52 Ancestors - We don't talk about it

 I am joining Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks. The topic is "we don't talk about it"

When I started doing genealogy, I never thought one of my ancestors would have a criminal past. Then I discovered an ancestor with a record.

 I did eventually ask my mother about this ancestor, and she had heard nothing of their criminal past. This has led me to a journey of discovery trying to understand what exactly happened. The newspapers of the time sensationalized the crime. I have spent a lot of hours researching what happened. It wasn't as black and white as the papers of the time indicated.  

Reason T Hoyt was born to William and Jane Hoyt.  He was the youngest son and 8th child out of 9. He was born with a harelip aka cleft palate. In 1900 he was living on the family farm near Cumberland Iowa with his brother Lance and family. He was convicted of manslaughter and sent to Ft Madison Prison for a term of 6 years. His friend Bode "Robert" Brown was also convicted of manslaughter to serve a term of 8 years. Both were paroled early due to large number of letters received by the governor. In Reason's case, a petition of 185 names of the citizens of Cumberland and vicinity and large number of personal letters. Reason sentence was suspended on May 15, 1902. Robert "Bode" Brown sentence was suspended on October 19, 1903.

I also struggled with whether I should share this at all. The sad thing is what happened to this victim is not really all that different in this day and age. I can honestly say through my research all the parties involved were just trying to do the right thing. However, a 15-year girl died because of their actions. I have decided not to go into the specifics of what happened right now.  Time was served and the two convicted of the crime went on to live productive law-abiding lives. 

The victim was a Miss Hattie Spies. She came from a large family.  She was born to Elizabeth "Katie" and Lewis Spies. Her father, Lewis, immigrated from Germany. She was hired out to work at a farm. She liked to go to barn dances and carriage rides.  She sounded like a very typical 15-year-old girl of the time. Hattie died September 8, 1900. As reported by the paper her funeral was large one with the procession from the home to the cemetery was over a mile long. I don't want her story to be lost to history.  

Telling this story in a way that is fair and detailed was one of my genealogy goals for this year.