Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-11

so captivating in this country. A swim
die in a German town compelled his
departure ana, leaving a wife and
three children destitute. he skinned -
All over Germany where he has per
petrated his swindles there is great
-aIoicing because OF his apprehension
and the belief is expressed that the
magnitude of lis crimes will be
found to iccreas, as developments pro-
coed. A dispatch from Berlin contrib
utes the following to the known facts:
Berlin.-Johann Hoch. whose MANY
mysterious marriages are vexing the
Chicago police. was compelled to leave
Germany January, 1895. to escape i'm
prisonment as an embezzler and COM
mon swindler His real name is Jacob
Sc midi. He was born in the town of
Horrweiler. in the province of Biugen
on the Rhine, November. 1862 After
getting married he kept a small store
in his native village and later became
N.-et VINE m -chant ia the cftv
OF Bingen.
In his capacity as a VINE me-
he lived pretentiously and used his
acquaintance. with high society as the
means of extracting large sums of
money from business men, whom he
impressed as a good fellow. There it
was that Hoch learned the winning
ways that captivated his American vic
Tins. However, the pace grew too fast
Tor Schmidt in Bingen and after a fare
we'll swindle of a sugar refinery he
sailed for the United States, leaving a
wife and three children in utter desti-
tuition. A receiver was appointed for
his business, but his creditors are still
waiting FOR dividend. The people in
BinSen are grimly rejoicing that their
former townsman is at last in the tolls.
Hoch Will Fe;gn Insanity.
From previous experiences Inspector
Shippy declares that he believes the
alleged bigamist will, as is usually the
case when he has been placed on trial,
profess insanity. His actions on the
train en- route to Chicago made il ap-
pear that possibly this might be his
scheme when brought to account His
rambling talk, and repeated declara-
ton that ne was IAN educated man and
- SANC tic tue
belief that this is TO be the defense OF
Johann Hoch And judging by what
old men on the police force who have
seen Hoch say, the man is no mere
novice at the insanity gag" and they
declare that even the insane officials
who have TO deal with such cases of
shamming almost every day, were
fooled at previous appearance before
a law court in Chicago II rather ex-
pect Hoch viii sham insanity" said
Inspector Shippy When caught and
charged with selling mortgaged furni-
ture in 1898 he played the same dodge.
"On trial in Judge Bakers court he
cut up queer antics. shook his head at
F. j. Magerstadt. who had furnished
four fats for him, and declared he
never had seen him before. and when
Mrs. j. II. SchwartZmenn, of Milwau-
kee. pointed a dramatic finger at him
and said: That man poisoned my two
sisters he made ices at her. In the
county Jail he Kept up the farce. raw
ing like a wild man until the guards.
who believed in the genuineness of the
seizure. feared to come near him. AS
soon as Hoch realized his pretended
insanity would not save him from hard
work, he suddenly became as sane as
any man."
Summary of His Life.
In an interview Johann Hoch vouch-
es for the following summary of his
career, ending with his arrival in Chi
cago, in 1895. 1t has been reported
that his operations began in 1881. or
about that time, but according to his
own story he did not arrive in this
country until two years later. The his
tory is:
November 81. 1860, born in Horr-
weller, Germany. Father, Wilhelm
Hoch; mother Margaret Hoch, nee
Schiller.
S65-1S76-AttenSed common school
and gymnasium.
76-1SS0-Learned trade of sheet
metal worker.
S80-1SS2-Served as soldier.