Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-31
HOOK IS ARRESTED
Man Accused Of Killing u Wives
Discovered in New
York.
WAS GETTING BUSY AGAIN
Warm Attentions 20 His Landlady
Led to Her Suspicious Being
Aroused.

New York, Jan. 31.-Johann Hoch
arrested last night charged with big
amy and wife abandonment, told a
police official today he was anxious
10 return to Chicago at once, and has
no intention of opposing eXtradition.
Chicago. Jan. 31-Chief of Police
ONeill today declared his belief that
Johann Adolph Hoch, alleged To have
been married to over a score of WON
en-. has murdered at least II of them
An attempt will be made to have
Hoch indicted by the grand jury on
charges of wife abandonment and big
amy.
Captured Last Evening.
Chicago, Jan. 31.-Johann Hook. re-
puted husband of many women-the
number estimated by the police to be
22-has been captured. He was ar
rested in New York last evening, fol
lowing his attempts to secure passage
across the ocean, where. it is believed.
he hoped 70 elude the police. Word of
his arrest was received by the Central
station police last night from the po-
lice of New York.
The arrest took place in a furnished
room house in West Forty-seventh
street Mrs. Catherine Kimmerle. the
landlady, told the New York authori-
ties he engaged board Saturday and
had not been in the house 20 minutes
when he asked TO be allowed to peel
some potatoes for her. Yesterday he
proposed marriage and she told the
police. She added that the man talk
ed a great deal to her yesterday and
became much interested in her, she
thought.
New York Woman Talks.
''He was so anxious to talk that |
did not know what he was after, said
Mrs. Kimmerle, Till all of a sudden he
told me he wanted to marry me. re-
member reading in the papers about
that awful Chicago man and it sudden
ly flashed across my mind that this
man who wanted to peel potatoes after
being 30 minutes in my house and
wanted to marry me after knowing me
a day or so. was the same man they
wanted in Chicago. and ! ran To the
station house as quickly as | could.
Last Wife Cause of Troubles.
for Hook was given the police of the
East Chicago avenue station by Mrs.
Emella Fisher, 372 Wells street. hfs
last wife. so far as the records now
show.
She was married to him Jan. IS, a
few days after the funeral of her sister,
who had been her immediate predeces-
sor as Mrs. Hook. On Dec. 10 of last
year Hook married Mrs. Marie Welk-
er and took her to- his house. 643O
Union avenue. where she died Jan. IL,
after a short illness, and when Hook
was alone with her. Preceding her
death he had obtained from the woman
all her money, as ne had done in most
Of his previous marriages
Three days after her death he mar
ried her sister, Mrs. Fisher and the
day following the wedding he obtained
from her $3.50 to be used. he said, in
paying a mortgage on the furniture
and house at 643G Union avenue. a
day or two later he disappeared. and
Mrs. Fisher-Hock went 10 Police In
spector Shippy with her story
Hunted In Many Cities.
The search for Hook then began. II
extended TO Milwaukee, Cincinnati,
Pittsburg and New York. Suspecting
that he probably would attempt -
cross the ocean and seek concealment
in Germany. his former home, the Chi
cago police urged the police Of eastern.
cities to keep watch on outward bound
vessels. They were notified that a man
resembling him bad been seeking pags-
age at New York steamship docks, and
this information was followed last
night by word of his arrest.