The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-20
HOCH FOUND
GUILTY IN
QUICK TINE
Chicago Bluebeard
Is Convicted Of
Uxoricide.
Whistles Lively Tune
and Wants to Die
Immediately.
He Maintains, However, That
He Is Innocent Victim of
Hasty Judgment.


CHICAGO, May 1s.-Johann ,Hoch,
who by his own confession is several
times bigamist and who is charged
BY the police with having married at
least forty women in the past fifteen
years, to- day was found guilty of mur-
der ana the death penalty was recon-
mended by a jury In Judge Kerstens s
court. The crime for which Hoch will be
led to the gallows is the murder of
his last wife Mrs. Marie Walcker-Hoch
Iioch had been married to this
woman but few days when she be-
came suddenly Ill and died. He formed
an alliance with the sister of the dead
woman and. securing the latter's
money, fed from Chicago. This woman
in quest Of revenge, notified the police
that Hoch had poisoned her sister, and
a search for Hoch was begun. He was
found two weeks later in New York
and brought back to Chicago and con-
fronted by several OF his wives. Dur
ing the trial expert testimony was
offered by the State that Hoch had
poisoned the woman b. administering
arsenic.
To-day's verdict was one OF the
quickest on record in Cook County, the
jury reaching decision in less than
half an hour. Three ballots were taken.
The first ballot was unanimous as to
Hoch's guilt and then a ballot followed
as to the punishment to be inflicted
This ballot showed ten in favor of the
death penalty and two for life i'm
prisonment. A third ballot resulted in
the twelve jurymen voting for the
death penalty.
"ALL OFF WITH JOHANN
We'll, 1 guess it's all off with Jo-
~ so&
was read in court. and 1t was plain he
was greatly affected He sat in a
STOPPING position and when the dread
word death" was reached he turned
pale, stared hopelessly at the jurors
and then sank imp in his chair. Hochs
attorneys will ask for a new trial, al
though the condemned man, after
reaching his cell, declared he was ready
to die and would be better satisfied if
they did not make the effort.
Il wish they would hang me tonight,
now that I have been found guilty"
declared Hoch. II am not afraid to die,
and the sooner it is all over with, the
better"
Hoch expressed great surprise at the
finding of the jury and declared that
the jurors did not take time to con-
slider the evidence.
'The evidence was all circumstantial,
lie SAID, anu my llle was SueSSeU away
by the jury, which did not give sufficient
consideration to the testimony offered
Had they done so / might have stood a
better chance. But there is no use in
finding fault now. 1t is all over with me.
and / hope that no time will be lost in
taking me to the gallows. / do not want
my attorney to attempt anything more
for me, as I know 1t will be of no use.
The end cannot come too soon to suit me.
1 committed no crime. If my wife had
been shot by me instead of poisoned. as
was alleged 1t would have taken the Jury
at least a day to have returned verdict;
but this was case of poisoning, in which
at least twice as much time should have
taken for its consideration"
SAYS HE HAS NO HOPE.
Hoch denied positively that he had
murdered a number of wives. as has been
alleged, and displayed some bitterness In
speaking of the matter.
y "Such talk is foolish" he said. 1.-THE
reports have been spread .lat I am q
modern Bluebeard. This is untrue. All
that can be said against me is that /
committed bigamy. AS to the talk that I
had nearly a dozen wives, it Is nonsense,
as are the stories that made away with
them. There was no evidence that I had
another sweetheart and wanted to get rid
Of the woman I am accused of poisoning.
L spent money " 5Ce AiSi, pul tIiiS part
of the evidence was ignored by the
jurors"
Hoch said he preferred the death pen
atty to life imprisonment. A prison guard,
who had heard Hoch's talk, said in an
attempt to cheer him up: Where's life
there's hope, you know Hoch smiled
and said: mot for me, and Johann is
going to die.
Hoch then comenced to- whistle a lively
<,,,o he uyoc returning RI 6ts call IJo
is said to be penniless.