In this case, Midnight Assassin differ from the primary source . I wanted to read it, and forget about the bad deed done. Lots of Texas historyLOTS. 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. Discuss your answers with your group. This is the true story of an unsolved murder that took place in Iowa, on the night of December 1, 1900. 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. //]]>. : evidence thus far submitted in the Hossack murder trial was offered today. The community was outraged: How could a woman commit such an act of violence? He identified the axe marked as exhibit "one" as being The community was outraged: How could a woman commit such an act of violence? 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. And to be honest, I honestly thought I would not wanna read it. : transcribed the most significant ones. Given the many conveniences of modern life this is easy to forget. However, the writing itself was lackluster -- more of reporting than storytelling. Despite her claims of innocence, the murder case against her moved forward in what became one of the most sensational murder trials in Iowa history. It was a very interesting read - but at times I felt it got a little long with all of the details. I witnessed things that can not be explained other than there being ghosts present in the area (more than 1). I read this awhile ago, so the details arent sharp , but the axe was. 100 Kuhl House take the west eighty, the family to have the balance of the property. . Does this item contain quality or formatting issues? Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. 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 . 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. On the night of December 1, 1900, Iowa farmer John Hossack was attacked and killed while he slept at home beside his wife, Margaret. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Margaret Hossacks husband was murdered and Margaret was put on trial for the murder. Please try again. Please see our International FAQ for more information. examined. The reporter covering the story was a female journalist, Susan Glaspell. 3 1/2 stars rounded up. 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. Maybe one of those religions got it right. There would be no third trial, and no one else was ever charged with the crime. 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. It contains the word "universally," which suggests a judgment has been made. to get rid of her husband are offered, it begins to look like the defense will An interesting book about a serial killer in Austin, Texas in 1884 & 1885, about a year before the Whitechapel Murders. I was nervous! It's a true story about a murder in Iowa in the 1890's. Im built different. 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. 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 . slight changes, researchers may wish to consult the original articles from the Daily News, which are available on microfilm at several different locations, including the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines. Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. : One option is James Maybrick a London cotton merchant who "may have"traveled to Austin while at the Southern Exhibition in New Orleans. Bryan's writing style was easy to read and not boring or dry at all. A drama in which the characters and setting are presented in typical and real-world ways is known as. 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. Being able to manage a house, family and still stay married to a difficult man would have been impossible for me. I would recommend this to people looking for something different. Farm life in the midwest was difficult for the pioneers and their followers. 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 . Margaret Hossacks composure and stoicism, developed during years of spousal abuse, were seen as evidence of unfeminine behavior, while John Hossackknown to be a cruel and dangerous manwas hailed as a respectable husband and father. that he was the administrator of the Hossack estate; that he had known the . children as he wanted to, owing to the fact that Mrs. Hossack would not allow 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 . Shep, the Hossacks 10-year-old dog, figured prominently in the trial, especially in the argument for the defense. Sarah Stuelke is correct. Mrs. E. E. Henry testified that Mrs. Hossack had said Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. 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. raising objections, which were constantly overruled by the court. 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 juxtaposition of a woman journalist who covered the first trial (who would later use the case as fodder for a short story and a play) with the severely circumscribed life of a farm wife, accused of the murder of her husband, is a nice touch. Midnight assassin A murder in America's heartland . Stay to Tea . The wife is accused of murdering her husband, and it's not a simple case. Maybrick would have to then returned to London to kill the women in Whitechapel! 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. The second witness was Prof. John L. Tilton of There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Both address the fact that Mrs. Hossack was in the house at the time of her husband's murder. Learn more. is about the ways that prejudice and fear can influence justice and how people's preconceptions inform the legal process. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. , Screen Reader Just to point out, there are a number of reviews below that are for a different book, Skip Hollandsworth's "The Midnight Assassin", set in Austin, Texas. The article portrays Mrs. Hossack as only potentially dangerous, while the excerpt presents two very different images of her. Then a couple of white women were killed as well. 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. Shop now >>. 44 min listen. Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. I'm sometimes such a scaredy cat. He testified that in his opinion it would be When you consider this actually happened, it's a good story. Which element is excluded in the articles by Susan Glaspell and the excerpt from Midnight Assassin? He said that when the axe was shown to . The author ends up being unable to identify the killer or even offering a strong hypothesis. bloody object, against which it had rubbed. if(!d.getElementById(id)) Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2012. prosecution alleges Mr. Hossack was murdered and which the defense has insisted I recently read this book as a mystery that my mom recommended. the bucket was examined at his suggestion. Welcome back. The Truth of Gods word does not hinge on whether we believe it or not. A history of domestic strife within the household convinced local authorities that she had finally snapped after years of threats and verbal abuse. house; that he was with John Hossack, jr., who took it out of the water; that Glaspell's Articles. This story takes us through. Witness said that during the past year he knew of no difficulties This is an interesting study looking back on a horrendous murder and its subsequent trial of the wife and mother of the family. The book jumped all over the country and the neighborhood. Margaret died August 25, 1916, at age 72, and was buried next to him. attorney that the best evidence is yet to come. him to do so; that whenever he objected to their going any place, she always Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. Newspapers across the country carried the story, and community sentiment was divided over her guilt. Margaret Hossack claimed to be innocent, but stories of domestic troubles and abuse provided prosecutors with a motive for the crime. font porch; that the reflection of the light seen on the wall by Mrs. Hossack He stated that one year ago Thanksgiving he had been I look forward to discussing it at our book club! Shipping to the U.S. only. It was more gruesome than i had anticipated in regards to how Hossack and his analog were murdered. The book is a historical whodunnit set in rural Iowa in 1900. proper names, and we have also sometimes corrected minor spelling and I liked the idea of this Novel and without giving away any details, the role of women in society in a country setting. Glaspell's evolving portrait of Mrs. Hossack sheds light on Glaspell's thinking and sympathies--and these news articles foreshadow the themes she later developed in Trifles and "A Jury of . The vicious assault stunned and divided the close-knit rural community. She immediately jumped out of bed and ran into an adjoining room, saw a flash of light and heard the front door shut. John Hossack, a well to-do farmer, was fatally attacked with an ax while he slept. "Midnight Assassin" also introduces us to Susan Glaspell, a journalist who reported on the Hossack murder for the Des Moines Daily. Starred Review. Midnight Assassin takes us back to the murder, the investigation, and the trials of Margaret Hossack. very faint and looked as though it had been made by coming in contact with some And based upon her husband's standing the community. Please try again. Not sure if that helps, but thought Id put it out there. Ive been to the Hossack murder sight and also to his grave. The book jumped all over the country and the neighborhood. situation of the bed, he stated the bed footed north and that the foot of the I definitely want to read this book so I can get a more detailed view myself. : Very interesting theory! Fascinating unsolved murder case, well researched, Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2012. I have to add a question mark, so ? 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. room, and on the undervest of the garment worn by Mrs. Hossack; that he noticed The information about Susan Galispell, a young female reporter who later became a writer and playwright and the influence the trial had in her work is also very interesting. INDIANOLA. Good snapshot of midwestern society 100 years ago, Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2012. this is very helpful to a project im doing in school for the book trifles, 2005 2023 Get 25% off all calendars with code CALS25. Read the excerpt from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ive continued to do research on this case and I am definitely not welcome in the area, although the intrigue of this case continues to stir me after years of researching it. Interesting insights into the lives of women, the judicial system, and mental health issues in the late 1800's-early 1900's in America. Again, please notice the was the women silenced themselves while walking past the jail that Margaret was held in. 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. impossible for a man, suffering from the injuries sustained by Mr. Hossack, to The actors read or recite lines before an audience with no setting. would not say positively that it was human blood. window was opened at the time of the murder and that the murderer came through It is both thought provoking and entertaining. : Printer Friendly. Something went wrong. 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. : There was a problem loading your book clubs. John Hossack established himself as one of the countys most successful and prosperous farmers. Alternate theories of the crime, accusing the Hossacks' children, disgruntled neighbors or a "mysterious horseman," should have been a little more fleshed out by the authors. His testimony It read more like a narrative than a history or biography. 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 author laid out all the facts for the readers to make their own judgments, and didn't force her own interpretations on me, which I appreciated. . mistakes. Refresh and try again. 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. It read more like a narrative than a history or biography, eNotes. 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