Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-02-04
HOCH A FIEND
IN HUMAN FORM.
Much Similarity in His Methods
As Those OF Holmes, the Whole
sale Chicago Murderer
He MARRIED MANY WOMEN.
Investigation Brings Dat Many Start
ling Things Stories Of
His lnlames.

Chicago, Feb S-Llke "Bluebeard'
Holmes, the man who dealt In whole
sale murder with his famous castle
at 70S sixty-thrd street for his central
plant, Johann Eoch Is believed by the
Chicago police 90 have followed for
years a system Of marrying women and
numbering them to obtain possession OF
their money and property. The similai'
lily Of methods pursued by Hoch who
has many aliases, to those adopted by
mult-murdercr Holmes Is further be-
lieved to be more than coincidence.
There are many things which have
been brought to light which serve to
identity Hoch with one Edward Hatch,
"a former employe Of Holmes at the En-
glewood house Of mystery II Is the
belief OF the police that developments
OF the near future viii prove cOnclu-
siyely that Hoch was q pupil OF Holmes
and learned from him the art Of MUIR
dering.
In the operations Of the two Blue
boards there 10 much similarity. Like
Holmes the alleged victims OF Hoch
have 80 far been found 70 have been
women or children. Like Holmes, Hoch
married the woman under different
names, and having gained their con-
fldence and obtained their property, is
believed to have disposed Of them With
out discovery and without compunc-
ton.
Hoch's operations first came 10 light
in an accusation made against him by
the last OF his women dupes, This Us
Mrs. Emilia Fisher, who lives at so
Wells street. on Dec. 10 Of last year
nftor brief courtship resulting from
an advertisement placed In o German
newspaper. Hoch married Mrs. Marie
Weikei, a widow who lived at Willn
and Larrabee streets, where she con-
Quoted a confectionery store, and who
was a sister OF Mrs. Fisher
She had disposed OF her store for
SIS, aud had this amount, together with
her savings, amounting TO $40 The
day following her marriage to lIoch II
SIS alleged by Mrs, Fisher that her sls.
Ter turned over all her cash to her
husband. The following day she fell
I'll.
ON Jan. ~, while she was alone with
her husband Mrs. Hoch died Hoch
went downstairs and informed Mrs,
Fisher. After cleaning up the death
chamber Mrs Fisher went downstairs
and was approached with a proposition
that she take the place Of his dead
wife.
After some hesitation she consented,
and they were married She gave him
$3.50 and he disappeared.
Mrs Emelia Fisher Hoch went to In
spector shlppy of the East Chicago
avenue police station and told him all
the details Of the relations Of her sis
Ter and herself with Hoch, She told
OF his swindling her and her sister and
then declared that she believed the
man had caused the death Of her sis
ter
The progress Of the Investigation de-
veloped many startling discoveries
tending To connect Hoch with similar
operations with many women. The po-
lice believe he has had no less than
IS wives during the past 10 years, and
among that number there Is evidence
that nj least six Of them have died un-
der circumstances which are now looked
upon as suspicious. The man did not
always succeed I'm dsposing OF his
wives without attracting suspncion, but
he WAS such a smooth talker end cow
cred his tracks so thoroughly that he
escaped serious investigation.
I'VE have fifty blgamy cases against
tIoch," said Inspector Shiny hut we