The Hossack Case. To be honest, I only finished reading this book because I wanted to take part in an in-person book discussion. He stated that he thought Mr. Hossack was Newspapers across the country carried the story, and community sentiment was divided over her guilt. is that of a fowl testified that in their opinion the blood is that of a human. 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 . 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. 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. Refresh and try again. Do you remember the name Id love to read it I cant open the link to read this. 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. Available wherever books are sold. witness stated also that Mr. Hossack had told him he was unable to bring up his At the time of her death, Margaret had more than 20 grandchildren. Al 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. 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. At this time, Hossack, who was one of several hired hands living on the Murchison farm, met his future wife, Margaret the youngest child of his employer as well as Margarets siblings: Alex, a Civil War hero who had returned home after serving in the war; Donald, a farmer; and Jane, who still lived with her parents. 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 . modify his statement. : situation of the bed, he stated the bed footed north and that the foot of the I waffled between three or four stars for this book. --At the close of the 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. And based upon her husband's standing the community. Im interested as a Hossack from Cromarty Rosshire Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. Aside from the minor of Margaret Hossack, we reviewed many legal documents, including the transcript It is both thought provoking and entertaining. Or. The medical experts, Dr. Grimes of Des Moines and Professor Tilton of Indianola, who made the chemical analysis of the blood found on the axe with which the prosecution alleges Mr. Hossack was murdered and which the defense has insisted is that of a fowl testified that . McGriff was the first witness sworn by the As a native Iowan as well as someone intrigued by true-crime and courtroom drama, I very much enjoyed this story. , Language [CDATA[ transcribed the most significant ones. He said he had discovered Decide whether each statement is true or false. About The lifestyle of the women was beyond difficult. We live in a world with thousands of confident religions. The story couldve been a third of the length. How is Mr. Hossack portrayed similarly in both Midnight Assassin and the article "Indicted Her for Murder"? 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. Read more . The Midnight Assassin website has this to say about the book: MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN takes us back to the murder, the investigation, and the trials of Margaret Hossack. take the west eighty, the family to have the balance of the property. : Read the excerpt from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Patricia Bryan is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina. Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. It was more gruesome than i had anticipated in regards to how Hossack and his analog were murdered. Overall it is an intriguing unsolved murder set in Iowa. John Hossack, a well to-do farmer, was fatally attacked with an ax while he slept. Dear fellows, today I am focusing on women's rights and girls' education because they are suffering the most. 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. Or perhaps the story she told was truethat an intruder broke into the house, killed her husband while she slept soundly beside him, and was still on the loose. The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer, Extreme Punishment: The Chilling True Story of Acclaimed Law Professor Dan Markels Murder, BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD: The True Story Of The Abduction And Murder Of Ann Harrison. several large blood stains; that on the north end of the wall there was a Either someone is guilty or they are not. deceased for thirty years intimately, and had been associated with him in a "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.". punctuation errors. I stole this from someone else's review but I loved this short description. He said that he was uncertain, but INDIANOLA, April 4.--(Special)--The most damaging 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. Midnight Assassin expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, . Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. records or eyewitness statements from the time of the murder can also be used to verify the ages and locations of the . This wouldnt have happened to me. Its a piece of history that was fun to read. 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. Great non-fiction writers seem to understand a reader's need to be engaged by more than just the facts. The vicious assault stunned and divided the close-knit rural community. 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. 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 . The audience itself is involved in the play in some way. 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. Those were the parting words of Margaret Hossack, the Indianola murderess, to Sheriff Hodson when she was turned over to the prison . He testified that he had examined the hairs given him by the testified to having examined the blood found on the handle of the axe, but News contain a few factual inaccuracies and misquotes. Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2013. jury and spectators as it had stated by William Hossack that when he entered between the dead man and his wife; that he saw the dead man on 10 o'clock on Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. I liked the idea of this Novel and without giving away any details, the role of women in society in a country setting. room, and on the undervest of the garment worn by Mrs. Hossack; that he noticed J. L. Kemp, a son-in-law of the murdered man, was All Rights Reserved, Home The book jumped all over the country and the neighborhood. These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland. Do you know the exact adress? When you consider this actually happened, it's a good story. I wish this particular story had been written more colorfully. handle with a great deal of force; that it was either thrown by an animal in 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. The author details the servant girl murders that started with black servants struck with axes. , asked Attorney Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. Please see our International FAQ for more information. The book is a fascinating look at women's life on farms in rural Iowa during the late 1800s and early 1900s. attorney that the best evidence is yet to come. Her conviction was overturned one year later and she was released on bail to await a retrial. expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful influence of the media. Bryan and Wolf showcase the main characters Margaret and John Hossack in the book Midnight Assassin. Midnight Assassin expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful influence of . 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. I read the book in barely more than a day. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. did not think it was. bloody object, against which it had rubbed. At the heart of the question is did the wife do it? 3 1/2 stars rounded up. MRS. HOSSACK'S PARTING PLEA. It drags a little at times, but is a fast read. Which most supports the fact that Trifles is written in a realistic style? Case Summaries The reporter covering the story was a female journalist, Susan Glaspell. If youd like us to expand this Plot Summary into a Study Guide, click the Upvote button below. American authors Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf's non-fiction historical mystery, Midnight Assassin (2005), examines the unsolved murder of Iowa farmer John Hossack, who was bludgeoned to death in his bed in 1900. I read Trifles in and then the true story Powerful story based off the power that was given to men during this era. Shep was reputed to be an active dog with a tendency to bark at stray cattle and strangers. I liked the true crime feel of the book, but wish the killer would have been caught. Mr. Hossack were not living happily together, and that she was willing to 4.9 (7 reviews) Term. The murder case itself is fascinating, and I enjoyed reading about the culture of turn-of-the century Iowa. . Interesting story. 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. During the examination of this Discuss your answers with your group. , Page numbers source ISBN 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. One year later, she was released on bail to await a . , File size (hook) Midnight Assassin written by Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf. that he was the administrator of the Hossack estate; that he had known the Especially interesting due to the familiarity of Indianola. }}(document,'script','twitter-wjs'); 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. in her hearing that it would be better for her to separate from her husband, It contains the word "universally," which suggests a judgment has been made. Patricia L. Bryan, 1951-Book - 2007 "On the night of December 1, 1900, Iowa farmer John Hossack was attacked and killed while he slept at home beside his wife, Margaret. MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN takes us back to the murder, the investigation, and the trials of Margaret Hossack. I also liked the way the book raises issues about the exclusion of women and their perspective from the society at large and from the justice system. I did feel that the book was a bit repetitious. good book, outside of my usual reading interests but I enjoyed it. I read this book several times. , Text-to-Speech Soon after, his wife, Margaret, would become the focus of the case in 1900 when the murder occurred until this day when trying to understand how evidence is viewed and stories are told in the courtroom. prosecution in the Hossack murder trial today. A boisterous child may disrupt a quiet restaurant. Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. : 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. A sentimental drama with stereotypical characters is known as. "Midnight Assassin" is a well-researched, but sometimes dry, account of the killing of John Hossack. then passed through the sitting room, opening the front door leading on to the The It's a journey rather than a narrative with a concrete ending. 119 W Park Rd It was later reported that he had been interested in Jane Murchison, but circumstances prevailed and he married Margaret instead. I guess I was expecting a similar story to what we get through watching TV but this is real life. 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. business way at Medora. 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. Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland [Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf]. The author ends up being unable to identify the killer or even offering a strong hypothesis. : 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. The narrative flows well, good retelling of the events in context of that time. Right around midnight on a moonlit night between Saturday, Dec. 1, 1900 and Sunday, Dec. 2, prosperous Warren County, Iowa farmer John Hossack was murdered in his bed by two blows of an ax to his head. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. In order to provide easy access, we have Suspicions soon focused on his long-suffering wife, Margaret, who claimed to have been asleep by her husband's side when the assault took place. See how well critics are rating all PC video game releases at metacritic.com - Page 665 He took a leadership role in his church, ran for political office, and served as a trustee of the county. An interesting book about a serial killer in Austin, Texas in 1884 & 1885, about a year before the Whitechapel Murders. Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland. Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. This admission produced a startling effect upon the It is a bit tedious and reads like research which it contains. At trial, Margaret was convicted of murder, but later was released on appeal. Grant Kimer, deputy sheriff, was the next witness He testified to being at the Does anyone know exactly where it is? 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 . He testified that in his opinion it would be Find ICC on Facebook Mrs. Hossack testified that about 1 o'clock a.m. she heard a noise like two boards striking together. By Patricia Bryan and Thomas Wolf. Midnight Assassin also introduces us to Susan Glaspell, a journalist who reported on the Hossack murder for the Des Moines Daily. Shows how far women have come in the past 100 years with. In the end, it feels like maybe the wife didnt kill him, but she probably knew who did. On the night of December 1,1900, Iowa farmer John Hossack was attacked and killed while he slept at home beside his wife, Margaret. The cross examination of this witness failed to I couldn't put it down even though there were several moments when I wanted to stop and think about what was happening. Later these same events were used as the basis for her classic short story, "A Jury of Her Peers," and the famous play Trifles.