Murder in Kansas

Close your eyes and think about what life would be like in rural Kansas in 1895.  What would it be like to be a young wife with a year old son married to a farmer?  What would you do if something happened to your husband?  What if you were pregnant when your husband was murdered?  

Mary was a young wife in 1895 who lived the above.  All has been confirmed except the pregnancy.  William and Mary had a baby in 1895, but it is unknown if the baby was born and died before William's tragedy or after. 

William was in the field in November when his assailant, Hedy, presumably snuck up on him. After being fired on William took out after Hedy.  Hedy fired a fatal shot to William's face and took off back to Iowa.  Neighbors, including the one who kindly gave Hedy a place to stay the night before, found William in the field.

A reward was offered by the then governor of the State of Kansas for information on the murder.  Eventually Hedy was arrested in Iowa and returned to Kansas for trial.  After 16 hours of deliberation the jury found him guilty after hearing the prosecution and then Hedy's declaration of self-defense as his defense. (I suppose it could be self-defense if you completely ignore the fact that Hedy fired first and William came after him because of that! I'm not a lawyer, but I know what I would tell one of my students if he or she snuck up on someone and hit them and then cried self-defense when the victim retaliated.  Not that it makes it all okay, but if you start something you should be ready to take on the consequences.  jmho)

Hedy committed suicide after the conviction.  I wonder if he couldn't bear the thought of prison or what he had done.  I wonder if he was still with his wife at the time of the murder and if he had any children.  

The murder and trial was mentioned in newspapers as far away as Denver.  Several Kansas newspapers had articles about it, too.  Unfortunately, I could not find out more information on Hedy or William's wife, Mary.  Mary died in the 1950s.  The young son died when he was only 19.  I can't imagine the heartache Mary endured during her lifetime.