Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-02-23
JOHANN HOCH
\ HANGS AT LAST
After Most Remarkable
Legal Contest in His
tory of Crime.
GOES TO GOD LIE ON LIPS
Attorneys Cease Not Their
Efforts to Almost the
Last Moment.
HANGS AFTER A HEARTY DlNNE2

Chicago, H., Feb 23.-Johann
Hoch, convicted OF the murder of his
wife, Marie Welcker hoch, was
hanged in the county Jail at 1874
o'clock. Three times respited. Hoch
insisted to the last to be granted all
the delay the law conceded him. I'm
der the sentence, he was to hang be-
tween 10 a. nj and 2 D. m. When the
last appeal to the federal court was
denied, Hoch abandoned all hope, but
insisted that he be allowed to live
until 1880. This was granted and
Hoch ordered and ate a hearty din
ner. Hoch walked upon the scaffold
quietly and stood directly under the
moose, with heels together, and body
erect, like a soldier on parade. He
was pale. but composed and full of
courage. He said
Father forgive them, they know
not what they do! must die, an in
nocent man. Goodbye" Hoch con-
fessed to a clergyman, shortly before
being taken to the scaffold, who later,
when asked if he had confessed to
the murder, said: well. he said he
had been a bigamist, and a very
wicked man."
History of the Case.
The trial of Hoch was one of the
most sensational criminal trials ever
held in this city and attracted the
greatest interest throughout the coun.
try, owing to the fact that Hoch was
known in many parts of the country
and had contracted numerous regular
and bigamous marriages with women
from different parts of the United
States. The specific charge on which
he was tried was that he had poisoned
Mrs. Marie Welcker Hoch with
arsenic. Hoch fed from Chicago at
the time, but was recognized and ar
rested in New York and brought back
to Chicago. He was placed on trial
on April 19 and convicted on May 90.
Sentence of death was passed on him
on June 3 and the original date for
which his execution was fixed was
June 23, 1905.
Governor Deneen granted Hoch a
reprieve until July % and a second
reprieve until August 25. Before the
arrival of the latter date the supreme
court granted him a supersedeas to
allow of the reconsideration of the
case. On December IS, however, the
demand for a rehearing was refused
and a last effort was made to induce
the supreme court of the state of Hi
nois to order rehearing of the case
On February s, the supreme court
affirmed the verdict of the lower court
and refused to grand a rehearing. Now
there is nothing but the governors
clemency between Hoch and his death
on the gallows.
The murderer still denies his guilt
He claims that the testimony of one
Of his wives, which so seriously af
fected his cause, was perjurous. He
admits to have entered a number OF
bigamous marriages, but insists that
the woman died of natural causes
and not by poison administered by
him. Hoch slept soundly and this
morning seemed resigned to his fate.
JaiIor Waits Awhile.
After consulting with States At
torney Healy, the Jail officials decided
to delay the execution, if necessary,
until 2p. m, the hour named in the
court sentence providing for hanging
What the Court Said.
Before Judge Landis, Hochs at
torneys contended that writ of ha
beas COZ Nus should issue forthwith if
the court found that the petition was
presented in proper form. After a
brief consideration, the judge said:
THE petition is denied. The
proper remedy for the counsel was a
writ of error from the decision of
the state supreme court to the United
States supreme court. Counsel failed
to take advantage of that move. The
writ is fatally defective, and cannot
be made good"
Hoch's attorney asked an appeal
from Judge Landis' decision. The
judge replied:
Later in the day I will enter such
an order as will enable you to have
this case reviewed in the supreme
court. In the absence of your client,
will not now cOmplicate matters by
further delay" and the court threw
the petition TO one side.
Last Efforts Of Attorneys.
Johann HOch slept well all night,
and awoke this morning in a joyial
mood. He said he felt fine and had
had a good nights rest. The at
tOrneys for HOch were out early to-
day seeking to prevent the execution
by legal means. The first thing at
tempted was 10 secure a writ of sup
ersedeas from Justice Magruder OF
the supreme court who was in the
city. The effort failed signally, the
justice refusing TO take action.
A short time before the hour set
for the execution, a petition was filed
in the United States circuit court by
Hoch's~ attorneys, asking for federal
intervention to save Hoch.
The petition said that the state au-
thoriues are endeayoring TO execute
Hoch in violation of the Fourteenth
amendment and without due process
OF law. After filing the petition, the
attorneys left for the criminal court
building, to try to get a stay of ex-
ecution, pending the action OF the
federal court.
As a result Of the legal complica-
tiOns. Jailor Whitman announced that
the execution would be delayed until
the application for writ of habeas
corpus could be passed upon by some
iudga of the federal cOurt