The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-17
CALLS THEM LIES
Mrs. Minnie Wallace Ketcham
so CharacteriZes
The Many Stories Told Of Her
Past Life.
GIVES HER VERSION
Of Her Marriage to WaIkup
and His Death.
Expected to be Charged With
Killing Ketcham.

Chicago, Nov. 1.-THE only two wit
nesses examined SO far at he inquest
over the remains of John B. Ketcham
were the widow and George H. Ketch-
am. Mrs. Ketcham answered all Ques-
tions with a firm voice and freely She
gave her name as Minnie Wallace
Ketcham and her occupation as house
wife. She said that she was married
to John 3. Ketcham in Milwaukee by
Rev. Mr.. Roberts, September "a She
said that her husband had been aiing
over a year and that during the last
three months he had not been able to
leave the house except to ride. When
asked if she knew what had caused the
death of her husband she said it was
chronic alcoholism and then requested
that her answer be changed to cirrho-
sis of the liver as the latter sounded
better After some questions in re-
gard to her husbands sickness, Mrs
Ketcham was excused and the dead
mans brother was called.
George H. Ketcham said that he was
a broker in Toledo, and when asked
when he had last seen his brother
alive, said:
1T was October Is, at his house. I
called twice about that time. On the
first occasion he was asleep and when
he aWOke he seemed dazed and perhaps
his brain might not have been clear.
He was unable to understand the loca-
tiOn of a certain property and did not
seem quite himself We had two
glasses of liquor together"
DO you think his mind was affect
ed?"
well, I would not like to say further
than have pust stated
Was the deceased married?"
AT the time of his death? well L am
informed that he was"
The statement of the two physicians
who attended John B. Ketcham during
his last illness and were present at the
time of his death, was to the effect
hot I7a i0d 0fai7@1 O-iG f 7a
The investigation was continued until
Friday
At the same time that John B. Ketch-
am lay dying at her home. Mrs. Ketch-
am, or Mrs. Wallace, was paying $f6
q month rent for a fiat at 223S Indiana
avenue, ostensibly for a Mrs. Kellard,
but, according to the neighbOrs, to en-
tertain friends. This fiat was rented
by Mrs. Ketcham. or Mrs Wallace, for
two months prior TO November 1, and
was then relinquished.
In New Orleans her father was not
prominent citizen, but an obscure
lawyer, who, according to the state
ment of his daughter, died of acute
alcoholism after being separated from
his wife. Mrs. Ketcham's mother
died three years ago.
The house where Ketcham died was
purchased by Mrs. Ketcham five years
ago, and, it is said, that James r.
Walkup's money paid for it. With the
furnishings it probably represents an
outlay of $25, 900. Most of the invest
InenJ is IN the handsome fuTn1S nlngS.
K ketcham'S acquaintance with Mrs.
Wallace began two years ago a year
before he was divorced from his sec
Ond wife, Nettie Poe. The latter lived
in handsome apartments maintained by
her husband at the Lexington hotel.
while Ketcham lived a gay life about
town, and spent his time between the
Chicago club and the Auditorium An
mex When Ketcham and the hand
some creole widow became good friends
Mrs. Ketcham retained a lawyer. and
prepared to start divorce proceedings.
Mrs Wallace was occasionally seen
about the Auditorium hotel, where she
attracted much attention from the fact
that she had been the chief figure in
the Wall1up murder trial and from her
friendship with William Pitt Kellogg
of New Orleans, for the love of whom,
it was charged at the time, she had
made away with Walkup
Ketcham and Mrs. Wallace frequent
ly dined at the Annex up to a year
ago He was never seen there with
his wife, and some of his friends sup
posed at the time that Ketcham and
Mrs. Wallace had been secretly mar
ried- Up to two months ago. it is said,
Ketcham never had referred to her ex-
cepting as Mrs. Wallace.
Ketcham's cOnvivial ways grew on
him steadily in the last year. Finally.
ten months ago, he disappeared from
his haunts about the clubs and the ho-
tells, and few of his friends knew ex-
actly what had become of him His
Annex, and no one but Il few old GRO
MES, among them Pony Bob Has
lam, who was once connected with the
Buffalo Bill show, knew where he had
gone.
1t was at that time that Mrs. Minnie
Estelle Wallace received Ketcham at
her home in Indiana avenue. Ketch-
ANS second wife had been divorced
eight months before, in January, and
Ketcham had settled on her, it is said.
$1OO,OOO According to Mrs. Ketcham.
he desired to marry her at once, but
she refused till last September
During the first eight months of his
Illness ketcham was wheeled about
the Indiana avenue house in an inva-
lids chair. About the middle of Sep
tember he began to get better, and it
was decided that they go to Milwaukee
and get married. On September %
when Ketcham was so weak he scarce
ly could leave the house, he took a cab
with Mrs. Wallace for the Northwest
ern station.
They boarded a train for Milwaukee
and were married by the Rev Mr.
Roberts of that city. There was no an
nouncement of the wedding either in
Chicago or Milwaukee, and Ketcham
and his wife returned to the house in
Indiana avenue without any of his
friends discovering where he was
Ketcham did not will away his prop
erty TIL November l, over a month af-
ter his marriage. Attorney Hansen
had called to see Ketcham Just be-
fore the former left the house Ketcham
called him into his bed room and re-
quested him to draw up a will, giving
all of his property to Mrs. Ketcham. to
whom he referred for the first time as
his wife. The will was written the next
day and brought to the Indiana avenue
house for Ketcham to sign. According
to 10 Keller and Attorney Hansen,
Ketcham appeared at the time toknOW
perfectly what he was doing.
. 10 -,