The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-18
Plot Thickens Around the Death OF
Chicago Clubman.
MENTALLY INCAPABLE
TO MAKE WILL AT TIME OF AL
LEGGED MARRIAGE.
Escape of Mrs. Walkup's
Butler-Story of Minister Who
Performed the Ketcaam-Walkup
Marriage at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
iscences of a Famous Trial.

Chicago, Nov. 17.-RelativeS Of the
late John B. Ketcham will contest his
will if such an instrument be in ex-
istence. on the ground that he was
not only of unsound mind at the time
he may have signed, but for ten
months previous. Ketcham's two
brothers and two sisters will also deny
that their brother was legally married
to Minnie Wallace-Wa lkup. They
claim that he was entirely Incapable OF
making any kind of a contract at the
time of the alleged marriage, or, in
deed, for nearly a year previous.
Attorney James E. Purnell, who has
charge of the case, says he has album
dant proof that John 3. Ketcham has
been mentally unsound for almost a
year and that there has been no proof
of q marriage with Mrs. Walkup, Of
fered by the alleged wife. The attor-
ney has served notice on the trustees
and the savings bank to restrain Mrs.
Walkup from having access to the
safety vault. Attorney Purnell will
notify the court that the will will be
contested as soon as filed.
Mrs Walkups butler, Joe Keller, has
suddenly become a very important fac
tor in the impending litigation. KEEL
Ter, according to his story, .accompan-
led Ketcham and Mrs. Walkup to Mil
waukee on Sept. 6 and was a witness
to the marriage. Rev Mr.. Roberts OF
Milwaukee. who performed the cere-
mony, opens up rather startling posi-
bilities by saying, when shown a pho
! tograph of Keller, that the picture
much more resembled the man whom
/ he married to Mrs. Walkup than did
the picture of John B. Ketcham. Sew
eral of the buffers prominent features
including small mustache, which was
not a popularity of Mr.. Ketcham, were
carefully noted by the Rev. Mr.. Rob:
erts as common to both Keller ano
| the bridegroom on Sept. "a.
The butler had little to say on the
subject, but volunteered much infor-
nation concerning the events of tbs
wedding trip. He claimed that Ketch-
am and Mrs. Walkup went to Mil
waukee hotel and hurried from there
! to the parsonage, and that Mr. ketch
ans face was not wrapped up in any
way. The Rev. Mr.. Roberts says the
| bridegroom's face was partly mufflec
in a shawl, not, however, conceaiins
! the mustache.
AS to this phase of the situation
however, neither Mr.. Purnell nor Mr.
Ketcham's relatives have anything tt
say. The attorney would neither con
| firm nor deny the statement that the
! pending contest may deyolYe upon the
question as to whether John B. Ketch-
am or the butler, Joe Keller, was the
bridegroom on Sept. "a.
To add to the sensation caused by
the statement of the Milwaukee min
lister the butler. Keller, has dis
appeared. Keller left the Thirty fiftl
street police station Tuesday nigh
about 10 o'clock, after having answered
numerous questions with what the pc
lice claim were evasive replies, will
permission to return to the Ketchan
house at 1921 Indiana avenue He die
not return to his mistress home, how
ever, and inquiry by the different pc
lice stations today developed the fac
that he had not been seen since hi
departure from the Thirty-fifth stree
station last night. The police believ,
that Keller implicitly trusted as h,
was by his mistress, has left the cit,
in order that no words of his may in
volve her in further trouble.
1t is claimed that the police are hold
ing Keller somewhere in Hyde Park
and viii guard him until he is wanted
The police refuse to make any state
ments in regard to this, but from tn
fact that Lieutenant Creighton toda.
doubled the number of officers detailed
on the matter, it is believed some nev
developments have been reached.