The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-28
Mr.. KETCHUM'S COIN
CONTINUED from Eighth Page)

1
soiutely an idios, or person VINO has
never been sane, where a marriage
| would be declared void: for the fact that
| he did go through the ceremony Is OF its
elf prina facie evidence that he had
sufficient mental capacity TO understand
| 1t.
Third: Will-The rules in this case are
well settled that unless the testa;.or is
50 entirely berett OF reason as not to
be able TO understand the business he
| is engaged in, the will must stand.
II a man dies a pauper without wife
or child there Is generally no one 50
poor TO do MIN reverence"-not even his
| closest blood relation Ask the potter's
fed. DETHLEF c. MANSEN.
HER OWN STORY.
With this the Tribune publishes The
Story OF Woman with Past" writ
ten by Minnie Wallace Walkup Kstcham.
1t is as follows:
It is task indeed 10 wr5te this story:
The woman with a past" is 50 often
one without future" that il is q DIFF
ficuft situation to express. and my un-
fortunate past daSes back 70 tire days
ms not always been filed w3th sun
shine. In view OF the many untrutl1ful.
exaggerated accounts OF those unhappy
days that are current in the papers. il;
IS only justice TO myself and TO those
friends who have ever stood resdy 10 as
sist and defend NE TO state the facts as
the occurred. 1t is unnecessary 70
dwell upon my resent bereavement, for
the papers have made those most pri-
vste and sacred affairs Of my life and
heant masters OF comment.
1 was born at New Orleans Januacy
IA, 1863 My prer35s lived in an ar6sro-
cratic part OF the city. l was fortunate
enough ito be surrounded by people VINO
were well bred and used to the nicer
things OF life. Amid those surroundings
I early acquired a taste for the refine
ments and elegancies. My Childhood
passed without event. l was educated
alt the ST. Louis institute and was a
dreamy. quiet. bookish child. AT 10
years old / had gone home from the in
stftute to spend my vacation with my
dear mother. Mr.. James Reeves Walk
UP, ex-mayor OF Emporia. Kan. visited
New Orleans at this time, arti among
MS letters Of Introduction was one to
my mother. He was welcomed as a
guest at our house. 1t soon became ap-
parent that he was in love with me. OF
course 1 did not love man past 80
years OF age with daughters and son
older than I. After visiting New Or
leans for while ne went back % En-
poria, and returned soon after with his
unmarried daughter. He urged MS suit
and was accepted. We were married
July %, 1885. After my marriage 1 went
with my husband to his home at En-
poria, Kan. One morth after my mar
riage my husband died-his physicians
said from arsenical poisoning. 1 was
accused fly his children Of i1avtrg muir
dered lnim. was just past 16 and had
no one In the whole state OF Kansas to
turn Ito for a word of comfort or advice.
I understood only in a vague way that
had been accused of deed so dark that
1 shudder when 1 think of it. I was ar
rested and my mother came from New
Orleans TO me at once. My mother had
little money and l felt that the whole
world was against me, that / was the
cynosure OF all eyes. and the first two
or three days they were sharp. unfriend-
ly eyes. At last people commenced 10
ask if IT was possible that girl whose
first long dress was fIer wedding dress,
and. whose manner was gentle. wtrose
face was childish, could be the LIcretia
Borgia her enemies were painting her.
One brave man came forward ard said:
This child is Is. She is fTiendless. She
needs my pTotectiOn. ! stall from this
time take up her cause and spend my
time and money in her defense" He
employed lawyers TO defend me and gave
me that protection that only hope God
in His infinite wisdom VIII some day
give me the chance TO offer some friend
less girl. Mr.. William Jay. my "Abou
Ben Adhem," as j grew to call him, de-
Tended and brought people 70 look at
both sides of the case. / was tried and
acquitted by twelve men who listened as
attentivaly to the prosecution as 10 the
defense. We proved to ;ne entire salts
foctfon of itrlcse twelve men by the testi-
nony Of leading physicians in Kansas
City and Topeka that Mr.. Walkup had
Cor years been addicted to the use OF
arsenic. We proved that he had written
for TIE drug; tffat ne had sent TO Kan
sas City to a certain druggist for years
for It; and that he seldom bought
arsenic in Flnporfa because ne feared mis-
use of il would be discovered by mis-
friends. l was put on the stand TO tes-
lily. The court room was crowded.
People were eager TO hear what ! had
to say. My lawyers told me shat they
would suggest nothing 20 me. rather
oreferring that I stsite in my oRn way
my marriage, etc. win NJ. Walkup-
was on the stand perhaps an houT-it
OF course seeCned an eternity 70 me-ani
10 ST the vast crowd there ware but two
faces tnat appeared u me. One was s1e
face OF my good friend. Mr.. Jay. and
the other the white. delicate face q my
oefoved mother. When / IeSt the stand
tle judge and jury wsre weeping TIE
young Isdy stenograpser had grown 50
hystsricsl tssat she could not writ.
Soma cne s5terwsrd said that was tls
only person in the couTt rOom T.lo vas
rot in tears. Afte- leaving tas stand
crept into the arms OF tie dear woIan
Hho suffered more keenIy e, possible
than L .Af:er my aoQuittai offers from
taeStrical managers museums. AMI cir
Gus people came fast and thick Adam
Fo-spauea wanted 10 nave me- tavss /
--9-t, s,5- ss,-7r a. 80 s10 d0-n h.e-.ufv =