Alyssa and  ⁠Molly McAleer⁠ from ⁠Mother May I Sleep with Podcast⁠  travel back to the late 1890’s/ early 1900’s to discuss Chicago’s Bluebeard Johann Hoch, a bigamist and murder whose crimes would be too much for a Lifetime Movie plot.   

Show Notes:

• ⁠Second City Sinners⁠
• ⁠New York Times: JOHANN HOCH HANGED, PROTESTING INNOCENCE; Wife Murderer’s Lawyers to Test Denial of Stay in Last Hour. PRISONER FORCED DELAY Refused to Leave Death Cell Until Full Time Allowed by Sentence Was Run.⁠
• ⁠Digital Library of Chicago History: John Schmidt, aka Johann Otto Hoch thought to have killed over 50 women.⁠⁠American Heritage: The Lady-killer⁠
• ⁠CBS: Chicago Hauntings: The Sinister Men Who Were Executed At The Old Cook County Jail Gallows, And Sightings At The River North Firehouse Now In Its Place⁠
• ⁠Chicago Tribune: WIVES OF HOCK FOUND ALL OVER.: Four More Listed by the New York Police Make Total of 37 Deluded Widows. EAST ALSO HIS PARISH. Much Married Man May Be Put on Way to Chicago This Morning on Extradition. Several Months in Landing One. Gets Her $900 and Skips. Will Demand His Punishment. May Be Still Another. Hock Again Is Remanded. Hock Flirts in Courtroom.⁠
• ⁠Chicago Tribune: THIS HOCK WIFE OF HIS OWN KIND.: Mrs. Ranken, His Spouse in 1895, Said to Have Too Many Husbands. POLICE SEE THE RECORDS. Documents Indicate Bigamist Was Married Twice in Seven Months. Justice Shows Hock Marriages. Matrimonial Agent Is Accuser. O’Neill Informed of Warrant.⁠
• ⁠Chicago Tribune: HOCK GLORIES IN MARITAL RECORD.: Thinks It Is Great Joke to Be Suspected of Murder of Many Wives, and Has a Happy Time. “WIDOWS HARD TO KEEP.” Man “Explains” Sudden Deaths, Says He Is “Affectionate,” and Tells of His Career, Which Began Early. Mysterious Powder in His Room. “GOt to suffer for Deserters,” Sweatbox to Calin Him Down. Connoisseur of German Widows. Married Only Twice, He Says. It Is a Great Joke with Him. Angered by Talk of Poison.. “Disappointed” in Last Widow. Widows Weak, Savs Hock. Sava Police Are “Away Off.” Adventurer Since Immigration. Taking Way with Widows. Chicago Headquarters for Years. Marriage “Ads” His Bait. New Wives in Quick Succession. Hopes He Can Meet the Woman. Doen Not Deny This Wife. Likes to Marry Sisters. Another One He “Can’t Place.” Explains Death of One More. Admits the Last Wives. Woman Sees Hock Again. Tells of Hammond Marriage. Still Kind to Her Husband. Will Get Startling Evidence.⁠
• ⁠Chicago Tribune: ROMANCE IN HOCK CASE.: BLUEBEARD CAUSES JEALOUS RIVAL TO WARN WIDOW. Romance in Story. Rival Suitor Suspicious. Suspicions Result in Arrest.⁠