Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-17
Claims of Ketcham's Alleged Widow
to Be Fought.
DENIAL OF LEGAL MARRIAGE
A Butler Suspected of Personating
the Deceased.
THE TRIP TO MILWAUKEE

CHICAGO, November 17.-Relatives of
the late John b. ketcham, who recently
died here will contest his WILL If such an
instrument is in existence, on the ground
,Eat he was not only of unsound mind at
the time he may hs We signed it. but for ten
months previous. ketchams two brothers
and two sisters will also deny that their
brother was legally married to Minnie Wal
lace Walkup. They will claim that he was
entirely incapable of making any kind CT a
contract at the time OF the alleged mar
rage. or. indeed. for nearly a year pre-
vious.
Attorney James E. Purnell. who mas
charge of the case for the ketchams, says
ne has abundant proof that John b. Ketch-
am has been mentally unsound for almost
year, and that there has been no proof OF
a marriage with Mrs Walkup offered by
the alleged wife. The attorney has already
served notice on the Illinois Trust and
Savings Bank to restrain Mrs. Walkup from
hd. ing access to the safety box in which
the dead clubman kept his securities. At
torney Purnelf will also notify the court
that the will viii be contested as soon as
filed.
Mrs. Walkup's butler Joe Keller, has
suddenly become a very important fac
tor in the pending litigation. Keller. ac-
cording TO his story. accompanied John
Ketcham and Mrs. Walkup to Milwaukee
OF September "A and was a witness to the
ceremony which made them man and wife.
Rev. Mr. Roberts of Milwaukee. who per-
formed the ceremony, opens up rather
startling possibilities by saying. when
shown photograph of Keller, that the
picture much more resembied the man
whom he married to Mrs. Walkup than did
the picture of John b. Ketcham. Several
of the buffers prominent features. includ-
ing a small Inustache. which was not a
popularity of Mr.. Ketcham, were care
fully noted by the Rev. Mr.. Roberts as
common to both Keller and the bridegroom
of Sept -.
The butler had little to say on this sub
ject, but volunteered much information
concerning the events of the wedding trip.
He claimed that ketcham and Mrs. Walk
up went 10 a Milwaukee hotel. and hurried
from there to the parsonage. and that Mr..
Ketchams face was not wrapped up in
any way The Rev. Mr.. Roberts says that the
bridegrocms face was partly muffied in a
shawl. not, however. concealing the mus
tache.
As to this phase of the situation, how
ever. neither Mr.. Purnell nor Mr.. Ketch-
ems relations have anything to say. The
attorney will neither affirm nor deny the
statement that the pending contest may
devoive upon the question as to whether
John b. ketcham or the butler Joe Keller
was the bridegroom on September "a.
To add to the sensation caused by the
statement of the Milwaukee minister. the
butler, Keller. has disappeared Keller left
the :1th street police station Tuesday night
about 10 o'clock. after having answered nu-
merouS questions with what the police
claim We're evasive replies. with permission
TO return to the ketcham house. at 3421
Indiana avenue. He did not return to his
mistress home. however.and inquiry by the
different police stations today developed
the fact that he had not been seen since his
departure from the 35th street station last
night.
The police believe that Keller implicitly
trusted by. as he was by his mistress. has
left the city in order that no words of his
may involve her in further trouble.
EMPORIA. Kan, November 1.-THE
death in Chicago of John b. Ketchum,
shortly after marrying Mabel Estelle Walk
up. the widow of John r. Walkup- the
man for whose murder she tried here
twelve years ago. recalls the sensational
eTding of the case, in which Mrs Walkup $
powerful testimony secured an acquittai
just as everything seemed to be going
against Ter.
The prosecution claimed that Mrs. Walk
up had purchased arsenic while en- route
to Emporia on her wedding trip and that
she pure hased quantities of the poison in
Emporia- The sentiment of the town was
for conviction. The defense did not DENY
that Walkup was poisoned with arsenic
but said he took an overdose while taking
the poison for medicine.
me Climax of the case was reached when
MIS- Walkup was placed on the stand. She
was very beautiful and Well schooled and
before she finished giving testimony the
lawyers. jurymen and judge wept and the
stenographer's eyes were blinded so that
he could not see to write. The girl who had
been befriended only by one man had cap
tured the hearts of all who were not di-
rectiy Interested, and they were ready to
swear that she was innocent of the heinous
crime laid at her door. A verdict of ac-
quittal was returned. Shortly after the
trial Mrs. Walkup left Emporia and very
little has been heard of her. The three
children of Mr.. Walkup all live in Emporia
They are Mrs. John Martin, wife of the
SON sar II tod TOT
Mrs. Harry Hood. whose husband is a son
of Major Hood and a very wealthy and
prominent stock man, and w. r. WaIkup
a farmer