Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-25
AL HIS WIVES DIED.
,Johan Hoch, of Chicago, Be
lievcd to Have Murdered Five
Women In That City
CAREER RESEMBLES HOLMES
Developments in the Case of This
Modern BIuebeard Indicate He Made
Away With the Lives of Many
Women He Had Married-Part Of
His Chicago Career.

His Chicago Career.
Chicago, Jan. 26-Johan Hoch mar
1891 and 1898 under different names
He installed them in flats in different
parts of the city. Each of the wives
died within a month after the wed.
ding.
Several of their deaths aroused sus.
picion. The funeral cortege Of one
was stopped by the coroner. Hocf
made plausible explanation and pro-
duced a physicians certificate and this
interment was permitted to take place
This is the latest development in the
police investigation of the career OF
the man who is accused of being a
second Bluebeard. 1t is based upon dis
closures made to Inspector Shippy by
f. j. Magerstadt, furniture dealer al
9Ol Milwaukee avenue, and brother OF
former Sheriff Ernest j. Magerstadt
Mr.. Magerstadt first met Hoch in
1891. He met him last in 1898 when he
prosecuted him and sent him to the
bridewell for u year. Hoch paid for
all the furniture he bought OF Mr.
ment.
The following are the flats furnished
by Mr.. Magerstadt for Hoch, with the
different aliases Eoch assumed as far
as the furniture dealer was able to dig
them from his ledgers.
Furnished fiat at 2951 Kelley street,
in May 1892, under name Of c. A.
Meyer Bill s47.5O
Furnished fiat at 4s1 Franklin street,
in June, 1851, under name of II. Trick.
Bill, Sis.
Furnished flat at zoos Northwestern
avenue in 1894. Name unknown.
Furnished fiat at 1893 West Belmont
avenue in 1894 under name of Jacob
Hob. Woman he married was Mrs.
Marie Steinbrecker.
Furnished fiat at 1865 West Fiji
teenth street in 1898, under name of
Adolph Hoch.
"Hoch brought woman to my
store first in 1891" said Mr.. Mayer
stadt. 1.-The woman paid a deposit on
the furniture. Three weeks later Hoch
paid the entire bill. He said his be-
loved wife had died, and seemed quite
upset. I sympathized with him.
He made an excellent impression.
He is a fine looking man. He is forty
five years old, S feet s inches in height:
weighs It's pounds, is slightly bald, has
black hair and beard, and wears gold
trimmed spectacles. He looks like a
professional man. He told me he was
from Russia, tho he looked slightly
Jewish, and I believe he is a German.
He speaks French, Jewish, Russian,
pretty good English and as fine Ger
man as I ever heard. He prefers to
converse in German. He is graduate
physician.
after furnishing a second flat at 4S1
Franklin street, and living with anoth-
er woman for month, he again came
into the store and paid his bill. He
said his wife had died, and was sur
prised she had followed his former one
so suddenly.
"He talked glibly like physician
and told me she had been troubled with
the complaint for many years. He was
convincing and I believed him.
This Time Blonde.
1.-THE third woman whom he installed
at 1908 North Western avenue was
beautiful blonde. She owned saloon
near the Metropolitan station. went
out to see the furniture put in. He
called the woman Darling and asked
her opinion as to where this and that
piece Of furniture should be placed.
"This woman died in month.
HE'D death caused her relatives to
become suspicious. While the funeral
procession was on the way to Grace
land the coroner stopped it and was "a
hout to hold the corpse for the pur-
nose Of making an autopsy. HOOK
produced a physicians certificate and
the coroner allowed the burial to take
place. a.
furniture in full. I asked him why he
changed his name every time ne got
married. He said he had been unfor-
tunate with his wives, and he did not
th;nL woman would marry him II she
knew he had been so many times
widower. a.
Gle said he was a thoroughly DO
nestle man, loved home ana "lle'
and could not bear to live alone.
'''N Was Left Good Estate.
"rhe fourth wife, whom ne 1nstail-
"a at 333 West Belmont avenue, LETT
him a saloon and three good pieces OF
oronertv. She lasted longer than the
3thers. She lived two months My col
actor used to called at the fat and
Hoch would never allow him inside,
but always came out to pay him the
"He purchased $3.50 worth of furni-
lure from me in March, 1898. This was
nv last deal with him.
"The furniture was installed in
lat with new wife at 1856 West Fiji
,eenth street. I learned later he also
bought 5000 worth of goods from $.
strauss, IS West Madison street; $3.50
worth from the Sterling Furniture
Company and Sis worth from the
Strauss Furniture and Carpet Com
,any at Blue Island avenue and West
Harrison street.
"Within month the wife was dead
and all this furniture was sold.
"He was caught and tried for this
ma sent to the bridewell.'
The stomach Of Mrs. Marie Welker