The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-02-23
Man Who Had Many Wives Was Game to the
Very Last Neck Was Broken by the Fall
and He Died in Two Minutes.

t In November, 1906 he married Mary
Rankin in this city, and left her the
day after wedding because she refused
to give him her money. In April, 1896,
Hoch married Martha Hertzheld, and
left her in four months after obtain
ing from her 5000. His next wife is
said to have been Mary Hoch of
Wheeling, w. Va. She died Of neph-
ritis after three months. Hoch has
always denied this marriage, and de-
clared that he merely assumed the
womans name, :-@t
/ In the fall of 1896 Hoch married
Clara Bartell, of Cincinnati, and she
died within three months OF the mar
lriage. In January, 1897, he was mar
Tried to Julia Dose in Hamilton, O.,
land abandoned her after obtaining
$780,
In April, 1893, Hoch was arrested in
| this city for selling 1nortgaged turnl-
lture, and served two years in the
house Of correction.
In November, 1901, he was mar
Tried to Mrs. Anna Goehrke OF Chicago,
but abandoned her after failing to OBJ
i tain any, money from her. April 3,
i EIoo2, he married in st. Louis, Mrs.
Mary Decker, who died early i'll 1908.
j Her relatives have claimed that she
Twas poisoned.
ja Dec. 10, 1904, Hoch was married to
i Mrs. Marie Welcker, a widow OF this
4 Lefty, the woman for whose murder he
j was condemned. Dec. 20 the woman
i became i'll and Jan. IL she died, the
Ieause OF death being stated in the ply
a sician's certificate, as nephritis. Five
II days later Hoch married Mrs. Emile
Fischer, sister of Mrs. Welcker-
| Hook. He obtained $3.50 from her ant
n disappeared. Jan. 10 the last Mrs
Hoch reported to the police the dis
4 jappearance of her husband. Suspicion
al was aroused by her story, and the body
Iof Mrs. Welcker- -Hoch was exhumed
! and 7.6 grains oNarsenic were found il
the stomach. Search was made fo
q aHech and he was finally discovered il
4 New York, where his landlady Mrs
"a Kimmerly reported that she believed
lher boarder to be Hoch, because h
ihad proposed marriage to her on tn
iStiay of his arrival in her house. II
was arrested and later brought t
Chicago. a.as ...@ L
Hoch after being placed in Jail here
admitted that he had been Marie
II thirteen times, but always denied tina
he had caused, the death of any of hi
II wives. He was placed on trial Apr
! lIo, and on May 20 the Jury returned
verdict finding him guilty of murder
Il and fixing the penalty at death. 9
il June 5 sentence was passed on him tn
i date of the execution being set 10
June 2;3. Governor Deneen granite
him a reprieve until July 28. With
$ one hour Of the time set for his execu
e ton Hoch was given second resplt
t until Aug. rs. Before this date al
] rived, however, the supreme court 4
the state granted supersedeas t
e permit OF the consideration Of his cas-
{ BY the court. Dec. Is the court hane
: ed down a decision affirming the vel
y dict in the lower court, and fixing th
! date of execution for Feb. 323.
II The last effort made by Hoch to 81
! cure a new trial ended on Feb. Z
y when Governor Deneen and board [
Z. Ipardons refused to interfere in his b
7, half. 1T was alleged before the boar
i BY Mrs. Enelie Fischer Hoch that ST
nj had been SO bounded by the police TIL
/ she had committed perjury during Il
i i trial, and that much of the eyiden,
e which she had given against Hech, ";
i, not true, IA physician also declare
"a that the death of Mrs! Welcker Iot
Ell had been caused BY kidney disease, ar
d mot by arsenical poisoning. On eros
d examination before the board ho,
S. ever, he admitted that ahe, had not ma
Isl a post n1ortem examination of the bot
.hIof Mrs. Welclcer-H Hoch, while thr
le physicians who had conducted such ;
~ examination declared that death W
Sc caused by arsenic.