The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-31
GOT CHICAGO'S BLUEBBARD.
HIRED 4 ROOM HERE AND TRIED
TO MARRY LiNDLADY.
Ills Published Picture Gave Him Away
Said 10 Have Married From rs 10
40 Women, hurled some and Robbed
and Desef-II Others-Hls Denial OF II.

Katherine Kimmerle, a widow. living at
$40 West Forty seventh street. advertised
in ono of the German newspapers last
Wednesday morning for lodger About
, O'clock that afternoon a middle-aged
German, prospero,lsly dressed, came and
hired her hall bedroom.
He hadn't been in the fiat more than a
couple Of hours when he offered to peel the
potatoes for dinner. and said:
Pm a good cook and III cook your
dinner for you
Mrs kimmerle thanked him. but de-
clined bis help. la the evening her new
ledger sat and chatted with her. and seemed
TO take a great deal Of interest in her his
tory The next morning it was the same
thing, only more 50.
How would you like to marry me?'
he said after breakfast, while he watched
the widow washing dishes. I'm "a rich
man aud the son OF count. Don't you
think ia make a good husbandf'
This was too sudden for ths widow.
She told him she had had one husband and
wasn't at all anxious TO make second
venture
The lodger was out yesterday after
noon when some one brought in a news
paper to Mrs. hinmerle When she saw
it she gave a scream. The paper con-
tanned the picture sent out by the Chicago
police Of John Hook who IS alleged TO
have married from rs to 20 wives, who either
promptly died or We're robbed and deserted.
The Chicago police want him in connec-
ton with some of the deaths, and the Chi
cago papers have been writing him up
as a Buebeard
The picture seemed TO Mrs. kimmerel
10 be perfect likeness Of her ledger. When
he came In she looked first 1T him and then
at the picture until she became convinced
Then she told her neighbors and wont to
tho West Forty-se venth street police station.
When she got there she made up TO the
desk where Sergt- Fahey was sitting and
laid the picture in front of him
That man is in my house, she said
Fahey sent Detectives O'Neill. Frye,
Karl md kprns with her over 10 the fat
The lodgsr was out His trunk aud cloth
ing were brand new. Some Of the clothing
had Chicago labels.
It was after 10 O'Clock p. VI when the
ledger came in. When he opened the door,
O'Nell stepped up TO him.
How do You do, MIR Hook" he sadly
Hello said the man Then lie seemed
TO recoleCt himself and said
MY name isn't Hook Where did you
get that naney'
" NPIN SHOWED llin the picture, anu
took him around TO the station. There
the man Insisted lac ~as Henry Bartel.
He had six 500 bills aud s25 in smaller
bills. In one Of his pockets was Chicago
paper containing an account Of Blue
beard
To Detective Sergeant Fogarty. who
came up from Headquarters, the prisoner
admitted that IL was his picture that the
Chicago police had sent out But they've
got the wrong man he said There's
another man in this. but I've got to stand for
IL all. He said he was willing 10 go back
10 Chicago and explain there.
At Police Headquarters the prisoner
admitted that he was Hook. John Joseph
Adoph Hook He said that bis homo
was at $3.50 Mon avenue. Chicago. The
circular from the Chicago police accuses
him Of murder and bigamy Hook de-
MED that he was guilty Of either charge
4 have only had two wives. he, said
The first is living and the second was
and who died on Jan. u. left there fonr
days later | don't know anything at all
about the other women
His pockets yielded among other things
a loaded revolver, a lot Of cards marked
Bartel" and two wedding rings which
initials would be, until they were very thin
from the filing One letter only could be
discerned and that was n 81"
Hook is about feet 8. is OF medium build
ana mas q blOnI ColII4tNloHt bdI n bibNIl
hair and mustoche and rather piercing
brown eyes.
The Chicago police have the names OF
eighteen women in all who are alleged 10
have married Hook, beginning with
woman whom he married in Vienna in
ISL. He IS said to have turned up ia
Chicago IN 1881 and married there Mrs.
c. A. Mayer who died three weeks later.
Later that year a man answering his de-
scripton married woman in Peoria. and
Disappeared. taking all her savings Nest
Of the women Hook is alleged 10 have
married since then belonged in Chicago
and were either deserted or died shortly
after marriage.
The last woman who had died after
marrying him Of whom the police got trace
WAS Mrs Marie Walker whom he married
last year Her body was eXhumed, but
il was found Yesterday that she had died
Of natural causes. Powders found IN Hooks
last home were harmless The police are
now said 10 be stigating the death Of
Mrs. Julia Steinbrecker, who died in 1894
two months after her marriage to Hook
leaving $1,000. or the eighteen alleged
wives whose names have been secured,
ten died soon after their marriage seyen
were deserted and one disappeared