The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-02-01
KILLED Il OF
HIS WIVES
Chicago Police Charge Many
Murders To Hoch
MARRIED 20 TIMES
Modern Bluebeard Captured in
New York Looks on HisArrest
As a Joke
MARRIED 20 TIMES

tlAl1ApCf iNbs NhiNi VI a INV
O'Neill has declared his belief that JO-
ham Adolph Hoch. alleged to have
been married to more than a score Of
women, has murdered ut least twelve
of them.
This statement was made by the
chief in a letter written by him TO Cap
tain James j. Langan of the detective
bureau of New York, in which lie re-
quested the police department Of that
city TO follow clew given through an
anonymous letter received by Inspector
of Police Shippy from a woman living
at the Belvedere hotel, New York.
In this letter ii is intimated that
Hoch married two New York women
whom he has abandoned. An attempt
was made to have Hoch indicted by
the grand jury on charges of wife
abandonment and bigamy. The com
plainants were Mrs. Amelia Augusta
Fischer-Hoch, Mrs. Anna Hendrick-
son-Hoch and Mrs. Marie Goerk Hoch.
1t was found, however. that in bigamy
cases the wife cannot testify against
the husband and that witnesses to the
marriages must be secured before ac-
ton can be tal.en AS the marriages
took place in various parts of the coun-
try time viii be required in which TO
secure witnesses to give testimony
against Hoch sufficient to indict him.
At Minneapolis, Mimi, it is said,
Hoch attempted TO murder Mrs. Mabel
Leichsman-Hart in June, 1903. Dr. G..
L. Hart, who called Milwaukee, Wis.
his home married Miss Leichsman Of
the Dewey theater, in that city, dur
ing the first week in June, 1908. Three
days after, while they occupied quar-
tiers in the Allen hotel. he is alleged to
have tried to chloroform her as she lay
in bed The attempt was unsuccess-
full, and Hart disappeared. Indications
are now that Hart and Hoch are iden-
teal.
The prisoner John Joseph Adolph
Hoch, now held in New York, If re-
ports are true, had eighteen wives, nine
of whom died suspiciously. He was ar
raigned there yesterday and remdnded
until Feb. . as a fugitive from justice.
He joked in court and said laughingly,
''Wait till get to Chicago and it Viii
be different"
When asked as to why he thought
he had been arrested he replied:
81 suppose it is on account of selling
some mortgaged property in Chicago,
that is ALL I'm not afraid to 90 back
there at any time, and when do this
whole matter will be cleared away"
Hoch was brought down to police
headquarters and kept there while the
police attempted to get a confession
ont of him. But Hoch was not nearly
as laxative about his past life as lie
is said to have been to the widow, Mrs.
Catharine Kimmerle, whom he desired,
according to her story, to add TO his
number of wives.
"I,neyer had but two wives" he said.
Zone is living and one was May Fischer,
who died recently But | had nothing
to do with her death. am a much
| abused man and am standing as scape-
| goat for another man. | am willing
TO 60 back to Chicago and face a trial.
This circular" said Detective Fogar-
| ty, says you had other wives when
you married May Fischer and that you
are guilty Of bigamy."
IL only had one other wife" said
| Hoch.
Hoch's characteristic of proposing to
every unattached woman he met re.
suited in his capture by the New York
| police.
Coroner Hoffman here has reported
that traces of poison have been found
in the stomach of Mrs Marie Walcker.
Hoch through the chemical analysis.