Susan Glaspell grew up in Iowa and became the statehouse reporter for the Des Moines Daily News in 1899. Her memory of a murder trial in Iowa that she had covered served as the inspiration for the short play Trifles (1916). Glaspell recalled that she "had meant to do it as a short story, but the stage took it for its own." One year later, however, she adapted Trifles into a story, "A Jury of Her Peers" (1917).

The microfilm images of the newspaper articles in this collection present the first news of the murder of Mr. Hossack and the subsequently released facts of the case and Mrs. Hossack's involvement. The excerpt from "A Jury of Her Peers" offers a valuable perspective on Trifles—the story spells out much more than the play.

This follow-up article by Glaspell on the Hossack murder details the known facts of the murder, and publicizes rumors about Mr. and Mrs. Hossack’s relationship and Mrs. Hossack’s legal defense.