Well I'm hoping someone more familiar with cultural history might be able to tell me. 138 years ago is a hell of a long time. E.g. maybe murderous jealousy was a more risque concept then? And hence asking your audience to consider it was more provocative?
This kind of device is used to great success in modern fiction, such as Stephen King's (non-supernatural!) short story "All that you love will be taken away", where the conclusion is not only open-ended, but also left to chance!