The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-01-16
A DARING OUTLAW.
LEADER OF BLACK JACKS
GANG OF BANDITS.
Heid-Up Train Single Handed and
Aftarward Fought n Desperate Battle
with Omcers-Kilied Two Hundred
Men.

The notorious leader OF the Infamous
BLACK Jacks gang of train robbers
and murderers, Tom Ketchum, now
lies in the hospital of the penitentiary
at Santa Fe, N. NJ. seriously wounded,
as the result of an encounter with Off
GERS of the law. Tom held up train
slngle-handed and in the sequel to this
was wounded and captured. 1t 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 putting laboriously up grade
the engineer saw light ahead giving
the signal to stop. When the train
slowed down Tom Ketehum jumped
into the cab and, carelessly swinging
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 Wells-Fargo ex-
press car and, humping the door with
the butt of his Colt, demanded admit
tance. The messenger opened the door
and poked the muzzle of a Winchester
out into the dark and pulled the triS-
ger. That put an end to the hold-up
that night. Just how badly Tom was
shot is not known, but he was wound
ed in subsequent battle with United
States Marshal Forakers posse and he
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. The
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 rifle 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 a 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 a 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 little
too high in taking aim he would have
brought down a full mess of deputies.
AS it was a slug of lead as big as your
finger tore through Toms shooting
member, and it took 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 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 be
moved Tom was strapped to his bron-
cho and taken to train, ultimately
landing in the pententiary hospital at
Santa Fe. OF BLACK Jacks" gang of
thieves and cutthroats Tom Ketchum
was the leader. He was 35 years old,
and in Texas, his native state, he is
known as the new Jesse James. He
stands feet 10 inches in his stocking