Stephen Terrell

Join us on April 30 at 4:30 pm for a presentation with Stephen Terrell, author of The Madness of John Terrell: Revenge and Insanity on Trial in the Heartland.

 About the Book

In early 1900s Indiana, John Terrell was the wealthiest man in Wells County, thanks to oil discovered on his farm. But when his youngest daughter, Lucy, became pregnant by Melvin Wolfe, an abusive cad, the result was a forced marriage that quickly failed amid incest, abortion demands and attempted suicide. It became too much for John Terrell.

On a summer Sunday afternoon in 1903, John Terrell ambushed Wolfe along a roadside, then followed the wounded man to a doctor, where he broke into the operating room, put a shotgun to the injured man’s head, and fired. The next day, the murder made headlines in hundreds of newspapers across the nation, including on the front page of the New York Times.

But the murder was only the beginning. Terrell’s life and fortune quickly unraveled in a tumultuous spiral of murder, a sensational trial, and a descent into madness. For more than a decade, the controversy divided a community and ensnared five judges, two Indiana governors, a noted priest and the Indiana Supreme Court.

 

About the Author

Stephen Terrell is a retired Indiana attorney with a passion for writing. He has written three novels, numerous short stories and articles, and is a columnist for the American Bar Association’s Experience Magazine. His historical true crime book, The Madness of John Terrell, Revenge and Insanity on Trial in the Heartland, is published by Kent State University Press.

 

Stephen will be here to discuss his book, display his research, and to sell and sign copies. This event is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

Thursday, April 30
4:30 pm
YPL Program Room