The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-07-28
HISTORY or JOHANN HOCH


sionally. for a brief instant, the full
sense Of calamity was upon him. Then
he collapsed and suffered a panic of
fright. Recovering, 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 solitnde of his
cell, he was borne up by his egotism.
He spoke. of himself as a third person.
of interest and Importance. He said,
Johann will die like a man. II 10.
ham had money he would show you
what he would do. Again the shypo.
critic, while his eyes were malevoIent
with hatred for the IN who
caused his death. he declared his chief
regret was that she should be dis
graced. While protesting love for
Mrs. FiscLer-Hoch, he adroitly insin.
uated that she poisoned her sister,
Mrs. Welker-Hoch. Anxious to pose
as a gentleman he added: 81 believe
my wife died of arsenic poisoning, but
no gentleman would say what he
thought II 1t might incriminate a wo.
man.
Hoch denied making the confession
which was used as evidence in his
trial, but would not take the stand
to disprove It. His last utterance to
a visitor was in keeping with his by.
pocrlsy towards the Judge and the
wife he robbed. He said, Death is
better than this confinement, but l
have given my word of honor to Jail.
er Whitman l would not leave, even
If l found the doors open"
Hoch claimed to be a great-grand.
son of Marshal Ney, who went to St.
Helene with Napoleon, and the scion
of a prominent family in Strauss
bourg. He said his father was a re-
tired minister in Tulon, ignorant of the
fate of his son. Two of Hoch's broth
ers are ministers. He said: MY
great grandfather, Marshal Ney, was
one of the heroes of Napoleon's army,
and l., his descendant, shall die as a
soldier. l am going before my Maker
and Jesus Christ, my Savior. I be-
lieve in God and 1 believe " shall
meet in the life beyond those who
were near and dear to me here. How
could ] stand ar the Judgment seat
with a lie on my soul?' On the next
day he denied having told this story.
A. -. " a a. - EL L-HHL rs A
AT different times Hoch claimed to
have been porn in S%trassbourg and
Tuion, French cities that passed into
possession of the. Germans in 1871.
Other information tends to prove
fHoch's right name is Schmidt. and a
wife, supposedly the first one, by
whom Hoch is said to have had two
children, now resides in Germany.
Information that led TO the arrest
of Hoch was given the police by Mrs.
Emelia Fischer, his last wife. She
married him January is, 1905, a few
days after the funeral of her sister,
who had been her immediate prede.
cessor as Mrs. Hoch. On December
10 of last year Hoch married Mrs.
Marie Welker and took her to his
house, G430 Union avenue, where she
died on January IL, after a short Ill.
ness, and when Hoch was alone with
her. Preceding her death he obtained
from the woman all her. money, as he
had done in his previous marriages.
Three days after her death he mar
ried Mrs. Fisher, and the day follow.
ing the wedding he obtained from her
$750.to be used, he said. in paying a
mortgage On the furniture and house
at 64SO Union avenue. A day or two
later he disappeared.
The search for Hoch extended to
New York where he was arrested.
Suspectlng he would seek conceal
ment in Germany, his former home,
the police kept watch on outward
bound vessels.
A complete list of Hoch's specula.
lions" in matrimony would be hard
to compile. So far as can be
learned, he was born in Germany
forty years ago, studied medicine, and
in Vienna married Anna Hoch in 1881.
Two years later he emisrate,l with
her to America. Several years later
she died.
His next wife mo. p he obtained
in Chicago in May, 1892. Her name
is not known, but it is known that he
rented a fiat under the name of C. A.
Mayer. That wife died three weeks
after the marriage.
The ext month Hoch rented an