The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-04-10
A DARING OUTLAW
,rADER OF BLACK JACKS
GANG OF BANDITS.
Held-Up Train Single Han"e" "n
As,erward Fought Desperate b@''''
with oaicers-KiIled Two hu""'
Men.

The notorious leader of the infamous
"Black Jacks" gang OF tram ioDDo -,
and murderers. Tom Ketchum' No"
lies in the hospital of the penitenlia'3y
at Santa Fe, N. M, seriously "ounues'
as the result of an encounter Win on'
GERS of the law. Tom held up Iraih
single-handed and in the sequel 10 1n's
was wounded and captured. IL was
The Colorado Southern express .n~
Tom held up. The place selecteu Woo
near Fulsom, on the northeast corlei
If New Mexico One night as the eA-
press was putting laboriously up srauo
the engineer saw light ahead glVil'H
the signal to stop. When the Tram
slowed down Tom Ketchum 1umpeu
into the cab and. carelessly SWINGING
a As Colt near the engineers nose,tolu
him to obey all orders given during Une
next few minutes This, Tom sald'
would save heartaches in the engineer
home and the intrusion OF an unuer-
taker in the family circle. Theh nc
jumped off and tried to uncouple the
engine. which was made impossible by
the steep grade. Failing in this, Tom
walked back to the Wells-Fargo ex-
press car and, humping the door Win
the butt of his Colt, demanded admit
lance. The messenger opened the door
and polked the muzzle of a Winchester
out into the dark and pulled the trlg-
n fhn hOl0-0D
that night. Just how badly Tom was
shot is not known, but he was wound
ed in a subsequent battle with United
States Marshal Foraker's posse and ne
will not say how much damage the
messenger did. AS he declared the
hold-up off it is probable he was Sc
verely injured. The express pulled on
and Tom jumped his broncho and
sought safety in the mountains. Inc
attempted robbery was soon known TO
the officials and three days later Mar
shall Foraker's men were hunting for
Tom in the uplands. They finally hit
the trail and followed it back into the
very heart of the mountains. Here
they lost it and while discussing the
best move a report of a rife split the
air and one of the deputies fell out of
his saddle This was sufficient evil
dence of Toms presence in the vicin-
ity, but not his exact whereabouts, as
Tom used smoleless 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
fore, separated, and began to scout the
brush. A CLINT of sunshine playing on
the blue steel barrels of a Winchester
discussed Tom Ketchum's position be-
hind big bowlder surrounded by
brushwood. Then the days proceed
ings began. The deputies shot at that
CLINT of sunshine playing 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-eyes. If Tom
hadn't showed his right arm a little
too high in taking aim he would have
brought down full mess of deputies
AS it was slug of lea4 as big as your
finger tore through Toms shooting
member, and it 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 a bad shape
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 BIZ
moved Tom was strapped to his bron,
cho and taken to a train, ultimately
landing in the penitentiary hospital al
Santa Fe. OF BLACK Jacks" gang O
thieves and cutthroats Tom Ketchun
was the leader. He was 35 years old
and in Texas, his native state. he |,
known as the new Jesse James. H,
stands feet 10 inches in his stockin.
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