Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-02-25
is VICTIM OF JOHN HOCH
Former Berkeley County Lady
Married to Modern Bluebeard
He SECURED ALL HER MONEY
Then Skipped Out and Had the
Nerve to Write For More
An Interesting Story.
He SECURED ALL HER MONEY


An Interesting Story. :.
1t developed here today that Berke-
ley county lady, who was born and
reared near Hedgesvlle. and is woman
of the best family connections with
many friends and relatives in this
section. was one of the victims of John
Hoch, the modern Bluebeard who. is
said to have married about 80 women.
some of whom he is charged with
numbering TO get life insurance.
The Berkeley county lady was Mrs.
Margaret A. Thomas. who will be re-
membered by manv persons of the
Hedgesville district. although she
had been q resident of Baltimore for a
number of years before she became
one of the numerous wives OF Blue.
beard Hoch. Mrs. Thomas was the
widow of veteran of the Civil war,
owned subs tantial home in Balti
more aud was 10 receipt of u pension
from the government as the widow of
Union soldier. both home and PEN
sion coming to her through her lat
husband
| A year or two ago she answered an
advertisement in matrimonial paper,
which had been inserted by Hoch. and
a correspondence with the much
married one followed. In short
time Hoch. who was sailing under
the name of John Kyle. appeared in
Baltimore and called upon the charm
ing widow, and such was the impress.
sion he made that ne won her consent
to a speedy marriage. Hoch prevailed
upon the lady to sell her home, upon
which she realized tidv sum, aud
shortly after the marriage he succeed
ed in getting possession of the money
and skipped out. He left her without
means of future support. rs her PEN
sion was stopped ON the dav of her
marriage, although she still had q
small sum of money left.
| In week or two after the disap-
pearance of Hoch. his confidiug wife
cago. He told her a pathetic tale Of
being sick and friendless in strange
city. and pleaded with her to send him
$40 at once. The woman's heart was
touched by the story. aud forgetting
his treatment she sent him the money
by telegraph. She speedily followed
the monev in person. and was surpris.
ed to find Hoch very much alive and
we'll.
Hoch fixed up some sort of story
to placate his INDIGNANT wife, telling
her that through misfortune he had
lost the money she realized from the
sale of her home, and asking her to
get position so she.could earn more
money to help along. He succeeded
in getting her place in a boarding
house, by this time the suspicious of
the woman had become thoroughly
aroused. and she decided to keep n
sharp eye nponsher cratic spouse. A
week afterward Hoch called at the
place she wassworking and told her
he bad come to collect her wages for
the week. His actions we're such that
he aroused the utmost fear iu the
woman. who had begun to suspect
that she Lad been his dupe and that
there were Others in the same boat,
and she fed from room. She
afterward stated to tile boarding house
mistress. who helped to hide her from
Hoch. that she was positive he he'd
made up his mind to kill her. and
was only awaiting q favorable op-
portunitv. She decided to go back
to Baltimore secretly, and started the
next dav for the Marsland city, arriv-
ing there practically penniless. Since
that time.she had.made her own liv-
ing and endeavored to forget her uu-
pleasant experience.
When the story OF Hoch wa pub
lished in the newspapers she had no
difficulty in recoQnizing him as the
man who had duped her, but until
that time she little suspected the ex
tent of his operations. She has
written to Chicago to attorneys to see
If some portion of the money she
gave himHconld not be recovered, bat
attorneys hold out no hone that she
will ever get a dollar. However. as
the marriage 20 Hocb was illegal. she
is making an effort to be restored to
her former status as pensioner, and
ii is believed that her efforts in this
direction may be successful.