Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-24
declared that he merely assumed the
wOman's name

declared that he merely assumed the
woman's name.
Served Term In Reformatory.
In the fall Of 1896. Hoch married
Clara Bartell, Of Cincinnati, and she
died within three months after the
marriage. In January, 1897, he was
married to Julia Dose, in Hamilton,
Ohio, and abandoned her after obtain
ing $500.
In April 1898, Hoch was arrested
in this city for selling mortgaged
furniture, and served two years in the
house Of correction.
Accused of Poisoning Woman.
In November, 1901. he was married
to Mrs. Anna Goehrke Of Chicago, but
abandoned her after failing to obtain
any money from her. April 8, 1902, he
married in ST. Louis, Mrs. Mary Becker
who died early in 1908. Her relatives
have claimed that she was poisoned.
Cause of His Downfall.
On December 10, 1904, Hoch was
married to Mrs Marie Welcher, a
widow of this city, ahe woman for
whose murder he was condemned. On
December 20, the woman became i'll,
and on January IL, 1905, she died, the
cause of death being stated in the
physicians certificate as nephritis.
Five days later Hoch married Mrs.
Emile Fischer, a sister Of Mrs.
Welcker-Hoch. He obtained $3.50
from her and disappeared January 10,
the last Mrs. Hoch reported to the
police, the disappearance of her hus-
band. Suspicion was aroused by her
story the body Of Mrs. Welcker-Hoch
was exhumed and 76 grains of arsen-
ic were found in the stomach Search
was made for Hoch and he was final
Ily discovered in New York, where his
landlady, Mrs. Kimmerly, reported that
she believed her boarder to be 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.
Admits Thirteen Marriages.
Hoch, after being placed in jail
here, admitted that he had been mar
r1ed thirteen times, but always denied
that he had caused the death of any
of his wives. He was placed on trial
April 10 and on May 20 the jury re-
turned 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 be-
Ing set for June %.
Secures Many Delays.
Governor Deneen granted him re-
prieve until July %. Within one hour
OF the time set for his execution, Hoch
was given a second respite until Au-
gust 20. Before this date arrived,
however, the supreme court Of the
state granted supersedeas to permit
OF the consideration Of his case by the
court. On December is the court hand
ed down decision affirming the YER
dict in the lower court and fixing the
date of execution for February %.
The last effort made by Hoch in the
state courts to secure a new trial end
ed on February 81, when Governor De-
neen and the board of pardons refus-
ed to interfere in his behalf. 1t was
alleged before the board by Mrs. Eme-
lie F1scher-Hoch, that she had been so
bounded by the police that she had
committed perjury during the trial,
and that much of the evidence which
she had given against Hoch was not
true. A physician also declared that
the death Of Mrs. Welcker-Hoch had
been caused by kidney disease and not
by arsenical poisoning. On cross-ex-
animation before the board however,
he admitted that he had not made a
post norton examination of the Body
of Mrs. Welcker-Hoch, while three
physicians who had conducted such an
examination declared that death was
caused by arsenic.