The San Francisco call., 1905-01-31
BIGAMISI
HOCH NOW
IN PRISON
Modern "Bluebeard'
Captured in
New York.
Arrested Just After Pro-
posing Marriage to His
LaDdlady.
Former Wives Of the Murder Suspect
Are Said to Number Upward
Of Twenty Five.
Special Dispatch to The Cali.

NEW YORK, Jan 30.-John Hoch,
charged with bigan4y in Chicago, and
who, it is alleged, married. more than
twenty women, was arrested at a
clearinghouse in West Forty-seventh
street tonight by Central Cfice detec-
tives He admitted his identity, al
though when first arrested he gave the
name of Henry Bartels. At the Forty
seventh-street station, whittier he was
taken, he said:
Il ami 1fosIi. and much abused
man
How abused?" he was asked.
He had nothing to say. He gave his
name as John Joseph Adolph Hoch,
and said he was As years of age and
machinfst, living at 3430 Union avenue,
Chicago.
Hoch said that he had not been mar
ried twenty times. He asserted that
he had been married only twice and
that his first wife was still alive.
Mrs. Catherine Kimmerle, Hoch's
landlady, said he engaged board on
Saturday and had not been in the
house twenty minutes when he asked
to be allowed to peel some potatoes for
her. To-day he proposed marriage and
she then told the police. She added
that the man talked good deal to her
yesterday and became much interested
in her, she believed.
In his room were found nearly =
dozen new suits of cloth-ag In most
cases the tags had been torn from
them, but those that had tags still on
them showed that the garments had
been bought in Western cities, among
them Seattle. @
LONG LIST OF WIVES.
CHICAGO, Jan. 9O-Although the po-
lice hope to convict Hoch of murder,
the only specific charges that they
have against him at the present time
are bigamy and wife abandonment.
From all accounts Hoch has been mar
ried to at least twenty-six different
women and sly of these have died un-
der circumstances which the police de-
clare to be suspicious Here is list of
Hoch's marriages:
Mrs. Madeline schmitt, first wife;
marriage in Germany.
Mrs. Julia Steinbrecher Hoch, 333
Belmont avenue, Chicago; died sud
denly.
Mrs. Mary Wernicke Rankan Hoch,
375 Ward street, Chicago; living
Mrs. Mary Becker Schultz Hoch, Ar
gos, Ind: disappeared.
Mrs. Minnie Podalski, 1921 Went
worth avenue, Chicago; living.
Mrs. Mary Hendrickson Hoch. 1912
Union avenue, Chicago; living.
Mrs. Janet Spencer Hoch, 3167 Went
worth avenue, Chicago; believed to be
living.
Mrs. Emile Fischer Hoch. 372 Wells
street, Chicago: died.
Mrs. Emily Welker Hoch, 5000 Union
avenue, Chicago; died January TO- 1905.
Mrs. Nathalie Irgang, Ill Best av-
enue, Chicago; believed by the police to
have married Hoch.
Mrs. Martha Hertzfeld Hoch, 1913 On
tario street. Chicago; disappeared.
Mrs. Mariana Hoch, Cleveland; liv-
ing. ~ a
Mrs. Sophia Pahnke, Batavia, Ill. !;
living.
Mrs. Hessler. Wheeling, w. Va; be-
lieved to be remarked.
Mrs Callie Charlotte Andrews,
known as Mrs. De Witt c. Cudney.
Hulda Stevens, Chicago; abducted
and later married; deserted after three
hours.
Mrs. Mile Hoch, lived at 1866 West
Fifteenth street, Chicago; died sud
denly.
Mrs. - Hoch. a sister of Mrs. ]. H.
Schwartzmann, Milwaukee; died.
Mrs. - Hoch, another sister of Mrs.
SchwartZmann, Milwaukee: died.
Mrs - Hoch, Norfolk, Va; died.
Mrs. - Hcch, Green, Iowa; is be-
~lieved to be living.
Mrs. L. OConnor, Milwaukee; living;
married Hoch as James,"
MIS-. Caroline Schaefer 3043 Stiles
street. Philadelphia; living.
Mrs. Mary Goerk. 102 Eugene street.
Chicago; living.
Mrs. - Hoch, believed to have died
in Buffalo.
Mrs. - Hoch. believed to live in
Evanston.
Mrs Justina Loeffier. Elkhart, Ind. !;
disappeared.
HOCH's Alleged CRIMES.
Hoch's alleged crimes are as follows:
Murder by poison, eight cases: bigamy.
twenty-five chargeg; emtezzlement.
tnirty-three cases; abduction. one