STORIES IN FICTION AND IN FACT - GLASPELL,SUSAN A JURY OF HER PEERS AND THE 1901 MURDER TRIAL OF HOSSACK,MARGARET

In this article, Professor Bryan discusses the classic short story A J ury of Her Peers and the questions it raises about the stories told an d accepted under the law. Relying on historical documents and contempo raneous newspaper reports, Professor Bryan describes the actual case t hat inspired Susan Glaspell to write her work of fiction: the 1901 tri al of Margaret Hossack, who was convicted of murdering her husband wit h an axe while he lay asleep in bed. During the trial, neighbors testi fied that Margaret Hossack had been abused during her marriage and had sought their help on numerous occasions. That evidence was heavily re lied on by the prosecution in arguing that Margaret Hossack had a moti ve for the crime. The story of Margaret Hossack, both during the trial and thereafter, leads us to ask the question suggested by Susan Glasp ell: whether justice will be denied until we recognize the biases and assumptions that shape the narratives told in the courtroom.