The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-11-19
WAS A FAKE WEDDING
Ketcham Did Not Play the Part
of Groom.
A LITTLE SAWE0-OfF MAN
A Milwaukee Hickman Describes the
Groom In the Mysterious Wedding.
He Acted as II He Was Hypno-
tised-W Wouldn't Talk.

Chicago. Nov. ls.-Statements made
by Tom Riley, the Milwaukee hack
man who drove Mrs. Mshcl Wallace
Walkup Ia Dr. Roberts TO be- married
ON the morning OF Sept. "a hast. tend to
strengthens the claim uf John B. ketch-
ANS relatives that hs was not the
groom.
According To his story, Mrs. Malkup
married "a man much shorter than
ketcham. Riley describes lho groom
In the strange affair as IA llttlr sawed
on fellow, "a foot shorter than the
woman"
Juhn B. ketcham was not little
sawed-oit man. he Was fully iNe feet
ten inches in height. Mabel Walkup
Is not more than fivc feet six inches IN
height. Accordingly. between the de-
scription of the groom OF Sept. "a and
the true etcham, there Is a difference
OF over one foot In size. IL Is almost
certain. however. that Keller, the but
l,r. was not substituted for ketrham.
liut. whoever was tn. groom. hc was
apparently completely and wholly in
the power of the woman.
The evidence ~ Riley as 10 ketch-
ANS actions, II IL were he. furnishes
all the elements Tor "A story of hypno-
tlsm The man seemed dazed and
ohliyious To everything. and spoke only
In the house when answering the nee
cssary questions. In the hack while
waiting outside. he did not say a word,
although Riley tried several times 10
engage him in conversation. Friends
of the dead club man however have
little hope of being able To prov" that
Butler Keller ar any other man took the
place of Mr. ketcham In the marriage
ceremony. According 10 Attorney pur-
nell, IN. main contention Will br that
Mr. Ketcham was of unsound mind,
We do not care whether there was "A
legitimate marriage or a fake "nc by
proxy" said Attorney Purnell to-day
whether there is a marriage certificate
or a will. We viii prove that John IL.
ketcham was Of unsound mind and
thoroughly incapable Of being a party
10 amy agreement or contract that
would hold In law"
Attorney Purnell nevertheless has
representative in Milwaukee inNestigat-
| ing the marriage.
MIR. Minnie Wallace W. alkup- kctch-
am. with the evident purpos. of di-
yesting her marriage io John u. kctch-
am " all mystery and sweeping away
! once for NIL the stories. insinuaiions
and theories of those who would dis
! transaction. She said.
Il need not speak of incidents lead
ing up to my consent 10 become John
Ketcham's wife. That IL an old story
now. but our trip Ia Milwaukee. the
butler, hackman, police. minister and
newspaper all told their stories, while
I alone have remained silent. I under
stand that the composite report IL that
somebody, anybody but John u. ketch-
am. acted AS bridegroom. and that |
obtained my marriage certiiicate by
fraud.
"Do I need Ia explain why We de-
cided ON "A secret marriage simply
because n danger of "a sensation. ketch-
/ ans divorce from his former wife aud
my own unhappy experience would
undoubtedly have been revived In COM
n.ction with "A public announcement of
| our marriage We therefore decided TO
wed secretly at Milwaukee.
"kotcham and I. accompanied by my
Z butler. Joseph Keller. who acted as
Ketchams valet, went Ia Milwaukee
an the evening of Sept. %, We went
to the Plankington house, where we
secured n suite of rooms. being regis
/ tered as Nh and Mrs. Young and scry-
I ant This was done simply to insure
| the secrecy of our errand. Larry the
next morning Mr. Ketcham and I went
I to "A minister's house. where we were
I married. After breakfast we took the
I n O'Clock train for Chicago. Contrary
I Ia my wishes. Kstcham told Keller.
when "" returned to the hotel, that
We were married"
Mrs keicham went into other details
, of the Milwaukee trip and reiterated
her Willingness u answer any question
that remained subject To doubt or mys-
terry. The coroner's jury viii meet to-
morrow and will be adjourned proba-
bly, until Monday, as the chemical an
alysis OF the stomach Is not yet COM