Glaspell's Articles
INDIANOLA, Dec. 5.--(Special)--The Hossack murder case took a sensational turn today when the sheriff went to Medora for the avowed purpose of arresting Mrs. Hossack, wife of the murdered man. The departure of the sheriff was kept a profound secret for a time, but eventually some of the county officials were induced to reveal to your correspondent that the object of the trip was the arrest of Mrs. Hossack.
The evidence is by no means conclusive of Mrs. Hossack's guilt, but the testimony before the coroner's jury was such as to raise a suspicion of guilt and her arrest was decided upon as a matter of precaution.
Members of the Hossack family are understood to have testified before the coroner's jury that the blood on the ax found under the corn crib was caused by chopping off the head of a turkey the day before the murder. It is now reported that a child admitted on cross-examination that he himself placed the ax in the corn crib the evening before the murder and that at that time there was no blood on it.
Friends of Mrs. Hossack are beginning to suggest that she is insane and that she has been in this condition for a year and a half under the constant surveillance of members of the family.
The robbery theory has been wholly abandoned, as absolutely nothing was taken and no suspicious characters were seen in the neighborhood prior or subsequent to the murder.
The most suspicious circumstance in connection with the crime is the testimony of Mrs. Hossack that she lay in bed by the side of her husband while his skull was crushed in two places, and was not awakened in time to see anyone leave the house.
The developments since the murder that the members of the Hossack family were not on pleasant relations with each other is a complete surprise, as Hossack was not supposed to have an enemy in the world.
The verdict of the coroner's jury found this morning was as follows:
"We do find said deceased came to his death by two blows upon the head; one with a sharp instrument and one with a blunt instrument. (Signed) C.D. Johnson, Fred Johnston, T.W. Passwater."