of how alive the case still is in the minds of local townspeople even a century laterBryan and Wolf were even warned they might be in danger if they got too close to the truth. INDIANOLA. My grandma used to talk about a grisly murder of a family who lived in that big old house south of PJ that was never solved.have you run across that story in your perusals? of it on the west wall there were blood stains. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. Later these same events were used as the basis for her classic short story, A Jury of Her Peers, and the famous play Trifles. , Text-to-Speech The Holy Bible says, Do not murder, and if she did, she will have to give an accounting of her actions on Judgment Day. Although we may never know the complete truth about who committed this murder, it offers a very fascinating look at life at the turn of the century. Midnight Assassin expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful influence of the media. John Hossack worked on the Murchison farm through the spring of 1866, left the farm for a short period, but returned a year later. The community was outraged: How could a woman commit such an act of violence? To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Shep was reputed to be an active dog with a tendency to bark at stray cattle and strangers. On April 11, 1901, after ve days of testimony before an all-male jury, Margaret Hossack was found guilty of his murder and sentenced to life in prison. The second witness was Prof. John L. Tilton of font porch; that the reflection of the light seen on the wall by Mrs. Hossack on the skirt of the shirt in front, on the right side, a blood stain, which was medical experts, Dr. Grimes of Des Moines and Professor Tilton of Indianola, js.id=id; part. On the night of the murder, Margaret Hossack testified that she had heard Shep barking vigorously between 9 and 10 p.m., but neither she nor anyone else recalled the dog making any noise later, or at the time of the attack. I read this awhile ago, so the details arent sharp , but the axe was. Case Summaries . And to be honest, I honestly thought I would not wanna read it. A celebrated case in its day, the 1900 murder of Iowa farmer John Hassock inspired two well-known works by writer Susan Glaspell (1876-1948): her play. Lots of Texas historyLOTS. "Historical whodunit devotees who have devoured all the literature on famous real-life mysteries will delight in this stirring and evocative account of an obscure turn-of-the-century Iowa murder. Available wherever books are sold. Shipping to the U.S. only. Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. John Hossack was murdered two days later, attacked in the middle of the night while he slept in his bed. Mrs. E. E. Henry testified that Mrs. Hossack had said However, as Miss Crothers probably knows as well as any one, this play and many others equally strong and to the point will not change conditions. Which most supports the fact that Trifles is written in a realistic style? He also I had never heard of this unsolved murder that took place in Warren County Iowa. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. , Enhanced typesetting Midnight Assassin. 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