The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-24
HISTORY OF THE HoCH CASE.
He Had Always Been Reticent About
His Career and Antecedents. a

Hoch is believed TO have come original
" from Horrwcilcr, a small town In Ger
many not far from -on-the-Rhine
HE father Jacob Schmitt. Is said to still
reside there wife, supposed TO be the
first wife OF Hoch, Is also living In the
same place
Hoch has always been roticent regard
ing his career in this country. end his
first wife married in the United States Il
believed to have been Mrs. Martha Stein
becher to whom he was married In 1870.
she died the cause of death being given
as ntphritls-
In November. 1895. he married Mary
Rankin I'm this city and left her the day
after the wedding because she refused to
give him money. In April, 1896 Hoch
married Martha Hertz1eld. 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 ncphrtis after three months.
Hoch has alwaye denied this marriage,
and declared that he merely assumed the
~oman's name.
Another Wife Soon Dies.
In the fall of 1896 Hoch married Clara
Bartell of Cincinnati. and she died with
In three months OF the marriage
In January. 1897 he was married t"
Julia Dose In Hamilton o. and aban'
doned her after obtaining 500
In April. 1893, Hoch was arrested In this
city for selling mortgagcd furniture, and
served two years In the House OF Correc-
| tiOn. In November. lSUl, ne NuS HlhrIlep
to Mre Anna Goehrke OF Chicago, but
abandoned her after failing to obtain
money from her. April s. 1902. he married
| in ST Louis Mrs Mary Becker, who dieo
carly in 1909. Her relatives have claimed
| that sho was poisoned.
Mar1ies Another in Five Days.
December 10 1904 Hoch was married To
| Mrs, Marie Welcker, n widow OF this
| city. tho woman for whose murder he
was condemned. December 20 the woman
| became I'll and January II she died, the
cause OF death being stated In the physi-
| clans certificate as nephrius. Five days
later Hoch married Mrs Emile Fischer.
sister OF Mrs. Welcker- Hoch He OBJ
tanned 500 from her and disappeared.
| January 10 the last Mrs, Hoch reported
to the police the disappearance OF her
| husband
Suspicion was aroused by her story. and
| the body OF Mrs Wclcker-HoCh wac eX-
humed and &c grains of arsenic were
found in the stomach Search was mad.
for Hooh and he was finally discovered
In New York. where his landlndy. Mrs
Kimberly, reported that she believed her
boardcr to he Hoch. because he had pro
posed marriage to her on the day OF ms
arrival In her house, He was arrested
and later brought TO Chicago
Married Thirteen Times.
Hoch, after being placed in jail here
admitted that he had been marrieo thlr.
teen times. but always denied that he hno
caused tho death of any Of his wives. HI
was placed on trial April ls. and on May
10 tho Jury returned verdict finding hin
guilty OF murder. and hxing the punish
ment at death On June sentence wa wa:
passed on him, the date OF the execution
beirg scs for June Z3.
Gov. Deneen granted him reprleVe uh
I'll July q Within one hour OF the TIM
set for his execution Hoch was given
second reprieve until August 20 Befor
this date arrived. however, the Supren
, court Of the State granted a supercedea
to permit OF the consideration OF hi
case by the court. December 10 the cour
handed down decision Affirming the 'ci