On 7 May 1883 my paternal great-grandfather, Iowa farmer Robert Jasper PERIGO [1839-1917; father of 9 children w/wife Mildred J. SWETNAM: Alice M., George M., James E., Manoah, Marquis L.(my 'Grandpa Mark'), Robert D., William J., Lemuel G., John W.] fatally shot his neighbor, farmer John HIDINGER [1839-1883; also father of 9 children w/wife Lydia A. WALTERS: Annie L., Willis D., Mary L., David H., Cora M., Walter J., Leroy L., Eugene E., Daisy L.] after quarreling over ownership of a dog left behind by a previous tenant. Newspaper archives mention that the murder trial suffered numerous appeals and spanned 7 years; Perigo's guilty verdict was eventually overturned.
To offer my heartfelt condolences for what my kin had done to theirs, I managed to connect with a grandchild of the victim's youngest daughter/Daisy who'd been made fatherless in infancy upon Hidinger's demise. She generously shared with me copies of a lot more interesting info/pics passed down from her ancestors about these men & this case (...amazing, what can be learned thru Ancestry.com connections!).
Joan E. (Perigo-)Smith