Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-03-08

and with the accusation Of Mrs. Ame-
liza Fisher, a Chicago woman, came the
apprehension Of man whose career,
the police say, is without an equal or
even rival in the history of any city
in this country. Last December Hoch
inserted matrimonial advertisement
In local German publication, stating his
longing for companionship and asking
that some kind woman become his life
companion. Mrs. Marie Welker, a
widow who owned prosperous con-
fectionery business, replied to his ap-
peal by answering the "ad." After a
brief courtship she allowed herself to
be persuaded that she was the only
woman who could relieve his loneli-
ness. Hoch, who had previously rent
ed and furnished small fiat, took his
latest wife to the house, which, Incl
dentally, happened to be near the To-
cation Of the notorious Holmes "cas-
lle." She had disposed of her store
and t,irned the money derived from its
sale over to her husband, who. repre-
senting himself to be wealthy, said he
did not care for the cash, but desired
to invest it in safe project, for her
benefit. The day following her mar
riage she became deathly sick. A ply
sician was called, and Mr.. Hoch was
informed that his wife was suffering
from kidney trouble. The arrival of
a trained nurse followed, but, although
her condition was worse, the nurse was
sent away the following day. Then
Mrs. Fisher, the sister of the sick
woman, came to care for her. One day
later, while Mr.. Hoch was alone with
his wife, she died. Mr.. Hoch went
downstairs to inform the dead wom-
ans sister. after which Mrs. Fisher
went upstairs to clean the death cham
Der. Very soon after this operation
the alleged bigamist proposed to Mrs.
Fisher that she become his wife.
II am an unfortunate man." Mrs.
Fisher reports Hoch to have said to
her. Marie was not my first wife. l
was married before. anu my first wife
was an invalid, and now, just as I
thought was to have another happy
home. my new wife is dead. am
lonely and have no means. You are a
good woman and good housewife, and
want you to marry me. will bring
your children here from Germany and
you can be happy with me-"
Repulsed Then Accepted Hoch.
Mrs. Fisher has nine children in Ger
many. Continuing her narrative of the
occurrence, she said:
Il resented his proposal, and told him
he should not talk of such things so
soon after his wife's death. January
Is I rooe with him to the cemetery,
and again, over his wife's grave. he
asked me to marry him. The follow
ing Wednesday he came to my home
and consented to become his wife.
He told me we would go out of town
and no one would know Of it until my
sister had been dead long time. I
went with him to Joliet that afternoon
and We were married. We came back
and went to my house that night. The
next morning he asked me to give him
$3.50 had saved to pay of a mortgage
he claimed was held against the house
and furniture on Union avenue. l
went with him to the bank and got the
money and gave it to him. Then he
disappeared" Mrs. Fisher says she
believes that she and her sister have
been made victims of a deep-laid plot
to deprive them of their earnings and
savings She declares that she believes
that, seeing that he could not disap-
pear from the presence of Mrs. Welker
and marry her without the knowledge
of both, he formulated the plot
to murder the first wife by some sys-
TEN and, securing what money he could
from Mrs. Fisher, disappear for all
time. Poison found in the stomach of
Mrs. Welker, the police believe, prac-
tically corroborates the statement of
the latest wife of Hoch.
Cases in Other Cities.
Word has come to the local police
from St. Louis, Cincinnati and San
Francisco that man who operated ex-
tensively in all those cities in the same
manner as Hoch is thought to be the
"Bluebeard." It is believed that more