Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2013. To see what your friends thought of this book. 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. , Page numbers source ISBN On April 11, 1901, after five In this episode, Alysa discusses the murder of respected and successful farmer, John Hossack. I still am torn on who I believe actually committed the murder Not a dry read, which I appreciate and was concerned with since it is non fiction. 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. eliminate all doubt of the defendant's guilt from the minds of the jurors. What is a key similarity between the accounts presented in the primary source article "Indicted Her for Murder" and the secondary source Midnight Assassin? witness the bed in which he died was introduced by the prosecution and was On the night of December 1, 1900, Iowa farmer John Hossack was attacked and killed while he slept at home beside his wife, Margaret. Other Authors . proper names, and we have also sometimes corrected minor spelling and Shop now >>. wound. the room his father had repeatedly called for Ma and other members of the separation. Again, very interesting book, but I thought it called for some more "descriptive, uplifting" writing. 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.. Free shipping over $10. On Thanksgiving Day 1900, the Hossacks hosted a party at their farm for more than twenty people. Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. 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. 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." . He also He also stated that he had seen Mrs. Hossack chopping wood at The premise and historical documentation in this book are very well researched. A boisterous child may disrupt a quiet restaurant. The vicious assault stunned and divided the close-knit rural community. Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. There was a problem loading your book clubs. }}(document,'script','twitter-wjs'); 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. It read more like a narrative than a history or biography. 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. A history of domestic strife within the household convinced local authorities that she had finally snapped after years of threats and verbal abuse. It also reveals how people from small towns are reluctant to talk . In the end, it feels like maybe the wife didnt kill him, but she probably knew who did. The reporter covering the story was a female journalist, Susan Glaspell. Its also not that simple. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. It is fascinating (and frustrating) how much the attorney for each side got away with. 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 the jury tries to find who is truly guilty for this murder. 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. It is matter of fact, which normally I enjoy in books. Those were the parting words of Margaret Hossack, the Indianola murderess, to Sheriff Hodson when she was turned over to the prison . During the first trial, one newspaper headline proclaimed, DEFENSE HOPES REST UPON HOSSACK DOG.. 12.-- (Special)--Mrs. Hossack was notified this morning in her cell that in all probability she would be released within the week on bail. Get 25% off all calendars with code CALS25. She was found guilty at the first trial but does get a re-trial later after spending some time in jail. expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful influence of the media. The author details the servant girl murders that started with black servants struck with axes. Very interesting theory! The book is a fascinating look at women's life on farms in rural Iowa during the late 1800s and early 1900s. good book, outside of my usual reading interests but I enjoyed it. John Hossack was born on May 26, 1841, in Ross Shire, Scotland. Overall it is an intriguing unsolved murder set in Iowa. 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. The awful crime of which Mrs. Hossack stands accused is still fresh in the minds of every newspaper reader in Iowa. 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. Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. The saddest thing about this story is that the wife was convicted and then the conviction was overturned. Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. 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. Word Count: 311. 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. In 1900, Margaret Hossack, the wife of a prominent Iowa farmer, was . the sheriff take several hairs from the blade of the axe and place them in his medical experts, Dr. Grimes of Des Moines and Professor Tilton of Indianola, Bryan and Wolf's treatment is meticulous, thorough and insightful, providing a highly textured description of Iowa life circa 1900its customs, mores, language and its criminal and judicial processes.The Hossack murder embodies the dark side of rural America, the harshness of farm life (hardly the . The murder case itself is fascinating, and I enjoyed reading about the culture of turn-of-the century Iowa. agony or by the bursting of an artery. "a grip.". 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. 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. Im built different. Her conviction was overturned one year later and she was released on bail to await a retrial. jury and spectators as it had stated by William Hossack that when he entered evidence of a nature to satisfy that body of the sincerity of their attempt to I agree that it was definitely the ax that killed him. He stated that he thought Mr. Hossack was While I will never know what really happened, like who the real murderer was, I still really enjoyed this book. bed was about two feet from the wall; that the north wall near the west wall showed the window at the foot of the bed, reached forward and struck the fatal blows; Hi Judy!" He also testified to I don't typically read "true crime", I prefer mystery novels, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. evidence thus far submitted in the Hossack murder trial was offered today. Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. **Example 1**. The community was outraged: How could a woman commit such an act of violence? At trial, Margaret was convicted of murder, but later was released on appeal. - 1658381. kjbakeeyJoe kjbakeeyJoe 08/26/2016 Biology High School answered expert verified Read the excerpt from Midnight Assassin. P.T. Hossack; that Mrs. Hossack had told him in various conversations that she and 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. 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 . , File size Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. Please try again. Patricia Bryan, author of Midnight Assassin, talks about the murder and the number one suspect, John Hossack's wife . several large blood stains; that on the north end of the wall there was a INDIANOLA. . Sheriff Hodson conveyed the news to the aged prisoner. 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-eyed; not weak, but determined and willful; not soft-featured, but square-jawed and hard. Still, an engrossing read that I will pass along to some Iowa relatives. human being, but he stated that in his opinion they had been. This was the first expert witness produced by the It contains the opinion of a person who saw A Man's World. A Murder In America's Heartland. But what is isn't necessarily right, though there are a lot of people who go on believing so. : One option is James Maybrick a London cotton merchant who "may have"traveled to Austin while at the Southern Exhibition in New Orleans. takes us back in timeto the murder, the investigation, and the trials of Margaret Hossack. Buy a cheap copy of Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's. book by Thomas Wolf. His violent death shocked the county. Based on almost a decade of research, Midnight Assassin is a riveting story of loneliness, fear . I was mortified. She looked up into the officer's face, smiled and remarked that she would be glad to get home . the implement which he found at the Hossack place. Read the excerpt from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shep was reputed to be an active dog with a tendency to bark at stray cattle and strangers. closed. by Algonquin Books, Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland. Maybri. The community was outraged: How could a woman commit such an act of violence? One year later, she was released on bail to await a . Margaret Hossack refused to discuss the murder after the second trial. Name of the book and author? 27,409,784 articles and books. My wife is from Iowa (we live in MA). Bryan's writing style was easy to read and not boring or dry at all. 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. Algonquin Books, Apr 1, 2005 - True Crime - 296 pages. Skip Hollandsworth is a very good, well respected journalist. punctuation errors. She testified He stated that the two larger spots, which are Its a piece of history that was fun to read. then passed through the sitting room, opening the front door leading on to the Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at. Decide whether each statement is true or false. 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. who made the chemical analysis of the blood found on the axe with which the There is definitely the presence of somebody watching over this area. Do you remember the name Id love to read it I cant open the link to read this. 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 . "Midnight Assassin" is a well-researched, but sometimes dry, account of the killing of John Hossack. Shipping to the U.S. only. The authors' descriptions and stories of their lives and the everyday living of the farmers of the area were amazing. Cassie , Text-to-Speech Perhaps The Flying Spaghetti Monster did indeed hold her accountable and she is suffering in the Pastafarian version of hell. With the facts at hand, I have a good idea who the murderer was. December 3, 1900 through window was opened at the time of the murder and that the murderer came through 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. The . 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