Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-24

LandlS 8 decision In refusing to
grant a writ Of habeas corpus Is
\ reversed they would try to have
all who took official part In the
hanging Indicted for murder.
--:-
Chicago, Feb. 23.-Johann Hoch was
hanged at ia p. m. today.
Hoch slept well all night and
was in an apparently jovial mood when
he awoke. The attorneys for the con-
demned man shortly before the hour
set for the execution filed petition in
the federal court asking an interven.
tion to save Hoch. The petition
stated that the state authorities are
endeavoring to execute Hoch In VIOLA
tion Of the fourteenth amendment and
without due process of law.
Petition Causes Delay.
AS the result Of the legal complica.
ton Jailer Whitman announced that
the execution would be delayed until
the application for writ Of habeas
corpus could be passed upon by the
federal Judge. i.
Judge Denies Petition.
judge Lands denied IIoch,s petition.
The judge IN denying n & the s11s
a writ Of habeas corpus said the pfep9l
remedy for the counsel was to obtain
a writ Of error from the decision of
the state supreme court from the
United States supreme court, but
Hoch's counsel failed to take advantage
of that move.
A Race With Death:
Preparations for the hanging were
Immediately begun following Judge
Landis' refusal Of the writ Of habeas
corpus, but Hoch's attorneys, even
while the death march was starting In
the Jail, were leaving the federal
building to get Hoch's signature to a
new appeal bond.
The attorneys arrived at the jail
with the appeal bond Just in time to
again temporarily stop the prepare
ttons for the execution. But the deA
lay was only for few moments.
Courageous on the Scaffold.
Shortly before the march to the scan
fold commenced Hoch ate a hearty
dinner with evident relish. At 1874
o'clock Hoch, accompanied by Deputy
Sheriff Peters, Jailer Whitman, Rev.
Schlecter and Kev. ]. r. Burkland,
stepped upon the scaffold and two
minutes later he was corpse. Ha
walked upon the scaffold quietly and
stood directly under the moose with
heels together and head erect, like a
soldier on parade. He was pale but
composed, and was full Of courage.
Protests His Innocence.
When asked If he had anything td
say Hoch replied: EYES," and in d
strong German accent he said: "FathS
er, forgive them, they know not what
they do. must die an innocent man.
Good Bye"
He chopped off the last words in q
short, incisive manner and before hin
voice was silenced the drop fell.
Death Is instantaneous.
DR.. Mcnamara, the county physi.
clan, declared death instantaneous, the
neck being broken. The body, late In
the afternoon, was delivered to local
undertaken who had engaged to inter
1t at his own expense. Rev. Burklan6
had talk with the prisoner shortly
/ before he went to the scanold and
said later that Hoch had confessed
that he had been bigamist and .
very wicked man, but the minister de<
confessed the crime for which he was
executed.
History Of Strange Case.
Hoch is believed to have como
originally, from Horrweiler. small
town in Germany, not far from Bingen.
on-the-Rhine. His father Jacob
Schmitt is said to still reside there. AZ
wife, supposed to be the first wife Of
Hoch is also living on the same place.
place. /,
Hoch has always been reticent re.
garding his career in this country, and
his first wife married in the United
States is believed to have been Mrs,
Martha Steinbrecher, to whom he
was married in 1895. After livina
with Hoch for four months she died.
the cause of death being given al
nephritis.
Married Always for Money.
| In November, 1895. he married Mary
Rankin in this city, and left her the
day after the wedding because she re.