The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-02-22

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o January II, 1906 o
Mrs. Mary Becker, died at St
o Louis in 1902. o
o Mrs. Mary Schultz, disappeared o
o from Argus, Ind, with Hoch in G
o 1900. y
o, Mrs. Mary Steinbrecker Hoch, O
O. Chicago, died in 1892. o
Mrs. Hoyle Hoch, died in Chicago o
o in 1892. o
% o o o o o 90 o o 90 o
Chicago, ILL.,, Feb. 22.-Every turn
known to the law having been en-
hausted In efforts to obtain reprieve
or communication of sentence, there re-
mains but one chance to save Johann
Hoch from the gallows and that is an
act of clemency by Governor Deneea.
The execution is scheduled for tomo.-
row morning in the Cook county Jail,
A story is in circulation that plans
have been made by friends of Hoch, If
he has to go to the scaffold, for a SEN
sational appeal to the law at the last
moment before the drop. According
to this report man will dash up to
the gallows and ask delay on The
ground that he has conclusive evil
dence of Hoch's innocence.
If Hoch is guilty of but small pro-
portion of the crimes with which hc
has been charged he undoubtedly is
entitled to be called the modern Blue
beard. In the fifteen years that have
elapsed since he arrived in this coun-
try from Germany he is believed %
have married from ten to thirty wiz
men without regard to the laws in
such cases made and provided, and lie
is also suspected of having caused tbs
death of a number of women who
paced their trust in him. His object
in each case is believed to have bee
to obtain the small savings or insur-
ance of the women.
The crime for which Hoch was tried,
found guilty and sentenced to death
was the alleged murder of Mrs. Mary
Welcker Hoch, who died in this city
January II, 1905. An analysis of her
stomach showed traces of poison said
to have been administered by Hoch.
The woman died within three weeks
after her marriage to Hoch and
month later the smooth. talking Ger
man married the dead woman's sister,
Mrs. Emelie Fischer. After getting
hold of $3.50 which the latter hl1
saved from her earnings at the wash
tub Hoch fled the city. 1t was then
that suspicion was first directed tow
ard him an the subsequent investiga-
tons of the police revealed career
believed to be without parallel in TIL,
criminal annals of America.
+ The investigation tended to show
that Hoch had at least fifteen wives
In ten years, and among that number
there is evidence that at least six of
them died under circumstances re-
garded as suspicious. The man did
not always succeed in disposing If
his wives without attracting suspic-
ion, but he covered his tracks SO thor
oughly as to escape serious investiga-
ton.
The method pursued by the man was
practically the same in each case. Ho
rented fiat or house, had it furnish
ed on the installment plan, and on this
front made love to women whose ac-
quaintance he made through the med.
ium of newspaper advertisements. He
represented to them that he owned the
furniture, and in some cases the prop
erty as well. He posed as a man of
means, and his professional air, we'll
dressed, well-groomed appearance
served him in good stead in bearing
out the assumption. Having induced
his victims to marry him, his smooth,
manner with women enabled him, with
the assistance of plausible lies, to per-
suade them to give him their money
or their property. Then he would dis
appear or the wife would suddenly
sicken, and in short time die.
His operations extended to Indiana,
st. Louis and Milwaukee, but for the
most part were confined to Chicago
Besides the woman of whose murder
he was convicted, and her sister.
whom he subsequently married, Hoch
is known to have had eight or ten
wives in Chicago. One of these was
Mrs. Hoyle Hoch. She died within a
month after the marriage, under cir
cumstances that aroused the suspic-
ions of her relatives. While the fun
eral procession was on the way to the
cemetery the coroner stopped 1t and
was about to hold the corpse for an
autopsy Hoch produced physician's
certificate and talked glibly to tho
coroner, who then allowed the burial
to take place. Shortly afterward he
married Mrs. Marie Steinbrecker, and
this marriage netted him $4,000. Her
death excited some suspicion, but
Hoch managed to elude investigation
: In 1898 Hoch fitted up a fiat in West
Fifteenth street. Here he installed
another wife and like her predeces-
sors she died within a few weeks after
marriage. In 1908, under the name
OF Schmidt, he married Mrs. Mary Hen
Erickson. He left her, he says, and
after lawyers told him she had obtain
ed divorce he married Mrs. Welker.
Mrs. Welker died month after mar.
riage. and it was her death that
brought Hoch to the end of his rope.
Another one of the disapperances.of
women credited to Hoch is that of
MRS. Mary Schultz of Argus, Ind;
whom he is said to have married in
1900 and killed or deserted after OBJ.
tanning the money she had come into
through the death Of former hus-
band. Another of the women whom
{ Hoch is thought to have disposed IF
Waa Mrs. Mary Becker of st. Louis.
Circumstances indicate also that two