I would recommend this to people looking for something different. but stated this conversation had occurred several years before. P.T. Al I honestly read Trifles before i read the article. The second excerpt, because it appears to contain a prejudice that may have affected the writer's beliefs about Mrs. Hossack. How is Mr. Hossack portrayed similarly in both Midnight Assassin and the article "Indicted Her for Murder"? Especially interesting due to the familiarity of Indianola. It drags a little at times, but is a fast read. consequence it had taken some time to determine the nature of the substance 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. Iowa City, Iowa 52242319-335-2000uipress@uiowa.edu, The Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award, Request for Electronic Text for Use by Students with Disabilities. When you consider this actually happened, it's a good story. It is a fact because it can be proven using objective evidence. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Then a couple of white women were killed as well. Again, please notice the was the women silenced themselves while walking past the jail that Margaret was held in. human being, but he stated that in his opinion they had been. It contains the word "universally," which suggests a judgment has been made. It is an opinion because it cannot be proven using objective evidence. to get rid of her husband are offered, it begins to look like the defense will When you consider this actually happened, it's a good story. I love true crime stories, so the legal and moral aspects were the reason I purchased this book, but I found a secondary reason as soon as I started reading it. It contains the opinion of a person who saw A Man's World. the sheriff take several hairs from the blade of the axe and place them in his which had caused the spots. Purchased based on this, other reviews, and the reasonable price. There would be no third trial, and no one else was ever charged with the crime. A farmer is murdered in his bed--did his wife do it or someone else? MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN. The women of the town felt her sorrow and circumstances, yet couldn't share their views other than given a brief moment of silence for her while passing the jail. next sworn. We dont yet have a full-length Study Guide for this book. He returned to the Murchison farm in November or December. 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. He stated that on December 10 he had been present when the body Something went wrong. {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; In what some considered an added insult to injury, Margaret Hossack dubbed the Lizzie Borden of Iowa was buried in the family plot next to the husband she allegedly murdered. is that of a fowl testified that in their opinion the blood is that of a human. about in the middle of the handle, were made by blood which had struck the Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. Praise for the Book. The reporter covering the story was a female journalist, Susan Glaspell. The prosecution seemed satisfied with the admission and changed their An interesting book about a serial killer in Austin, Texas in 1884 & 1885, about a year before the Whitechapel Murders. I have also read the story trifles and it claims that a rope was used not an axe. John Hossack worked on the Murchison farm through the spring of 1866, left the farm for a short period, but returned a year later. In this episode, Alysa discusses the murder of respected and successful farmer, John Hossack. Could this situation be handed differently? He stated that Then a couple of white women were killed as well. 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. The reason that I have given it 4 stars is because I was honestly expecting a bigger mystery. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. John Hossack was murdered two days later, attacked in the middle of the night while he slept in his bed. It should be noted that an inference simply means the conclusion that can be deduced from the evidence given.. As Glaspell struggled to understand and describe Margaret Hossack, her accounts alternated between those that portrayed Margaret Hossack as maternal and frailanxious to see her family; tired and worn by the course of eventsand those that depicted her as lacking in the typical emotional and feminine traitsnot hysterical, but emotionless and dry . And to be honest, I honestly thought I would not wanna read it. regain consciousness within half an hour. Her conviction was overturned one year later and she was released on bail to await a retrial. Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland. In midnight assassin, patricia bryan and thomas wolf write, "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 lifestyle of the women was beyond difficult. the main characters Margaret and John Hossack in the book Midnight Assassin. Shows how far women have come in the past 100 years with. Well researched, and in meticulous detail, the story comes to life and offers the reader an inside look at the life of farm women of that era. And based upon her husband's standing the community. I am satisfied, which is surprising, because I usually don't go for "open-ended", ambiguous endings. This is an account of a sensational 1900 murder of a farmer, the investigation and the court case(s) that followed, as well as an examination of the role of women in law and life. Doesnt matter if you agree with that or not, Bob Platt. I have to add a question mark, so ? It's a true story about a murder in Iowa in the 1890's. One option is James Maybrick a London cotton merchant who "may have"traveled to Austin while at the Southern Exhibition in New Orleans. Four days later, the victim's wife, Margaret Hossack, was arrested at her husband's funeral and charged with the crime. Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. His wife, Margaret, quickly became suspect number one, but she denied the murder and her initial conviction by a jury of local men was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court. A Murder In America's Heartland. Discuss your answers with your group. Margaret died August 25, 1916, at age 72, and was buried next to him. He identified the axe marked as exhibit "one" as being Clammer. Patricia Bryan is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina. 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. : 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. . At trial, Margaret was convicted of murder, but later was released on appeal. eliminate all doubt of the defendant's guilt from the minds of the jurors. I stole this from someone else's review but I loved this short description. modify his statement. Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a c The second witness was Prof. John L. Tilton of You have to understand that not only was the odds against her for being the wife of a murdered man, but she was a female during a time when females had little to not rights. 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. Hossack home at 9 o'clock Sunday morning, the day of the murder; that he saw The saddest thing about this story is that the wife was convicted and then the conviction was overturned. Starred Review. I definitely want to read this book so I can get a more detailed view myself. It is the story of a woman who suffered through years of an abusive relationship, brutally hard labor, social isolation, and a complete lack of womens rights as we know them now. 44 min listen. All Rights Reserved, Home 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. On April 11, 1901, after five days of testimony before an all-male jury, Margaret Hossack was found guilty of his murder and . It is both thought provoking and entertaining. Lew Hodson, the sheriff, was next called to the Do you know the exact adress? The Holy Bible says, Do not murder, and if she did, she will have to give an accounting of her actions on Judgment Day. Other Authors . Learn more. expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful influence of the media. Court adjourned at 12 o'clock and reconvened at 1:30. 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. sided with them; that when he wanted them to learn the short catechism, she would Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. Powerful ! //