The Detroit times., 1912-11-29

in the erection OF the Detroit City
Gas company's building, was blown
lup. Hockin was arrested next day
and charged with knowledge of the
lob. He proved an alibi The police
were not wise" TO the alarm-clock
method OF timing an explosion so that
the perpetrators could be several
miles away when II occurred.
The explosion at the Whitehead &
Kales company's plant was another
mystery which could not be traced 10
lHockin by the police.
Less than a month after the gas
building explosion, Hockin vas again
under arrest This time IL was on
complaint OF a woman In Wayne.
IHockin was able 10 compromise this
case by a payment OF S195. IL was
hut one OF a number of scrapes into
which Hockln got with women.
Suspected OF Attacking Women.
In 1897 the newspapers were full OF
Hockin. In that year, from May TO
November. 10 women were assailet
lby a man who always succeeded ia
getting away. Hockln at that time
was working on the postofiice, then
in process OF erection. When Mrs
Adam Hitzel, No. 1896 Mt. Elliott-ave..
was attacked. someone tipped OF the
ipolice that Hockin was her assailant,
and Detectives Sterton and Buhr
went TO the postofficc 10 arrest him.
Hockin was warned, aud when the
detectives came he took refuge on
the highest truss OF the steel struc-
ture.
Come up and get me-" he shouted
/ In reply TO the command OF the de-
tectives to come down.
/ Hockin stayed up and the detectives
laid siege. When Hockin became
hungry he climbed down a bit, and a
lfellow-workman ascended and handed
him his dinner bucket At last the
officers were forced 10 give up, but
they lay for Hockin a day or two
later and arrested him.
Hockin was identified by several
girls and women an their assailAnt.
but there were Others who could not
swear 10 him and some OF those~SNho
said they were sure, later weakened.
Mrs. Hitzers Identification was posi-
tive. Hockin spent several weeks In
jail, while Prosecuting Attorney Al
len Fl. Frazer weighed the evidekce
for and against him.
His friends rallied TO his rescue
Fifty men prepared to swear that
Hockin was ION the job" at the time
Mrs. Hitzel was attacked. But the
clinching evidence In Hockin's favor
was photograph OF a group OF work
men, which was taken on the day OF
the attack. In that group Hockin APP
peared Coincident with this evil
dence, Postmaster Enright received u
letter from a man who claimed TO be
Mrs. Hitzeps assailant.
Hockln was released. A jubilant
delegation attended him to his home.
where his wife and his 16-months-old
baby awaited him. There was joy
GUS celebration OF his innocence. The
police department Is still wondering
how Hockin put II over" They are
convinced that he was guilty not only
OF the attack on Mrs. Hitzel, but OF
the crimes against most, II not all, OF
the others who identified him.
IT was hard TO identify Hockin;
sometimes his face was smearedE with
dirt: sometimes he wore different
clothes; he was always careful 10
establish an alibi." the police say.
Marrles Wife's Sister.
county fail to show what closed the
romance of the first Mrs. Hockip,
They do show, however, that Hockin
married his frst wifes sister in Wind
sor, June IT, 1906. A year later she
filed suit for divorce. She mentioned
many instances OF infldelity, and en-
phasized the case OF Hockins arrest
on complaint OF the woman In Wayne
who claimed that he was the father
OF her child. In the divorce petition
she prayed for an injunction restrain.
ing Hockin from disposing of their
household goods. The injunction was
granted: what happened to the divorce
proceeding does not appear from the
records.
At that time, or shortly before,
Hockin was living. In a fine large
house at No. 164 Pingree-ave., and ap-
peared to be very prosperous, al
though he was employed as janitor
Of the Elks' temple
Hockins services to the structural
iron workers had been so manifest
that 1t was clear that he was entitled
to reward. He was man OF ability
and tremendous nerve, good OF
ganizer, very popular with his fellow
workmen. Ho was chosen secretary
OF the international Union of struc-
tural steel workers. HIS new Job took
him away from Detroit and the police
department ceased 10 worry about his |
whereabouts and his operations. He
was next heard of In Detroit, when |
the newspapers announced his alleged
connection with the dynamite out