The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-02-02
TWELVE WIVES DEAD
Chicago Police Charge Many
Murders to Hoch.
"BLUEBEARD" Welded OyERTWENTY
Prisoner Captured by New York 20.
lice Takes Matters CooIIy-Figured
In Minneapolis ms Br. Hart
and Married Girl There.

and Married Girl There.
O'Neill has declared his belief that Jo.
hann Adolph Ioch, alleged to have
been married to more than score of
women, has murdered at least twelve
of them.
This statement was made by the
chief in letter written by him to Cap
tain james j. Langan of the detective
bureau of New York, in which he re
Quested the police department of that
city to follow Il 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 We're 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 taken. AS the marriages
took place in various parts Of the coun-
try, time will be required in which to
secure witnesses to give testimony
against Hoch sufficient to ndict him.
At Minneapolis, Mimi, 1t is said.
Hoch attempted to murder Mrs. Mabel
Leichsman-Hart in June, 1908. 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, 1903. 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 remanded
until Feb. 2 as fugitive from justice
He Joked in court and said laughingly,
wait till 1 get to Chicago and it will
be different"
When asked as to why he thought
he had been arrested he replied:
Il suppose 1t is on account Of selling
some mortgaged property in Chicago,
that Is all. I'm not afraid to go back
there at any time, and when l do this
whole matter will be cleared away"
Hoch was brought down to police
headquarters and kept there while the
police attempted to get confession
out of him. But Hoch was not nearly
as talkative about his past life as he
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.
Il never had but two wives" he said.
"One is living and one was May Fischer,
who died recently. But had nothing
to do with her death. am much
abused man and am standing as scape-
goat for another man. l am willing
to go 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."
II only had one other wife" said
Koch.
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.