Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-23
His Attorney Fought for Further Delay Up to the Last Moment Execution Delayed Until
 the Last Hour.

 torneys arrived at the jail with an ap- peal bond just in time to again tenn porarily stop the preparations for the execution.
 After this action of the lawyers hasty conference was held with Sheriff Peters, and the latter called up by telephone Federal Judge Landis, who said: T have refused to do anything in the Hoch case; you need not delay the execution on my account Judge Landis then started to leave the fed eral building, but was met by Attor- ney Edward Maher, who, with tears in his eyes, begged the judge to stay the execution until the appeal was perfected. Meanwhile States Attorney Healey ordered the sheriff to give Hoch's attorneys fifteen minutes to perfect the appeal. At the end of this time there seemed no further need of delaying the execution and at 1:28 the death march was begun to the scaf- fold and at 1:A Johan Hoch was banged.
 Chicago, Feb. 23-HOch is believed to have come, originally, from Herr weller, small town in Germany, not far from Bingen-on-the-R Rhine. His father, Jacob Schmitt, is said to still reside there. A wife, supposed to be the first wife of Hoch, is also living in the same place.
 ,Hoch has always been reticent re garding his career in this country and his first wife married in the United States is believed to have been Mrs Martha Steinbreched to whom he was married in 1895. After living with Hoch for four months she died, the cause of death being given as neph- ritis. In November, 1895, he married Mary Rankin in this city and left her the day after the wedding because she refused to give him money. Tn April, 1896, IIUh married Martha Hertzfield and left her in four months after obtaining from her $500. His next wife is Said to have been Mary Hoch of Wheeling. w. Va. She died of nephritis after three months. Hoch has always denied this marriage and declared that he merely assumed the wOman's name.
 In the fall of 1896 Hoch married Clara Bartell of Cincinnati and she died within three months of the mar rlage. In January. 1891, he was mar ried to Julia Dose in Hamilton, Ohio. and abandoned her after obtaining S70O.
 In April 1898 Hoch was arrested in this city for selling mortgaged furni- ture and served two years in the house of correction.
 Tn November. 1901. he was married to Mrs Anna Goehrke of Chicago but abandoned her after failing to obtain any money from her. April s, 1902, he married in St Louis. Mrs Mary Becker who died early in 1903. Her relatives claimed that she was pols- oned.
 December 10, 1904. Hoch was mar ried to Mrs Marie Welcker. widow of this city. the woman for whose mur- der he was condemned. December 20 the woman became i'll and January F she died. the cause of death being stated in the physicians certificate as nephritis. Five days later Hoch mar ried Mrs Emile Fischer. a sister of Mrs welcker- Hoch. He obtained $50 from her and disappeared.
 January 10 the last Mrs Hoch re- ported to the police the disappearance of her husband. Suspicion was arous- cd by the story and the body of Mrs welcker-IIoch was exhumed and 70 grains of arsenic were found In the stomach. Search was made for Hoch and he was finally discovered in New York. where his landlady, Mrs Kim berIy, reported that she believed her boardef- to he Hoch. because he had proposed marriage to her on the day of hIs arrival In her house. He was arrested and later brought to Chicago.
 Hoch after being placed in jail here admitted that he had been married thirteen times. but always denied that he hsd caused the death of any of hss wives. He was placed on trial Apr:l 10. and on- May 20 the jury returned a verdict finding him guilty of murder and fixing the punishment at death
 On June , sentence was passed on him. the date of the execution being set for June 23. Governor Deneen granted him a reprieve until July S. Within one hour of the time set for his execution Hoch was given sec ond repr1eve until August 25. Beforc this date arrived however tho supreme court of the sfaf granted . super sp-ieas to permit of the consideration of his case by the court. December n inc court handed down . decision affirming the veriIct h the lower court and fixing the date of execution for T ebrusry s3
 The last efzort made by Hoeh to se- cure a new trial ended en FeirIE1ry 21 when Governor DeDeen and tlse board of par8ons refused t0 interfere in his bpllaIf- IL was alleged before the beard by Mrs Emeiie FIscher- Ha.rh that she had besn so bouulei hy tbe poliee thzt she had cOmmitfed I--g- jury during the trial end uuch of the etii<are vhSrh she hzf ziven 4Ezfn<t Ho<h ves naf true- A physicisn also declared fhsf the death cf Mrs Weick- er-Hrh hsd be<n czE<ei hy kba7ey d7sezss snd nsf by sr<eaic Poissai1< Ca ern<serxminxtt1E lsefere the b-narl s~. N &.~I