Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-03-01

Chicago Feb. 2i.-Johann Hoch,
convicted murderer. confessed bigam-
list, and Who if but a fraction of the
stories of crime told of him are true.
was one of the greatest criminals
this country has ever known, was
hanged in the county Jail yesterday
for poisoning one of his wives, Marie
Welcker Hoch He faced death calm:
" and without fear He stood on
the scaffold beneath the dangling
moose in the attitude and with the
placid courage of soldier who real
ICES to the full that death is his por-
ton but is still unafraid. He died
with prayer on his lips for the of
ficers of the law who took his life anu
save for the words good bye" his
last utterance was an assertion that
he was innocent of the crime for
which he paid the extreme penalty OF
the law.
The last scene in the career OF
Hoch came at 1894 in the afternoon
while his attorneys were still r!aking
desperate efforts for little more time
on earth for him. His death, the
lawyers say. has not ended the appeal
made in his behalf, and although the
man himself is dead they promise to
carry it to the supreme court OF the
United States and if it is there decid-
ed that he was unlawfully hanged
proceedings will be commenced
against the officers who ofiicated at
the execution,
Last Fight for Delay.
The time set for the hanging was
between 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. Shortly
after 8 his attorneys appeared in the
Office of the clerk of the United
States circuit court where they filed
an application for a writ of habeas
corpus. on the broad ground that
Hoch was held in peril of death in di
rect violation of the fourteenth
amendment to the constitution of the
United States, which declares in eff
feet. that no state shall deprive any
person of life, liberty or property
without due process of the law, nor
deny to any person within its jurs-
diction the equal protection of the
laws.
AS soon as the application for writ
mad been filed, Attorneys Maher ana
Comerford. in behalf of Hoch, has
tened to the Jail, where they informed
Jailer Whitman and Deputy Sherih
Peters that the application for writ
had been made and asked them to de-
lay the execution until the court had
either granted or refused the writ
The officials agreed to this. The at
torneyS then returned to court ana
appearing before Judge Lands asked
that the writ issue forthwith
Judge Denies Writ.
The attorneys argued the petition
but Judge Lands refused to grant it.
AS soon as it was known that the APP
plication for writ of habeas corpus
had been denied preparations were
commenced at the Jail for the eXecu.
tion of Hoch.
At y O'Clock Deputy Sheriff Peters,
accompanied by Jailer Whitman. en-
tered Hochs cell, the former holding
the death warrant, which he read to
him. Peters spoke a few kind words
10 Hoch, who declared his innocence
and also declared his intention TO
fight if taken to the scaffold before
/ 80.
Just as the reading of the death
warrant was completed Attorney Com
erford appeared with an appeal bond
10 which he desired Hochs signature
The deputy sheriff ordered the pro.
ceedings delayed while he telephoned
TO Judge Lands, who stated that he
had refused to interfere in the Hoch
case
The Execution.
Further delay in the execution was
refused by the deputy sheriff and the
march to the gallows was taken up
Just at 1882 o'clock Hoch stepped up
on the drop beneath the cross beams
His face was very pale but his man.
ner composed and his courage unsur.
nagsej He stond pract bic haaig