The herald., 1897-11-18
NO WILL FOUND
But Relatives Are Ready
to Contest One
CLUBMAN KETCHAM'S WIDOW
CAN'T PRODUCE PROOF OF HER
MARRIAGE
CLUBMAN KETcHAM'S WIDOW
Intimations Made That the Lady's
Butler Personated Ketcham
During the Wedding
Press Special Wire.

|
late John Is. Ketcham will contest his
will if such an instrument be in exist
ence, on the ground that he was not only
of unsound mind at the time he may
vious. Ketcham's two brothers and
two sisters will also deny that their
brother was legally married to Mrs.
Minnie Wallace Walkup. They claim
that he was entirely incapable of MAX
ing any kind of a contract at the time of
the alleged marriage, or, indeed, for
nearly year previous.
Attorney James e. Purnell. who has
charge of the case for the Ketchams,
says he has also proof that John b.
Ketcham had 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 having
I access to the safety box in which the
dead clubman kept his securities. At
torney Purnell will also notify the court
that the will will 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 Ket-
cham and Mrs. Walkup to Milwaukee
September oath, and was witness to the
ceremony which made them man and
wife. Rev. DR.. Roberts, OF milwaukee,,
who performed the ceremony. opens up
rather startling possibilities by saying.
when shown a photograph of Keller,
that the picture much resembled the
man whom he married to Mrs Walkup,
more so than the picture OF John b.
Ketcham. Several of the buffers promi-
nent features, including a small mus
tache, which was not popularity of Mr..
Ketcham, were carefully noted by the
Rev. Mr.. Roberts as common to both
Keller and the bridegroom on September
| oath
| The butler had little to say on the sub
| ject but volunteered much informatio
concerning the events of the wedding
trip. He claims that Ketcham and Mrs.
Walkup went to a Milwaukee hotel and
hurried from there to the parsonage and
that Mr.. ketcham's. face was not
wrapped up in any way. The Rev. Mr.
Roberts says the bridegrooms face was
partly muffied in shawl, not, however
concealing the mustache.
AS to this phase of the situation. how
ever, neither Mr.. Purnell nor Mr.. Ketcli-
ANS relatives have anything to say
The attorney would neither confirm MOI
deny the statement that the pending con-
test may devolve upon the question as
to whether John b. Ketcham or the but
Ter 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 Thirty fifth street police
station Tuesday night about 10 o'clock
after having answered numerous ques-
tons with what the police claim Were
evasive replies. with permission to re-
tire to the Ketcham house at 1921 Indi-
ana avenue. He did not return to his
mistress home and inquiry by the diff
ferent police stations today develops
the fact that he had not been seen since
his departure from the Thirty-ffth
street station last night. The police be-
lieve that Keller, implicitly trusted as
| ilt was ny liiS liliStIcSS, ldS lGII lilG CITY
in order that no words Of his may in
volve her in further trouble.
ANCIENT HISTORY
EMPORIA, Kas., Nov. 17-The death
in Chicago of John b. Ketcham, shortly
after marrying Mabel Wallace, the
widow of John r. Walkup, tn,
man for whose murder she wal
tried here twelve years ago. re
calls a sensational episode of the case
in which Mrs. Walkup's testimony Sc.
cured an acquttal just as everything
seemed going against her. The prosecu.
ton claimed that Mrs. Walkup had pur.
chased arsenic while en- route to En-.
poria on her wedding trip and that she
purchased quantities of the poison ir
Emporia. The sentiment of the towI
was for conviction. The defense die
not deny that Wakup was poisoned
with arsenic. but said he took an over
dose while taking the poison for medi
cine.
The climax of the case was reached
when Mrs. Walkup was placed on thu
stand. She was very beautiful and wei
schooled, and before she finished Civ
ing her testimony. the lawyers, jury
men and judge wept and the stenograph
er's eyes were blinded so that he coult
not see to write. The girl who had beer
defended only by one man, had cap
tured the hearts of all who were no
directly interested and they were read!
to swear she was innocent of the helm
GUS crime laid at her door. A verdic
of acquittal was returned.
Shortly after the trial. Mrs. Walkul
left Emporia and very little has beel
heard of her since. The three children
of Mrs. Walkup all live in Emporia
They are Mrs. John Martin, wife of tn
son of Ex-United States Senator Mar
tin; Mrs. Harry Hood, whose husban,
. is son of Major Hood, and yer.
, wealthy and prominent stock man, an,