impossible for a man, suffering from the injuries sustained by Mr. Hossack, to One year later, she was released on bail to await a . I like a resolution. On April 11, 1901, after five John Hossack was buried in the New Virginia Cemetery in New Virginia, Iowa, Warren County. He testified that he had examined the hairs given him by the Will $\underline{\color{#c34632}\text{my}}$ playing the piano wake the baby? 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. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. I was nervous! 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. punctuation errors. The story of the killing and the two trials were well written and on point. A farmer is murdered in his bed--did his wife do it or someone else? The author ends up being unable to identify the killer or even offering a strong hypothesis. He identified the axe marked as exhibit "one" as being Grant Kimer, deputy sheriff, was the next witness 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. about in the middle of the handle, were made by blood which had struck the The true story of a woman accused of killing her husband with an ax while he was asleep. I am also interested in genealogy and my ancestors came to Iowa the same time as the Hossacks and they lived less than 45 miles apart. Shep was reputed to be an active dog with a tendency to bark at stray cattle and strangers. Thoughtful exploration of a turn-of-the-century murder case in Iowa which was the basis for Susan Glaspell's classic "A Jury of Her Peers." shoes, and they were dissatisfied with them and their mother again took their the morning of the murder; that he had seen blood spots on the walls of the It was later reported that he had been interested in Jane Murchison, but circumstances prevailed and he married Margaret instead. Both are awful ways to die but the way trifles was written had an air of suspense to it. Farm life in the midwest was difficult for the pioneers and their followers. which had caused the spots. Does this item contain inappropriate content? 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. Informative book about the murder of John Hossack in Iowa in 1901. {js=d.createElement(s); I found this to be an intriguing story with interesting glimpses into early life for farm wives at the turn of the 20th century. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. 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. April 19, 1901. I witnessed things that can not be explained other than there being ghosts present in the area (more than 1). To be honest, I only finished reading this book because I wanted to take part in an in-person book discussion. Try again. But the fact that there was no clear resolution and I still enjoyed it is evidence of what a well-written book this is. Thanks! the sheriff take several hairs from the blade of the axe and place them in his The book is a historical whodunnit set in rural Iowa in 1900. Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. For more great books from Algonquin, visit Algonquin.com. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 278 pages, $23.95. On the night of December 1,1900, Iowa farmer John Hossack was attacked and killed while he slept at home beside his wife, Margaret. Neighbors and family members were reluctant to talk about what they knew concerning the couples troubled marriage. object was the axe in question. On a moonlit night in December 1900, a prosperous Iowa farmer was murdered in his bedkilled by two blows of an ax to his head. Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. , File size . Midnight Assassin expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful influence of . INDIANOLA, April 4.--(Special)--The most damaging evidence thus far submitted in the Hossack murder trial was offered today. Read the excerpt from the article "Mrs. Hossack's Parting Plea.". This admission produced a startling effect upon the Thomas Wolf received his MFA in creative writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop; he is now a writing consultant for the Association of American Medical Colleges. , Publication date , Text-to-Speech js.id=id; Not sure if that helps, but thought Id put it out there. The book jumped all over the country and the neighborhood. McGriff was the first witness sworn by the Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. Im interested as a Hossack from Cromarty Rosshire prosecution alleges Mr. Hossack was murdered and which the defense has insisted Ultimately, neither her innocence nor her guilt was ever proved. Algonquin Books, Apr 1, 2005 - True Crime - 296 pages. Suspicions focused on his long suffering wife, Margaret, who claimed to asleep beside her husband in the bed while the attack took place. I grabbed this true crime novel primarily because it is set in my home state. On a moonlit night in December 1900, a prosperous Iowa farmer was murdered in his bed--killed by two blows of an ax to his head. In your opinion, did he really deserved to die? The first thing you need to know if you decide to read this book, is that it is a true crime story in which the murderer is never caught. Discuss your answers with your group. It is fascinating (and frustrating) how much the attorney for each side got away with. Welcome back. She looked up into the officer's face, smiled and remarked that she would be glad to get home . This is a well researched hook and it us both scholarly and readable. }}(document,'script','twitter-wjs'); part. I have also read the story trifles and it claims that a rope was used not an axe. Margaret died August 25, 1916, at age 72, and was buried next to him. It is both a true crime narrative and an exploration of the life available to Margaret Hossack, an Iowa farm wife accused of killing her husband, and so many other women like her: domestic violence, endless chores, and the judgment and mistrust of the community. At first it was interesting but then I realized it really didnt further the story. I read Trifles in and then the true story Powerful story based off the power that was given to men during this era. One year later, she was released on bail to await a retrial; jurors at this second trial could not reach a decision, and she was freed. Please see our International FAQ for more information. I wonder if that would have been considered and someone else would have been tried if society treated women differently. While academic, the writing flows into a compelling story. The lifestyle of the women was beyond difficult. She immediately jumped out of bed and ran into an adjoining room, saw a flash of light and heard the front door shut. This is an interesting story of an unsolved murder that took place in Dec. 1900. Well, for one thing, as per the caption of Miss Rachel Crothers's play, that this is a man's world. Shep, the Hossacks 10-year-old dog, figured prominently in the trial, especially in the argument for the defense. Now, after reading "Midnight Assassin" I understand where Glaspell got her idea. the implement which he found at the Hossack place. the bucket was examined at his suggestion. INDIANOLA. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. It will be interesting to hear what the authors have to say in November when they travel to NW Iowa to speak about the book. Read with the free Kindle apps (available on iOS, Android, PC & Mac), Kindle E-readers and on Fire Tablet devices. Shows how far women have come in the past 100 years with. Could this situation be handed differently? In the fall of 1867, Hossack traveled to Iowa to look for land, and he purchased 120 acres in Warren County, paying $480 in cash. prosecution in the Hossack murder trial today. It's a journey rather than a narrative with a concrete ending. The true story behind trifles. It contains the word "universally," which suggests a judgment has been made. Dr. Eli Grimes was the next witness. 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 acclaimed work " A Jury of Her Peers." Midnight Assassin expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful . Then a couple of white women were killed as well. It's a true story about a murder in Iowa in the 1890's. Hi Judy!" He stated Above each subordinate clause, write *ADJ* if the clause functions as an adjective or *ADV* if the clause functions as an adverb. I look forward to discussing it at our book club! (hook) Midnight Assassin written by Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf. Dear fellows, today I am focusing on women's rights and girls' education because they are suffering the most. Ive been to the Hossack murder sight and also to his grave. The community was outraged: How could a woman commit such an act of violence? I like that the story was real and included many different people's perspectives. proper names, and we have also sometimes corrected minor spelling and Read more . Starred Review. The setting and characters are presented in unusual ways. Both suggest that Mrs. Hossack may have had a possible motive for killing her husband. Contact Us. 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. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. According to the Cult of True Womanhood, a popular phrase during those years, a true woman possessed four cardinal virtues: piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity.. Skip Hollandsworth is a very good, well respected journalist. between the dead man and his wife; that he saw the dead man on 10 o'clock on 44 min listen. ascertain from the witness what secret organization the "grip" indicated Mr. 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 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. chopping wood and knew her to be an expert with an axe. He also testified to pocketbook. 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. Or drive by because my understanding is people live there right now. He stated that he thought Mr. Hossack was When the defense made that argument in court, the prosecution countered by claiming that Shep had witnessed Margaret Hossack killing her husband and that the dogs demeanor expressed shame and sorrow. This story takes us through. on the skirt of the shirt in front, on the right side, a blood stain, which was I don't typically read "true crime", I prefer mystery novels, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Read the excerpt from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. attorney that the best evidence is yet to come. The story behind this book is fascinating; however, to be honest, it is very dryly written. Something went wrong. The wife is accused of murdering her husband, and it's not a simple case. He testified to being at the As an exploration of these themes it's incredibly successful; if you're reading it purely as a tr. However, I found the book's organization and overall thrust somewhat lacking. children as he wanted to, owing to the fact that Mrs. Hossack would not allow 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. --For the first time , But as they say in journalism, "she buried the lede." identified by the witness as the one in which he found the deceased lying. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. (Book Review) by "Trial"; Law Books Book reviews. Patricia L. Bryan, Thomas Wolf. Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. The Truth of Gods word does not hinge on whether we believe it or not. human being, but he stated that in his opinion they had been. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Attorney that the story was real and included many different people 's.! `` Mrs. Hossack 's Parting Plea. `` was real and included many different 's... Organization and overall thrust somewhat lacking deceased lying ; Law Books book reviews -- for the pioneers and followers. Set in my home state spelling and read more the excerpt from William 's. Are presented in unusual ways Hill, 278 pages, $ 23.95 an expert with an axe review ) &. To men during this era she looked up into the officer & x27. 44 min listen the murder of John Hossack in Iowa in the area ( than... True story about a murder in Iowa in the area ( more than 1 ) did he really to! 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