Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1900-02-10
A DARING OUTLAW.
LEADER OF BLACK JACKS
GANG OF BANDITS.
Held-Cp Train single hanae" anu
Aftrrward Fought Desperate hAti"
With onieer. Killed Two hanared
Mem

The notorious leader OF the Infamous
BLACK Jacks" gang OF train robbers
and murderers, Tom ketchum, now
lies in the hospital OF the penitentlafy
at Santa Fe, n NJ. seriously woundeds
as the result OF an encounter with on
GERS OF the law. Tom held up a tram
single-handed and in the sequel TO THIS
was wounded and captured. IL was
the Colorado Southern express that
Tom held up. The place selected WAS
near Fulsom. on the northeast corner
OF New Mexico. one night as the ex-
press was pulling laboriously up grade
the engineer saw a light ahead giylnS
the signal 10 stop. When the train
slowed down Tom Ketehum jumped
into the cab and, carelessly swinging
a As Colt near the engineers nose,told
him TO obey all orders given during the
next few minutes, This, Tom said,
would save heartaches in the engineers
home and the intrusion OF an under
taker in the family circle. Then he
jumped off and tried TO uncouple the
engine, which was made impossible by
the steep grade. Failing In this. Tom
walked back TO the Welis-Fargo ex-
press ear and. humping the door with
the butt OF his Colt. demanded admit
lance. The messenger opened the door
and poked the uiuzzls OF a Winchester
out into the dark and pulled the .rls-
ger That put an end 10 the hold-up
that night Just how badly Tom was
shot Is not known. but he was wound
ed Ia subsequent battle with United
States Marshal FCrakev's posse and be
will not say how much damage the
messenger did As he declared the
hold-up of Il is probable DO was Sc
verely injured. The express pulled on
and Tom jumped his bruncho and
sought safety In the mountains. The
attempted robbery WAS sOUu known to
the officials ana three days later Mar
shall FOraker's men We're hunting for
Tom In the uplauds They finally hit
the trail and followed Il back into the
very heart OF the mountains Here
they lost II and while discussing the
best move a report Of a ride split the
air and one OF the deputies fell out OF
his saddle This WA sufficient EVIL
dence OF Toms presence In the ylcin-
ity. but not his exact whereabouts. as
Tom used smokeless cartridges. An
other shot was heart and another depu-
ty went to the ground At this rate
every man In the posse would be cut
down without ghost OF chance Of
getting a shot The deputies. there
I fore, separated. and began 10 scout the
brush. A CLINT OF sunshine playing on
the blue steel barrels Of q Winchester
/ discussed Tom KetCham's position be-
/ hind big bowlIer surrounded by
brushwood. Then the days proceed.
/ iugs began. The deputies shot at that
CLINT of sunshine playtss along blue
steel; Tom shot at the deputies. The
deputies lodged behind trees and rocks
and shot wildly. Tom stayed where
he was and made bull-eyea. II Tom
hadn't showed bis right arm a little
I too high In taking aim he would have
I brought down a Hull mess OF dspnslaa
3
finger tore through Toms shooting
member. and Il took a few minutes
to change his Winchester over to his
left arm. In these short minutes the
deputies closed In on Tom and cap.
tured him. He was In n bad shane
His right arm was terribly broken and
torn and he was already suffering from
loss OF blood. But he was game. He
( offered to take his left arm and begin
+ the performance all over again. which
/ proposition was respectfully declined
The next day when he was able TO be
moved Tom was strapped to his bron.
cho and taken to a train. ultlmatsly
landing In the penitantlary hospital Al
Santa Fe Of BLACK Jacks" gang OF
thieves and cutthroats Tom Ketrhum
was the leader. He was Is years old
I and In Texas, his native state. he Is
known as the new Jesse James He
stands feet 10 inches in his stocking