Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-11
The Penalty Fixed at Life Impris-
onment.
intense EXCITEMENT AT INDIANOLA
Woman is Old and Decrepit-Murder-
ed Husband With an Axe While -he
Latter Was Asleep, December 2.
1900.


Hossack was this morning at 10 o'clock
found guilty of murder in the first de-
gree and was sentenced to the peni-
tentiary at Anamosa for life. The
crime for which she was convicted was
the murder of her husband December
2, 1900.
The case went to the jury Tuesday
evening and after hard battle in the
jury room the twelve men came to the
decision that Mrs. Hossack struck her
husband in the head with an ak while
the latter was asleep.
This morning when it became
known that the jury had agreed there
was intense excitement in Indianola.
People flocked to the court room. The
place was densely packed Suddenly
there was hush. An aged woman,
tall and bent appeared moving slowly
up the aisle toward the bar of justice.
She evidenced the keenest interest in
that which was to seal her fate, and
Z which was locked in the bosoms of
the twelve men who but few NOM
ents before entered the place after a
udIu, l0ilS uIdWu OuI bdtllC
She appeared calm and collected.
The attorneys had arrived and all was
In readiness for the final scene of the
drama. The court asked the foreman
of the jury if he had agreed upon a
verdict and receiving reply in the af-
firmative directed the bailiff to receive
it. 1t was handed to the clerk, who in
faltering tones read: "We the jury
find the defendant guilty as charged in
the Indictment, and recommend that
she be imprisoned in the penitentiary
for life, at hard labor" There was a
hush in the court room, broken only
after moment by the shutting of feet.
Every eye was glued upon the defend
ant but if they expected an outcry or
exhibition of grief they were mistak-
en-. She was visibly affected, but not
to the extent that she made scene.
Each juror was polled and told the
court that the verdict just read was
his opinion of the matter according to
the evidence introduced. They were
excused. The case will be appealed
to the supreme court on error of in
struction of the court.
The Crime.
:.
y Warren county was shocked on hear
\ ing that John Hossack, an old and re
j spected citizen of Squaw township, had
been foully murdered with an axe in
his own home, while asleep in bed with
his wife. The officers repaired at once
D to the scene of the tragedy. Coroner
n Dale organized jury consisting OF
N Fred Johnson, T. w. Passwater and
shris johnson, and upon the verdict OF
Nhe jury, which, however did not fix
gthe responsibility, an information was
filed charging Margaret Hossack, the
u wife of the murdered man, with having
committed the deed.
The information was filed before
I Squire Ross, of this city, and the de
fendant was bound over to the Crane
jury in bond of $4,000, which she
gave. The January grand jury, after
long and tedious examination, return
ed an Indictment for murder in the
first degree, to which Indictment the
defendant entered plea of not guilty
She was arrested and committed to the
county jail without bail. Her attor
neys presented an application for al
order allowing bail, which was denied
by Judge Applegate, who in effect helt
that the evidence was strong and the
presumption great" of her guilt.