The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-10
HOCH ADMITS HE
Led Is TO ALTAR
But the Much Married Man Firm
" Denies Poisoning Any
Wives.
Chicago Crowds Wait in Cold, as
Tho For Parade, to See
the Prisoner.

lineage, Feb. slO.-Johann Hoch to-
day heard himself, for the first time,
q jury as o bigamist. Before big and
curious throng he sat, while the manner
of Mrs. WalckereHoch Is death was de-
scribed.
Before entering the room where the
inquiry was held, Hoch confessed, the
police say, to having married thirteen
Of the thirty nine women who claim him
as husband. Two marriages in Milwau
hes an and b two II ma We're admit
that he will own up to fully thirty be-
fore the end Of the inquest.
But he holds firmly to his denial that
he poisoned any of them.
Crowds Await Hoch.
All along the route from the Chicago
avenue police station to the criminal
court building. crowds were waiting,
despite the cold, as If for big parade.
All these people saw was q covered pa
troll wagon.
In front Of the main entrance to the
criminal court building another throng
was lined up. The stairs were lined
with people and on each floor employees
Of the criminal court building were
waiting for look at the man who had
courted and married so many wives. !,
Hoch kept his overcoat collar turned
up and hung his head; All sorts OF re-
The inquest room was filed with
witnesses, officials and newspaper men
when Hoch arrived. Mrs. Emelie Fisch-
er Hoch, his latest spouse; Mrs. Bertha
Sohn, Mrs. Emma Rencken, one of
Hoch's wives; Mrs. Del Fuego, an in.
1terpreter, and Mrs. Flippel, friend of
Mrs. Fischer-Hoch, were the only women
4 in the room.
At the inquest Hoch sat at the head
Of "a long table. The good humor that
!, marked him upon his arrival had de-
parted. He sat in detected attitude
with eyes downcast, rarely looking up
- Named Tenth Wife.
| Today Johann Hoch named the tentl
woman whom he admits having married
! She was Mrs. Henry Bartells Of Gin
. that he had used the name HJoh1
Schmidt His statement is verified
} in Cincinnati dispatch, which says:
. Mrs. Henry Bartells, a widow with con
siderable property, was married in Cincin
natl In 1896 to a man giving the name o
John Schmidt. She died a few month
later and Schmidt . married Mrs. Ere
Doess, whom he deserted after seeurin
$500. of her money. Acquaintance pf tn
: HAL dI1u OIL DOtI Women declare That pic
; lures OF Johann Hoch are good likenesse
Z of Schmidt, and Mrs. Doess Schmidt, VIII
l secured a. divorce and now Is Mrs. Michat
y eetzer OF ariiiton, Ohio, made simils
: statement. L
Evidence from Germany.
Two photographs Of Hoch sent t
4 Germany by the police officials hav
been returned with the information tina
1 they are pictures Of Jacob Schmidt VIII
( formerly lived at Bingen, Germany
{ One was taken at Wheeling, w. Va
! where Hoch married one Of his wives
8 and the other was q picture taken O.
I his release from the Bridewell here i
D 1899.
8 The Interrogation Of Hoch was com
8 menced a few minutes after Z 80. Hoe
0 admitted at the outset that he had mai
t ried Mrs. Marie Goerk .Hoch and tina
s the marriage was illegal. He woul
admit nothing else.
Five women who claimed to be wive
Of Hoch called at the police station
i One Of them, Mrs. Emile Fischer-B oc1
!, saw him for a minute and saluted hill
: with the exclamation, UYou old hos
A you got my $3.50, didn It yous'
Q Hoch made no reply to this, bu
smiled as tho he considered the affai
Of $3.50 quite joke.