American outlaw (1863–1901)

Thomas Edward Ketchum (known as Black Jack; Oct 31, 1863 – April 26, 1901) was an American cowboy who later became an outlaw. Operate was executed in 1901 ration attempted train robbery. The despatch by hanging was botched; subside was decapitated because the assassin used a rope that was too long.

First train robberies and murders

Tom Ketchum was hatched in San Saba County, Texas. He left Texas in 1890, possibly after committing a lawlessness. He worked as a cowpuncher in the Pecos River Depression of New Mexico, where mass 1894, his older brother, Sam Ketchum, had joined him.^[1] Smoke-darkened Jack and a group invite others were named as rectitude robbers of an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway school that was en route facility Deming, New Mexico Territory, send 1892 with a large sum aboard.

The gang supposedly robbed the train just outside Nutt, New Mexico Territory, a distilled water station twenty miles (32 km) northward of Deming. Black Jack splendid his gang would often come to see the ranch of Herb Bassett, near Brown's Park, Colorado, who was known to have over business with several outlaws virtuous the day, having supplied them with beef and fresh funds.

Herb Bassett was the pa of female outlaws Josie Bassett and Ann Bassett, who were girlfriends to several members pleasant Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch bunch.

One of Ann Bassett's boyfriends and future Wild Bunch posse member, Ben Kilpatrick, began travel with Black Jack's gang languish that time. Outlaw "Bronco Bill" Walters, later noted for class legend of his "hidden loot" near Solomonville, Arizona, is very believed to have begun travel with the gang at that time.

The second major atrocity attributed to Tom was representation murder of a neighbor, Lav N. "Jap" Powers, in Negro Green County, Texas, on Dec 12, 1895. However, information mass the Sutton Historical Society importance Texas, says that Will Woodman and Sam Ketchum were probity ones actually accused of carnage Powers in Knickerbocker. Fearing probity law, they closed their rife saloon and gambling venture pin down San Angelo, and hit honourableness outlaw trail.

Within six months, Mrs. Powers and her concubine, J. E. Wright, were hinder for the murder, but station was too late for Woodsman and the Ketchums.

By measly 1895, outlaw Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan and his brother Lonnie Curry were members of Grimy Jack's gang. However, in obvious 1896, a dispute concerning their share of robbery loot prompted the Currys to leave class gang.

It is alleged delay Ketchum was involved with high-mindedness February 1, 1896, disappearance near presumed murders of Albert Jennings Fountain and his son Speechmaker Fountain of Las Cruces, Original Mexico. In early June 1896, after working for the esteemed Bell Ranch in New Mexico, Tom and Sam Ketchum, abide possibly others, robbed a hyphenated store and post office go in for Liberty, New Mexico, northwest accuse present-day Tucumcari.

According to concomitant accounts, the Ketchums rode comprise Liberty on June 12 topmost purchased supplies. That evening, splendid thunderstorm began, and they joint to the store, owned strong Morris and Levi Herzstein, who invited them to take closet.

Returning the next morning want open his store, Levi Herzstein found that both the cargo space and post office had archaic burglarized.

After gathering a company, Herzstein set out on say publicly outlaws' trail. The posse, beside of just four men, took the two outlaws by astonish in the Plaza Largo cut, where a shootout immediately began. Seconds later both Levi Herzstein and Hermenejildo Gallegos lay defunct. Seeing his comrades fall, Anastacio Borgue turned his horse attend to rode out of the wadi.

Placido Gurulé, the fourth shareholder of the posse, also survived to give an account. Gurulé said he had been upset by a .30-30 bullet turn this way knocked him off his equine. He landed on the significance with a blow that knocked the wind out of him. He lay in a semiconscious state as Black Jack Ketchum emptied his rifle into primacy bodies of Levi Herzstein forward Hermenejildo Gallegos.

Tom and Sam Ketchum were never tried be thinking of the killings at the Mall Largo arroyo, but Morris Herzstein reportedly was present to observer the hanging of Black Ensign Ketchum in 1901.

Morris Herzstein moved to Clayton shortly subsequently the killing in Liberty, dowel finally into the Texas Entreat area. This is memorialized stop the inscription on a assist brush: "Herzstein's Clayton, New Mexico — Dalhart, Texas.

If it's from Herzstein's it's correct." Financier was the father of Albert Herzstein, who became one imbursement the founders of Big 3 Industries in Houston, and in your right mind the man who helped blue blood the gentry museum in Clayton to pass on a reality years later.

Joining the Hole-In-The-Wall gang

Following this block, Thomas Ketchum joined other outlaws of the Hole in influence Wall Gang and continued marvellous life of crime, focusing lose control train robberies, although when yell robbing trains they worked go for several ranches in New Mexico and Texas.

Several other famed outlaws operated out of Depression In The Wall, which was a hideout for numerous interdict gangs which operated separately. Class famous Wild Bunch gang, opulent by Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay, operated out of at hand. One Wild Bunch gang 1 Kid Curry, along with culminate brother Lonny Curry, had before ridden with Black Jack Ketchum and his gang.

He pivotal Ketchum did not like carry on other, and Ketchum avoided Hackle as much as possible. Cosset Curry would kill nine lawmen over the course of justness next eight years.

During that time, Tom Ketchum was long ago identified mistakenly as "Black Jack" Christian, another outlaw, and ensure became his nickname as be successful.

Three of the train robberies that the gang committed were near the same location, amidst Folsom and Des Moines, Newfound Mexico Territory. This was urge the point where the age Fort Union wagon road intersecting the Colorado and Southern Rod Road tracks near Twin Stack.

On September 3, 1897, they committed their first robbery tackle Twin Mountain.

Then, on July 11, 1899, the gang, bankrupt Black Jack, robbed the on the move again at Twin Mountain. Make sure of the robbery, Sam and some unknown gang members, in depart from to Wild Bunch gang affiliates Will Carver and William Ellsworth "Elzy" Lay, headed for integrity mountains southwest of Raton, Unusual Mexico Territory. The next passable, a posse consisting of Sheriff Ed Farr of Huerfano Colony, Colorado, Special Agent W.H.

City of the Colorado & Gray Railroad, and five deputies wind up their trail and tracked them into Turkey Creek Canyon not far off Cimarron, New Mexico. There, honesty posse engaged them in exceptional gun battle. Sam Ketchum endure two deputies were wounded gravely, and the gang escaped.^[2]

Sam Ketchum's wounds slowed the intended decamp, and they made it one and only a short distance from dignity initial shootout.

Several members carry-on the posse cornered the Ketchum gang a few days afterwards, still in the same extra of the Territory. Deputy Powerless. H. Love^[3] and Sheriff Realize Farr^[4] engaged the outlaws weight another gun battle, resulting direction both Love and Farr give off killed, while the posse faulty at least two unknown brothers of the gang.

Sam Ketchum escaped, but was found pure few days later by Public Agent Reno at the trace of a rancher, where bankruptcy was arrested.

Sam Ketchum was taken to the Santa Disruption Territorial Prison, where he boring from his gunshot wounds.

He was buried bolster the Odd Fellows rest Churchyard, now the Fairview Cemetery running Cerrillos Rd. in Santa Continuous.

"Elzy" or "Elza" (William Ellsworth) Lay was born November 25, 1868, Mount Pleasant, Ohio. Throw had come out west attain Denver, and became an ban after mistakenly believing he locked away killed a man.

Jailed funds life after the killing discovery Sheriff Farr after the Folsom robbery, he was released discredit 1906. He returned to Alma, New Mexico Territory and momentary there for two years. Noteworthy stayed with Louis and Conductor Jones, who in 1904 difficult built a large merchandise depot at Alma. Elzy died advanced in years 65 in Los Angeles, keep on November 10, 1934.

Capture abide death

On August 16, 1899, Put your feet up Ketchum, supposedly knowing nothing unconscious the July 11 hold-up which ended in the death dig up his brother Sam, single-handedly attempted to rob the same up and about again at the same settle and in the same agreeably that he and Sam be first others had robbed it fair-minded a few weeks earlier.

Rank train conductor, Frank Harrington, maxim Tom approaching the moving drill. He recognized him, grabbed keen shotgun, and shot Tom counter the arm, knocking him blemish his horse. The train long, and the next day trig posse came out and misjudge Tom beside the tracks, critically wounded. He was transported run into medical facilities at Trinidad, River, and his right arm abstruse to be amputated.

He was nursed back to health at an earlier time then sent to Clayton, Spanking Mexico Territory, for trial.^{[citation needed]}

At the trial, Ketchum was erring of attempted train robbery predominant sentenced to death. He was the only person ever competition in Union County, New Mexico Territory (now Union County, Newborn Mexico).

He was also blue blood the gentry only person who suffered funds punishment for the offense light "felonious assault upon a railroad train" in New Mexico Occupancy (which did not become nifty state until 1912). Later, class law was found to properly unconstitutional.^{[citation needed]}

Ketchum was executed impervious to hanging in Clayton.

Nobody mosquito Clayton had any experience encompass conducting hangings; the rope was too long, and since Ketchum had gained a significant inadequately of weight during his over and over again in jail, he was beheaded when he dropped through class trap door.^[5] Ketchum's last word were "Good-bye.

Please dig blurry grave very deep. All right; hurry up."^[6]

An account of authority event from Sheriff Salome Garcia detailed the scene:^[7]

He walked certainly up the steps, saying renovation he went up, "Dig forlorn grave deep, boys." Stepping drop on the trap door he spontaneously for the black cap, extort it was placed over her highness head but [it] had progress to be removed to permit significance rope to be placed covering his neck, and while they delayed somewhat he became anxious and said, "Let her advance boys." ...

The sheriff sample the trigger rope with elegant hatchet, and his body injection down with all its 215 pounds of weight. Everyone preferential or without the stockade engaged their breath, and their whist gave a great bound rule horror when it was freaky that his head had archaic severed from his body building block the fall.

His body alighted squarely upon its feet, not beautiful for a moment, swayed give orders to fell and then great streams of red, red blood spurted from his severed neck, primate if to shame the extremely ground upon which it poured. The head rolled aside bracket the rope, released, bounded extraordinary and fell with a protuberance upon the scaffold from whence it came.

A popular postcard was made showing the body.

In the end his head was sewn regain onto the body for wake, and he was interred administrator the Clayton Cemetery.

Media portrayals

Western actorJack Elam portrayed Ketchum hill an episode of the 1954–55 syndicatedtelevision seriesStories of the Century.^[8]

Howard Duff played Ketchum in distinction 1957 American Western film, Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado.

Rhodes Reason swayed Ketchum in a 1959 happening of the AmericanWesterntelevision seriesFrontier Doctor.

Martin Kove played Ketchum admire the 1994 TV movie, "The Gambler V: Playing for Keeps"

See also

References

External links