The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-04-27
NOTED DESPER ADO HUNG.
Black Jack" Ketchum Pays Penalty
for Ills Crimes.
HEAD WAS JERKFD FROM HIS BODY
Town Was Full Of Armed Men. but No
Attempt Was Made to Rescue
Condemned Man.

Clayton, n NJ. April 20.--rhomas w.
Kctchum, alias "lilnck Jack" the noted
ontlaw, who had tcrrorlged the people OF
the Southwest for the past fifteen years.
was hanged here this afternoon for train
robbery and his head was severed from
the body by the rope, rs II by a guile
tine. The headlcss trunk pitched forward
toward the spectators and blood spatteted
upon those nearest the ecaffold The cxocu'
iion took place inside stockadc built for
The occasion. The Enclosure was crowded
100 witnesses having been admitted When
kctchum mounted the scafold az 11I u.
M, his face was pale, but he showed ne
fear. \ priest stood at his side rs the
rope was being put around his neck. The
condemned man had consented 90 this at
the last moment. keichnm declined TO
make a speech lie muttcred "Gooi-by,
then said "rlease dig my grave very deep
and as the cap was drawn over his face
shouted. "Lct her go"
His legs trenhled but his nerve did not
fail. AT i:2l y. NJ the drop was sprung,
the body shot through the trap and the
head WAS torn from the trunk by the tre
mendous jerk, The head renamed In the
sack and lcll into the pit, The body dropped
to the ground, quiVcrlng and bleeding.
some mcu gruancd and others turned away,
unable IN endure The slght For a iry
seconds tue body was allowed Ia lie there,
half doubled up on It's right side, with
thc blood Issuing In an iutermii tent stream
from the several arteries as the heart
kent on with Its mechanical heating lhen
the Officers rushed down from the scaflold
nnd lifted the body from the ground, DE-
Slack pronounced HE extinct within
few minutes, The result showed that the
drop NJ seven tcot with the running WIS
too great for SO heavy a man as I<ptrhum
Who weighed about 10 pounds ShcNu
barcia superintendent the execution and
himself let the trap drop. kptchum spCnt
the greater part OF the nuruiug III review
Ing hit past lifo, during wDtch tune No
pisplayca pqrfcrt sclf'c6ntrni lie cursed
the railroad aud express companies ana
the officers WHO were Instrumental In his
conviction. the people OF New Mexico III
general ana their laws lie acknowledged
thAt nc pMuhed ana led hts gang 10 many
rohhrrics accredited To hlm, mumdng the
ROBBERY Of HE Southern Pacific railroad
~ strins Pass IN 1891 aud thtt ON the
Nololndo southern In lSlS lie knew VINO
killed young llrrstviu ~ iihvrtN. TrNas,
In $3.50, bat would give ne uAmcS. claim.
ing the guilty persons were alive, lie End
that he kuew Who killed \ H. Powers
In TON Gvccn county Texas In iSllb and
sara that liud lpShaw, Who was accused
of the crime, had no knowledge Of H. lie
sald he was not the original Black luCk
Inv real Black JACK he said got tnc
name hccansn he WAS very dark aud on
the Erie roundup In Arizona tncre were
two Jacks. fhvy called him Nlnck Jack
to distinguish him trum che other. Keith,
um said that Frank NrrringinN the cnu.
ynotot VINO shot hih, caused him 70 lose
Els rBnt arm; J.. tH(S tue Wells
'V."l '..-..,., 49,.
s'ntusN''u = '9itor out oi the prison al
sanIa - s"H ne ana those men are
Wnr,hvAEA
~, nv ,, "ypu.l,S wv. on euuru an
hlEnt az the lAll, ln anticipation of IN NJ.
nnnl to r'seur hetehuln, Hundreds of
ntt'vu u,t. iunnN 81 lHtm 'nWnojs LSs
Wv ~, i"NuhlE County MelN ~ Town. out
tlAuuE WIS HllNh ohellU hofvlh uc'
w 7, ~ n''u lhr MVcutl'h ABOUT ! oeloth,
,Ne,chnm NtVNeu the Minlsi@tton OF 4
FlNS tnlS WNu us iip 'te hearty
MNtI.N, tVok y tSllh anu sOiu ne Was
tVauS u V'e Nv Any hou'; ~ u ido a, nv
~ v'lWu i"r "uS'' y NlVllu ana guitar
"SlF Nht iur'
,ip,tt t'N M, VNt iSs l2r or a hoW WITH
thW, nc unelnIeu urulh preferable Ia
iNpt's"uNVt' Notchum t"lu ct rohherles
~ Wnion W was cunc'rncd' mt doclarnd
lu"! " heu never klllNd y man anu pulN
hhNt lRNN 10 salu nc was nnt "lillck
JWNi ana thoi that hnn1lt stu lived,
NN,'hNln ttli'H'u 10 give hih'Vs ot triends
sun az uhetiN.
hrslu'h RiNlE lhll account OF the stems
laSs fobher}, cNnnerulug the men who
were cphtN'rl ot that crilnr, kvtchrm
sarl ina hnu lfpNhRw was Innocent Of tho
hlNsuef ~ y levers ~ feNas, OF which
nc Is neeNSeI rms hullng, hotchum said,
was tne rgsNt 81 conspiracy to which no