The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-08-16

A Sensationsl Interview With the
Lady of SO Much NotOriety.
Some Highly CoIored Statements
Made to Chicago Reporter.
She Says She Travels a Great Deal,
and is Known as Mrs. Wallace.
And Boasts about the Immense For
tune Left Her by Mf. WaIkup.
From the Chicago Times.

Grand Pacific every day would guess |
at the tragedy and romance that sur
round period in her life history. And |
yet she has passed through scenes that
would have placed the marks of care
in the face and silver strands in the |
hair of woman less brave. AS she
passes to and from the dining room in
the hotel every eye is turned toward
her, and her coming is looked for again.
Minnie Wallace is certainly very at
tFactive. She is slight, graceful and
well-formed, with hair black as mid
night, soft, shining, and with ten
dency to wave and curl caresSingly
about her shapely neck. Her hazel
eyes are large and honest. underneath
eyebrows that are well arched. Her
features are regular, lips rich in color,
and a smooth, white skin, with enough
color in it to. brighten up the whole
face. In addition to all these personal
charms. she is4Wealthy.
Those who see Minnie Wallace would
never imagine that she was Minnie
Wallace Walkup, the heroine of one of
the most exciting murder trials which
ever was recorded in the annals of
the state of Kansas. She was born in
New Orleans in 1859. Her father is
j. E. Wallace, one of the leading
lawyers of that city. She was reared
IN luxury, for her father always had
good practice and lived well. She at
tended school at the st. Louis institute
until she was fifteen years old. At
sixteen she was married at COving-
ton, KY, to James Il. Walkup. a very
wealthy cattle dealer Of Emporia,
Kan. Her husband was a well-pre-
served man, fifty-twO years of age,
quite tall and of fine appearance. The
M q ffAnx nt0Ro -InlU 80 IR2E Min
MES mother being present. Minnie
and her husband went to EmpOria at
once, where an elegant home was open
to receive her. Her husband had
been Widower and had two grown-up
daughters and son who was married
and had children of his own. Yet the
girlish bride was happy. 1t is true
that in the course of the trial in which
soon afterward she took such promi-
nent part she testified that she did not
love her husband. but added that she
never loved any other, and thought
more of him than any man she ever
met.
Whatever happiness was in this
strange marriage was destined to be of
short duration. On August ed, just
one month after the wedding, James
r. Walkup died, and the surrounding
circumstances warranted the belief
OloO OOdOA 1ldO DCCA OcsuOC0 ny o16Cl1C
poisoning. He had been sick for sew
eral days, and had been nursed by his
child wife, which caused suspicion to
fall on her. She was indicted by the
grand jury, and in the following Octo-
Der the trial, which lasted for several
weeks and created interest all over the
country, came off, when beautiful Min
ME Wallace asSer5ed her innocence and
pleaded for her life. The prosecution
was urged by her dead husbands two
| daughters, who, in the event of her
conviction, would have prOfited largely
| in the division of their fathers estate.
Minnie knew no one in the town, and
every ones hand was against her.
Not every one, for Hon. William Jay,
| another wealthy citizen of the place,
became her champion and spent 81 ,O00
in her defense. He had never known
her, but he looked into her eyes and
thought he saw only innocence there.
! 1t was proved that she bought arsenic
short time before her husband S
death, but she claimed that it was pur-
chased at his request. Druggists from
Cairo and elsewhere proved that he had
been for years confirmed arsenic eat
| er, and the tide of public sentiment be-
| gan to turn in her favor. She showed
that she had placed the arsenic in the
drawer of dressing-case, and a ser
want had been bribed to hand the poi
| son to her master. In his weak con-
dition he did not correctly gauge the
dose, and before anything could be
done he was dead.
The child widow was placed on the
witness-stand, and when she told her
story q scene followed such as no
court room ever saw before, Crowds
had gathered daily, and on this day
there was not dry eye IN the court
room. The jurymen, the lawyers and
even the judge wept, and tie stenO
grapher's eyes were SO blinded that she
could not see to write. The girl, who
in her hour of trouble, now had cap
tured the hearts of all, and they were
ready To swear that she was
innocent of the heinous crime
laid at her door. The virdict
of acquittal was returned ant
Minnie Wallace Walkup was heroine
Last evening reporter called on hel
at the Grand Pacific. She was regis
tered as Mrs Wallace and had dis
closed to no one her identity. She ex
pressed surprise that she had been dis
covered.
but, then, l have very warm spO
in nv heart for reporters, /" she said witt
natural little lisp that many a swee
maiden would cOvet, ''fOr they stood b.
me in the dark hour of trouble whicl
has cast its shadow over my whole life
The newspapers always treated me wit
the utmost consideration, and ar
very thankful to them. had hoped
! escape any more mention in the papers
1 think of that time as little as possible
and / wish it could be forgotten
every one. shudder when 1 think c
; the ordeal l went through, butt haV
l done nothing to be ashamed of, and
have never denied that l am Mimi
Wallace Walkup."
How did it happen that SuspiciO
l was placed upon your"
S II was perfect stranger in EmpOri
r and had been there only few day
I MIR. Walkup was very prOmineI
man, and no one knew that he was a
I; arsenic eater. One of the coroner
: Jury WAS told that / was about fort
!. years of age. and was an adventures
, from Louisiana. That was enough
; condemn me in Kansas, and that +,
!, port was spread broadcast. Under th
!. laws of the state l inherited one-ha
of my husbands large estate, and thu
was enough to make his daughters veI
: bitter against me. They did ever,
{, thing they could to prevent my acQui
: tai. l was innocent and my conscienC
did not trouble me, but it was relif
when all was over. ! had plenty {
friends then, and 1 have been happ
ever since, except for the memory @
, those few months.
'sDo you wear black always?" Sh
was dressed in becoming gown @
; black Henrietta cloth, the only color
being those reflected from several dia
, monds at her throat.
BLACK is my fayorite color, but yol
can see am not in mourning. l Xix
dark eolors, for they suit me. Yes,
have had several offers of marriage
but shall never marry again. hav'
a strange collection of letters. 0nlI
part of which, hOwev contain oherl
of marriage. The others congratulate
me upon the result of the trial. There
are letters from judges and bank presi
dents, and there are letters from COW
boys out on the plains of Arizona
lone of them could not write and
signed his name by cross. They are
impuIsive souls. those cowboys, tierc<
in their hate, and fierce in their love
= \ H. = off p