Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-19


Trip When She Alleges John B.
Ketcham Became Her Husband.
Ketcham Doesn't Answer That
Description by a Foot = Mrs.
Walkup's Butler Doesn't Answer
Either. for While He is Short, He
Was Not SICK and Was Not at
the Minister'S Home When the
Ceremony Was Performed.
Chicago, November 18.-Statements
made by Tom Riley, the Milwaukee
hackman who drove Mrs. Mabel Wal
lace Walkup to Rev. ]. P. Roberts to
be married on the morning of Septem-
Der "a, last, tend to strengthen the
claim of John B. Ketcham's relatives
that he was not the groom On that Oc-
casion. According to his story, which
is corroborated by Miss Anna Miersch
and Mrs. w. A. Hunsberger, the wo-
man with the dark hair married man
much Shorter than she is.
Riley to-day described the groom in
the strange affair as "a little sawed-off
fellow foot shorter than the woman"
Miss Anna Miersch, who witnessed
the ceremony, declared, too, the man
was much shorter than the woman, so
much shorter that >she exclaimed to
herself: What little man to marry
such a large, fine-looking woman"
John B. Ketcham was not "a little
sawed-off man." He was fully five feet
ten inches in height. Mabel Wallace
is not more than five feet six. Accord
ingly between the description of the
groom of September "a and the true
Ketcham, there is a difference of over
one foot in size. Mrs. Hunsberger de-
scribes the groom as small man, GER
tainly smaller than the woman.
1t is almost certain, however, that
Keller, the butler, was not substituted
for John B. Ketcham. All agree that
the principal in the secret nuptials was
really very sick man. His face was
thin, drawn and haggard. He looked
as though he had suffered for months.
Keller lookes, and as near as can be
ascertained, has, for months past, look
ed well and healthy.
Further, from all available informa-
ton, the butler stayed behind at the
Plankinton House during the cere-
mony. 1t was not until all was over
and until the couple had been driven to
the depot that he left the hotel. He
settled the bill for ga. B. Young, wife
and servant, Boston," as the trio ap-
peared upon the register.
But whoever was the groom, he was
apparently completely and wholly in
the power of the woman. The evil
dence of Riley as to Ketcham's actions,
if it were he, furnished all the ele-
ments for story of hypnotism. The
man seemed dazed and oblivIous to
everything and spoke only in the house
when answering the necessary ques-
tons. In the hack while waiting out
side he did not say word, although
Riley tried several times to engage him
in conversation.
Friends of the dead clubman, how
ever, have little hope of being able to
prove that Butler Keller or any other
man took the place of Mr.. Ketcham
in the marriage ceremony. According
to Attorney Purnell, the main conten-
ton will be that Mr.. Ketcham was Of
unsound mind.
1--WE do not care whether there was
a legitimate marriage or a fake one
by proxy" said Mr.. Purnell to-day;
whether there is marriage certificate
or a will, we will prove that John B.
thoroughly incapable of being a party
to any agreement or contract that
would hold in law"
Attorney Purnell, nevertheless, has
a representative in Milwaukee investi-
eating the marriage.
joseph Keller, butler, valet and con-
fidential man in the Wallace Ketcham
household, was put in the sweat-boX
for two hours late last night by Police
Captain Homer.
In the sweat-boX Keller was ques-
toned and cross-qeustioned. During
this interview Keller made the follow
ing written statement:
"My name in Joseph Keller. I have
been employed by Mrs. Wallace for
over year. l have known Mr.. John
B. Katcham for nearly year. On Sep
TENDER "a I accompanied Mrs. Wallace
and Mr. Ketcham to Milwaukee. We
stopped at the Manhattan Hotel. We
arrived in Milwaukee about o'clock
at night. About o'clock the next
morning Mrs Wallace and Mr.. Ketcham
went out for a drive. They returned
about 8 o'clock and Ketcham laughed
when he met me in the hotel Office and
told me that he had just got married to
Mrs. Wallace. We all came home to-
gether that same afternoon. Over ten
strangers have stopped at the house
within the last thirty days. Mrs. Wal
lace and Mr.. Ketcham have been living
together as man and wife for nearly a
year, but the mail was always address