Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-07-31
TELEGRAPH NEWS.

Johann Hoch, or Schmidt. as he de
clared his rightful name TO be. is {
short heayy-set German-Frenchman
about 40 years old, bald, excepting oil
the sides of mis- head where he wor,
black, carefully combed, curly sllker
hair tinged with white threads. Hi.
nose was long and aqulline; mis- lips
thick, wide, and sensuous, masking
irregular. carefully-kept teeth. A
blonde mustache ornamented his up
per lip. The remainder OF his face
was clean snaven. His head, neck
and shoulders were leonine His fea
lures had Jewish cast; his manner
was courteous, deferential, and al
ways seemingly considerate for otn
ers. He received those who ap
preached him with smile and con.
fidential nod. and usually a hand
clasp. He studied to establish con
fidential relations by wnispering
something of no consequence, as ii
imparting an important secret. If en-
couraged. he put his hand upon the
knee or shoulder of the person he
"affectionately." He was gentle as a
woman; in fact, his movements sug.
gested a femininity as II ne were an
abessed woman. His manners ana
nature were like a tigers foot; soft
and yelvety, but sheathing talons.
When Hoch met middle-aged Ger
man widows. he adopted the reserve
..f
manifested courteous consideration
for them while planning to get their
money and kill them by poison. He
sought externally to realize the Ideal
of husband in the mind of the av-
erage German illiterate woman who
has toiled for years and saved money.
His black broad-cloth suit, white tie
white linen shirt, cuffs and collar,
glistening shoes, nicely combed hair,
round face. and cultured manner
convinced his victims he was a de
sirable catch" He forgot his re
serve long enough to boast of his
wealth. This was the most enticing
bait he offered. The majority of his
victims married him in the hope the,
would escape life of drudgery and
become the mistress of a rich mans
nome.
Hoch's motive always was gain. He
was impelled by commercial spirit
Other men deal in commodities to
profit upon the labor of porducers.
Hoch dealt in crime. The credulity
of mis- victims produced his profits
He had pleasing personality and
sold ii many times. Murder was in
cidental to the business. Like all reg
ular nomicides, Hoch was a moral
idiot. He had no conscience to b.
narrowed by remorse, no moral ma
ture to see wrong in injuring others
no sympathy to be outraged by wit
Messing suffering. His was an intel
ligence capable of realizing it was ne
cessary to destroy life to obtain re-
suits desired. He was a modern
Henry VIII, without the power of the
regal uxorcide. What England's roy
al wife murderer did with the conniv-
ance of churchmen and statesmen,
Hocn did secretly through his own
knowledge of chemistry, and the CON
fiding faith of his victims. He tried
the plan of marrying a woman to get
her money, and having procured it,
used poison to get rid of her. Il
worked SO well he adopted 1T as
regular plan.
Hoch was gentle, smiling, demon
stratiyely affectionate. mild-mannered
hypocrite. When ne asked tne hanG
OF victim he declared he wanted
TO provide for her a good home.
When she became i'll from arsenic he
sat by the bedside. neld her hand. and
called her Sweetheart"
When Judge Kersten passed sen
tence upon him, Hoch was asked ii
he had anything to say. AS If willing
to sacrifice his life merely to CON
form TO the courts idea of propriety
he replied: Judge, if you tnink !
am guilty, l am willing to lose my
life" His dominating trait was van
ity. If the women who thronged the
court room watched him he manicur
ed his nails, smoothed his nair with
his fat hands, Strengthened up, pulled
the wrinkles out of his clothes and
posed. Occasionally, for a brief in
stant, the full sense of calamity was
upon him. Tnen he collapsed and
suffered a panic of fright. Recover
ing. he would glance up quickly, look
about the room to find sympathetic
eyes. and smile at one of the women
spectators. After his conviction In
the solitude OF his cell, he was borne
up by his egotism. He spoke oil
himself as third person of interesl
and Importance. He said, Johann
will die like a man. If Johann had
money he would show you what he
would do Again the hypocrite,
while his eyes were malevolent witn
hatred for the woman who caused his
death, he declared his chief regret
was that sne would be disgraced
While protesting love for Mrs. Fis
cher -Hoch, he adroitly insinuated thai
she poisoned her sister, Mrs. Welker
Hoch. Anxious to pose as gentle
man he added: Il believe my wifi,