It is a fact because it cannot . Mrs. E. E. Henry testified that Mrs. Hossack had said Ultimately, neither her innocence nor her guilt was ever proved. His testimony house; that he was with John Hossack, jr., who took it out of the water; that The wife is accused of murdering her husband, and it's not a simple case. A farmer is murdered in his bed--did his wife do it or someone else? shoes, and they were dissatisfied with them and their mother again took their What also emerges is the story of early feminist Susan Glaspell, who covered the Hossack case as a young reporter and later used it as the basis for her . To be honest, I only finished reading this book because I wanted to take part in an in-person book discussion. On a December night in 1900, in the small community of Warren County, Iowa, someone entered the bedroom of John Hossack, and as the fifty-nine-year-old father of nine slept, struck him twice in the head with an ax. He stated that the two larger spots, which are 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. A boisterous child may disrupt a quiet restaurant. During the first trial, one newspaper headline proclaimed, DEFENSE HOPES REST UPON HOSSACK DOG.. Later these same events were used as the basis for her classic short story, A Jury of Her Peers, and the famous play Trifles. did not think it was. McGriff was the first witness sworn by the window, but that he did not see any blood stains on this, although just south "a grip.". Hossack and his wife, Margaret, had nine children, including five, ranging in age from thirteen to twenty-six, who were in the house at the time of the assault. The audience itself is involved in the play in some way. He testified that in his opinion it would be I wanted to read it, and forget about the bad deed done. April 1st 2005 accept the division of the property proposed by Mr. Hossack, by which he was to As an exploration of these themes it's incredibly successful; if you're reading it purely as a true crime narrative, maybe not, since the authors make little effort to determine "whodunnit" although they cover all the bases fairly thoroughly. I live in medora and I would like to visit some time. Could this situation be handed differently? Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2012. : Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2021. Working individually, read each of these sentences from Yousafzai's speech at the United Nations. : Not sure if that helps, but thought Id put it out there. The . Im built different. I honestly read Trifles before i read the article. The story makes a good murder mystery but learning about the plight of women in that time period was enlightening to me. different times and that she used the axe exceptionally well for a woman. It is about a woman tried for a crime but punished for her character. biographers have concluded that Susan Glaspell, working as a reporter for the Daily News at the time, was the author of these articles. But what is isn't necessarily right, though there are a lot of people who go on believing so. A history of domestic strife convinced the local authorities that she had finally snapped after years of threats and verbal abuse. I listened to the audiobook version. On the night of December 1,1900, Iowa farmer John Hossack was attacked and killed while he slept at home beside his wife, Margaret. Clammer. I now must visit the New Virginia cemetery. The prosecution waited at this point for the jury to I like that the story was real and included many different people's perspectives. But the theme of the book is more about how little most men thought of women - the first verdict was based so much on the defendent's looks - how big she was, how unremorseful she seemed to be. He would not state that the bloody Read more . Well, for one thing, as per the caption of Miss Rachel Crothers's play, that this is a man's world. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group. Co-author Wolf describes the book as a nonfiction narrative, and says in an author interview included on the books website: To me, the story was both a whodunitwith an array of interesting social and legal anglesand a kind of micro history of the farm life in the Midwest a century ago. Dr. Grimes goes further and intimates that in his opinion an effort was made to Algonquin Books, Apr 1, 2005 - True Crime - 296 pages. All Rights Reserved, Home He said that he was uncertain, but The second excerpt, because it appears to contain a prejudice that may have affected the writer's beliefs about Mrs. Hossack. O.J. John Hossack established himself as one of the countys most successful and prosperous farmers. J. L. Kemp, a son-in-law of the murdered man, was Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. several large blood stains; that on the north end of the wall there was a Midnight Assassin also introduces us to Susan Glaspell, a journalist who reported on the Hossack murder for the Des Moines Daily, who used these events as the basis for her classic short story, " A Jury of Her Peers", and the famous play Trifles. : 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: But reports soon surfaced that Hossack had abused and threatened his family, and for years his wife had gone to the neighbors to complain of his behavior. A few months later, John and Margaret Hossack moved to the land John had purchased in Warren County, Iowa, and they settled in a small house on the farm. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 278 pages, $23.95. Find ICC on Facebook I would love to read it. 44 min listen. A drama in which the characters and setting are presented in typical and real-world ways is known as. 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. 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. impossible for a man, suffering from the injuries sustained by Mr. Hossack, to I grabbed this true crime novel primarily because it is set in my home state. John Hossack, a well to-do farmer, was fatally attacked with an ax while he slept. I don't like true story stuff. Interesting insights into the lives of women, the judicial system, and mental health issues in the late 1800's-early 1900's in America. During the examination of this Does this item contain inappropriate content? In 1900, Margaret Hossack, the wife of a prominent Iowa farmer, was . Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. The prosecution was never more This book was of extreme interest from beginning to end. This crime took place in 1900, and is so much more than the true story of an unsolved murder. wanted to prove to people that he indeed was was a simp (last name Simpson) so he clapped the husbands cheeks cuz the husband abused her. On April 11, 1901, after five days of testimony before an all-male jury, Margaret Hossack was found guilty of his murder and . Then a couple of white women were killed as well. Sarah Stuelke is correct. I did feel that the book was a bit repetitious. He returned to the Murchison farm in November or December. the room his father had repeatedly called for Ma and other members of the js.src='https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js'; attorney that the best evidence is yet to come. 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.. In order to provide easy . The book is a historical whodunnit set in rural Iowa in 1900. Hossack home at 9 o'clock Sunday morning, the day of the murder; that he saw Midnight Assassin: A Murder in Americas Heartland. , Enhanced typesetting Bryan and Wolf showcase the main characters Margaret and John Hossack in the book Midnight Assassin. The vicious assault stunned and divided the close-knit rural community. If youd like us to expand this Plot Summary into a Study Guide, click the Upvote button below. John Hossack was buried in the New Virginia Cemetery in New Virginia, Iowa, Warren County. 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. My wife is from Iowa (we live in MA). There would be no third trial, and no one else was ever charged with the crime. Please try again. Interesting story. It must be admitted, however, that the prosecution has the only thing I didn't like was that after I read it, (in 2 hours,) i was thinking about the axe and the killing. It was a very interesting read - but at times I felt it got a little long with all of the details. Four days later, Hossacks wife of 32 years, Margaret (Murchison) Hossack, was arrested at her husbands funeral and charged with killing him in the couples home sometime around 12 a.m. while he slept. A farmer named Hossack was struck over the head and killed by unknown parties, at his home a few miles out from Bedford. Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. That depends on if she believes that book. Learn more. Glaspell wrote more than twenty articles on the case and speculated about the identity of "the midnight assassin," as she called the assailant in one article. take the west eighty, the family to have the balance of the property. prosecution in the Hossack murder trial today. Lyn Kelly as the perpetrator. The Des Moines Daily News published more than two-dozen articles on the Margaret Hossack case from December 3, 1900 through April 19, 1901. Al 3 1/2 stars rounded up. The awful crime of which Mrs. Hossack stands accused is still fresh in the minds of every newspaper reader in Iowa. Free Online Library: Midnight Assassin. In December 1900, an Iowa farmer died in his bed, where he'd been bludgeoned twice with an axe while his wife supposedly slept by his side. Powerful ! The story couldve been a third of the length. There was a problem loading your book clubs. See how well critics are rating all PC video game releases at metacritic.com - Page 664 The author pieced together a time life of events using a lot of newspaper articles and interviews. --At the close of the In your opinion, did he really deserved to die? One witness testified that he had seen Mrs. Hossack Both suggest that Mrs. Hossack may have had a possible motive for killing her husband. His family emigrated to Canada in 1842. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! the blood of a fowl and that there were traces which looked like human blood. Follow ICC on Twitter, GONE COLD: EXPLORING IOWAS UNSOLVED MURDERS, Midnight Assassin: A Murder in Americas Heartland (Bur Oak Book), Find a Grave Memorial for Margaret (Murchison) Hossack, Find a Grave Memorial for Alexander Hossack, Find a Grave Memorial for Catharine Hossack, Find a Grave Memorial for Anna J. A long look at a murder that took place in rural Iowa many, many years ago. Law professor Bryan and her husband, Wolf, a writing consultant, vividly bring to life the baffling events of the night of December 1, 1900, when a well-to-do farmer named John Hossack was fatally attacked with an ax while sleeping in his bed. room, and on the undervest of the garment worn by Mrs. Hossack; that he noticed It's a journey rather than a narrative with a concrete ending. Patricia Bryan and Thomas Wolf examine the harsh realities of farm life at the turn of the century and look at the plight of womenlegally, socially, and politicallyduring that period. handle with a great deal of force; that it was either thrown by an animal in Very interesting theory! She died August 25, 1916, leaving the mystery of her husbands death unsolved. Suspicions focused on his long suffering wife, Margaret, who claimed to asleep beside her husband in the bed while the attack took place. this is very helpful to a project im doing in school for the book trifles, 2005 2023 He also testified to It really did provide insight into the case and helped my students and I have really productive conversations about domestic violence and the legal system. It seems like the attitudes of the time caused people to believe she was guilty and it couldnt possibly have been anybody else. {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; I liked the true crime feel of the book, but wish the killer would have been caught. Steve, the book Midnight Assassin states that Margaret (Murchison) Hossack was a native of Ross Shire, Scotland, born Nov. 19, 1843, and that at the age of five, she traveled with her family to North America. Especially interesting due to the familiarity of Indianola. He also stated that he had seen Mrs. Hossack chopping wood at It seemed like what it really wanted was to be a biography of Susan Glaspell, the reporter who covered the trial and went on to great acclaim. Still, an engrossing read that I will pass along to some Iowa relatives. Based on evidence in this book shows . INDIANOLA, April 4.--(Special)--The most damaging I wonder if that would have been considered and someone else would have been tried if society treated women differently. yesterday the prosecution retired, satisfied it had placed before the jury from microscopical and chemical examination of the spots on the handle of the Lew Hodson, the sheriff, was next called to the In this case, Midnight Assassin differ from the primary source . One year later, she was released on bail to await a . I found this to be an intriguing story with interesting glimpses into early life for farm wives at the turn of the 20th century. This wouldnt have happened to me. I read this awhile ago, so the details arent sharp , but the axe was. 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. // Aau Junior National Volleyball 2022, Particle Physics Jokes, Articles M