The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-17
STOMACH NOT YET ANALYZED
BODY OF THE BANKER TURNED
OVER TO TOLEDO RELATIVES.
"Mrs. Mabel EsteIIe WaIIace's'' Right
to Her Alleged Husbands Estate to
BE Disputed in Court.


examined by the deputy coroner and state
ments of the two attending physicians sub
mitted when it was announced that owing
to the inability of the chemist to complete
the analysis of the stomach of the deceased
the inquest would be adjourned for a
week. This brought Mrs. Wallace to her
feet in an instant. IT want an investiga-
tion," said she. land l want a thorough
one, but 1 am not satisfied with this. 1
have some rights, and 1 demand that they
be considered before this inquiry Is post
poned week. That will not do. The chem
list can conclude his work in less than that.
Think what L must endure in that time"
continued Mrs. Wallace, her voice breaking
and her whole body trembling with emo
ton. This investigation has only begun.
1t must be thorough, and / will have more.
That is my right. Why can't 1t be con-
tinued in a day or two?" Her pleading was
not without effect, for it was finally decided
to continue the inquiry Friday afternoon,
| by which time the chemists analysis will
have been completed.
The only two witnesses examined were
the widow and George H. Ketcham. Mrs.
Ketcham answered all questions with a
firm voice and freely. She gave her name
as Minnie Wallace Ketcham and her occn-
patton as housewife. She said that she was
married to John B. Ketcham in Milwaukee
by Rev. Mr. Roberts, Sept. "a. She said her
husband had been ailing 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 re-
quested that her answer be changed to
cirrhosis of the liver as the latter sound
ed better" After some questions in re-
gard to her husbands sickness Mrs. Ketch-
am was excused and the dead mans broth
err was called.
THE BROTHERS TESTIMONY.
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 Oct 15 at this house. 1 called twice
at 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 under
stand the location of a certain property,
and did not seem quite himself. We had
two glasses of liquor together.
DO you think his mind was affected?p
well, / would not like to say further
than l have just stated"
| Was the deceased married"
AT the time of his death? Well, l am
The statement of the two physicians who
attended John b. Ketcham during his last
illness and who were present at the time of
| death, was to the effect that he died from
| cirrhoSis of the liver.
| At this stage of the inquest the deputy
coroner announced that as the physicians
| who had taken the stomach Of the dead
| man for examination were not ready to re-
| port the inquest would go over for week.
| Mrs. Ketcham excitedly demanded that
| this be decided now evidently referring
| to the suspicion that Ketcham met his
! death through poison. She was very ener-
getic in her opposition to any delay, and it
| was finally decided that the inquest should
| be concluded on Friday.
| Mr.. Ketcham will be buried in the family
| ficulty between Mrs. Wallace and the rel
| atives of the dead club man was averted
to-day. by Mrs; Wallace, who, before the
| inquest was called, turned her alleged huS-
| bands body over to his brother, George III.
! Ketchanl. who left with it for Toledo this
evening. A funeral service was held at Mrs.
| Wallacs'S residence, Indiana avenue,
| this morning by DIR. Burch, pastor of the
| South Park-avenue Methodist Church. The
| widow did not accompany the remains to
Toledo, she is nearly Frustrated phys
| ically.
Within a half dozen days the will of Mr..
| Ketcham will be filed for probate and 1t is
| minated that the contest which this step
| will undoubtedly produce may lead to one
| of the hardest legal battles ever waged in
| high they have been in more notable
| cases. The evidence adduced at the cor
oner's inquest on the remains of Mr..
! Ketcham will figure to great extent In
| determining the final disposition of the
property. George H. Ketcham evinced
! great Discrimination in his evidence to ad-
| NIT that the dead man had a lawful wife
| living at the time of his death. He limited
| that his brother had shown some weakness
| of mind and on this latter point 1t is prob
| able that the greatest fight will be waged
on the will when the latter document is
produced. Efforts will be made to show. so
| it is stated that KetchaTl was unduly in
fiuenced at the time of drawing the viii
two weeks ago by the terms of which his
whole property was given to Mrs. Ketcham,
or Wallace.
MIR. KETCHAMS CAREER.
Although it was announced yesterday that
the doctors had decided Mr.. Ketcham' s
death was due to chronic alcoholism, GER
tainty as to the cause will not be definitely
known until the analysis of the stomach is
completed. 1t is known that the ex-banker
travelled the pace that kills" The story Of
his career, says the Times-Herald, runs
from the top of influence and commercial
and financial power to a condition of mind
and body that neither knew nor cared for
reason 1t started in honor and distinction
and came to a point where ties were dlsre-
garded and consequences scorned III is a
tale of infatuation and reckleSSneSS, and in
the sadness of the climax the brother hndS
nothing to blame but the pace which was
set John Ketcham by the city clubmen into
years of time breaking completely home
which had no ills, goes to the depths which
no man knows until the final papers for
what little money he had left are filed. II is
finish which has been expected, and which
nothing could aVert-at least so long as his
faculties were tied by the mysterious in
fuence which blunted his senses.
John Is. Ketcham came from one OF the
most honored families in northern ONO
His father was probably the richest man
in Toledo He was president of the First
National Bank. The son had never known
any life save that of the very best living
in a city of comparative size The son in
herited the fathers tact for making money
While the father was still living Jonn ~
Ketcham started a private bank, which had
the confidence of many OF the most I'M
portant firms in the city. He had lost his
first wife I'd to 1888 he considered one
OF the most promising and certainly one OF
the richest among Toledo's younger men.
His bank did so well that he made 1t ma
tional bank about that time.
Mr. Ketchan married the daughter or one
Of the directors of his bank, l. N, Poe The
the home which he established was the
Mecca of the best people Of Toledo. Mrs
Ketcham was vivacious, handsome In the
extreme and finely educated They travelled
extensively. The house was decorated with
treasures brought from every corner of Eu-
rope. The stables were filled with the best
horses and carriages that could be bought
There was no doubt they were the leaders
In local circles, the dfctators in all matters
of fashion and entertainments. They went
to London in 1891 for long season. and