The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-18
Milwaukee Preacher Says Butler Kel-
Ter Resembles the Man Who Was
Tied to the Chicago Widow.
CASE GROWING MYSTERIOUS
THE BUTLER SPIRITED AWAY AND
HIDDEN BY THE POLICE.
Bitter Contest Probable Over the Dead
Club Man's Estate-EarIy Career
of His Alleged Wife.

CHICAGO, Nov. 17.-Additional mystery
Is thrown about the case of John B. Ketch-
am with every development brought forth
by the police in their efforts to ascertain
the facts surrounding his death at the home
of Mrs. Mabel Estelle Wallace Walkup, or
Ketcham. Joseph Keller, the butler at the
home of the woman who now claims to be
the widow of Mr.. Ketcham, disappeared
Tuesday evening after having been held for
some time by Police Lieutenant Creighton
undergoing cross-examination of the most
severe character regarding the circum-
stances of the alleged marriage of Mrs.
Wallace to Ketcham last September. The
police declared that he had been questioned
and allowed to depart at 10 o'clock, while
as a matter of fact Keller was locked up on
a suspicion aroused by his own story. The
suspicion has been growing upon the police
as the result of rumors which started in
Milwaukee that Keller appeared in the role
of bridegroom at the wedding and that he
and not Ketcham stood before the minister,
with his face concealed under the folds of
a scarf. AS the result of this suspicion he
was held over night and at IL O'Clock this
morning was driven away in charge of an
officer. He is now held by the police, who
are able to produce him at any time he may
DO neeQ6O. Inc dllSSSO Wllc VI TASlSudAlA IL
i'll in bed with nervous prostration, the
ordeal which she has undergone since the
death of Ketcham having been too much
for her strength.
From present indications Mrs. Wallace
Walkup will not enjoy. without a legal
fight, the estate left by Mr. Ketcham.
Relatives of the dead clubman and ex-
banker will contest his will if such an
instrument is in existence, on the ground
that he was not only of unsound mind at
the time he may have signed it, but for ten
n onths previous. Ketcham'S two brothers
and two sisters will also deny that their
brother was legally married to Mrs Wallace
Walkup. They will claim that he was en-
tirey incapable of making any kind of a
contract at the time of the alleged marriage,
or indeed for nearly year previous At
torney James E. Purnell, who has charge of
the case for the Ketchams, says he has
abundant proof that John b. Ketchem was
mentally unsound for almost a year, and
that there has been no proof of a mar
riage with Mrs. Walkup offered by the al
legged wife. The attorney has already served
notice the Illinois Trust and Savings
Bank to restrain Mrs. Walkup from having
access to the safety box in which the dead
cIubman kept his securities. Attorney Pur-
nell will also notify the court that the will
will be contested as soon as filed.
WHAT THE PREACHER SAYS.
Mrs. Walkups butler, Joe Keller, has
suddenly become a very important factor in
the pending litigation. Keller, according to
his story, accompanied John Ketcham and
Mrs Walkup to Milwaukee on Sept. "a, and
was witness to the ceremony which made
them man and wife. Rev. Mr.. Roberts, of
ur,lo
opens up rather startling possibilities by
saying when shown a photograph of Keller
that the picture much more resembles the
man whom he married to Mrs. Walkup than
did the picture of John B. Ketcham. Sew
eral Of the buffers prominent features, in
cluding a small mustache, which was not a
popularity of Mr.. Ketcham, were carefully
noted by the Rev. Mr.. Roberts as common
both to Keller and the bridegroom of Sept.
"a. The putler had little to say on this sub
ject, but volunteered much information con-
cerning the events of the wedding trip. He
claimed that Ketcham and Mrs. Walkup
went to a Milwaukee hotel and hurried from
there to the parsonage, and that Mr..
Ketcham's face was not wrapped up in any
way. The Rev. Mr.. Roberts says that the
bridegroom face was partly muff1ed in a
shawl, not. however, concealing the mus
tache. AS to this phase of the situation
however. neither Mr.. Purnell nor Mr..
Ketchams relations have anything to say.
The attorney would neither affirm nor deny
the statement that the pending contest may
devolve upon the question as to whether
John b. Ketcham or Butler Keller was the
bridegroom on Sept. a.
To add to the sensation caused by the
statement of the Milwaukee minister Butler
Keller could not be found to-day. Keller is
said to have left the Thirty-irst-street po-
lice station Tuesday night about 10 O'Clock
after having answered numerous questions
with which the police claim were evasive re-
plies, with permission to return to the
Ketcham house at No. S421 Indiana avenue.
He did not return to his mistress and home.
1t was said this afternoon, however, that
the police knew more about his disappear
ance than they are willing to admit. 1t is
claimed that the police are holding Keller
somewhere in Hyde Park, and Will guard
him until he is wanted. The police refuse
to make any statements in regard to this
story, but from the fact that Lieutenant
Creighton to-day doubled the number of
officers detailed on the matter 1t is believed
some new developments have been reached.
Criminal proceedings are threatened
against Mrs. Wallace Walkup and several
other persons whose names have not been
divulged, but who, John Borden ketchams
relatives will charge, were associated in
torney James l.. Purnell, representing the
dead bankers family said tonight that
enough evidence relative to John b. ketch-
ans life in the Indiana-avenue house,
we'll as the marriage that was performed
in Milwaukee last September had been col
lected by detectives to make a clear case
of conspiracy against several persons. Il
do not care to make charges at this time
said Mr.. Purnel for we are long way
from the court proceedings that will neces-
sarily arise from Ketcham's death, but l
will say that he was victim of a desperate
conspiracy. | do not mean by this that he
met with foul play. His friends do not
contend that he did not die from natural
causes. What we do claim is that after
John went to that house to live
last September he was virtually a
prisoner His friends were repeatedly de-
MED admittance upon the pretext that he
was not at home Sometimes the butler
would appear at the door and tell them
that John was out; at other times the wom-
an who says she is his widow, would an
swer for herself. He was always out ac-
cording to their version of his whereabouts
bat We know the contrary was the
case Mrs. Wallace did not know, per-
haps that she was shadowed night and day
during the entire period that John was in
her house, and that her every movement
was made known to the brothers and sis
ters, who have made up their minds to
contest the mysterious will"
did you mean to charge that she would
mot hermit Mr.. Kefcham To leave the