Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-27
HEAD TORN OFF.
Horrible Scene at Execution Of
BLACK Jack" Ketchum.
Head Torn from Trunk Which Falls
Forward Among Spectators.
Senis Letter 10 President Asserting Innocence
Of Convicted Tr.in Robbers.

Clinton, y. NJ. April 26.-Thomas T..
kctchurn, alias "Elack Jack" the no.
torious outlaw, who had tcrrorizcd the
people of the Southwest for the past
Is years, was hanged here, this after
noon, for train robbery. His head was
torn from his body by the rope and the
| headless trunk pitched forward toward
the spectators, the blood. SCATTERING
upon those nearest the scaffold.
/ The execution took place inside a
stock&dc built for the occasion. One
hundred and fifty people saw the exc
cution. When kctchum mounted the
scaffold at LII +. NJ. his face was pale
| but he showed no fear. 4 priest stood
al his side as the rope was being ad-
| Justed for the condemned man had
| consented to spiritual attendance at
! the last moment. kctchum declined to
make a speech. He muttcred: Coed
bye" then said: please dig my grave
very deep and as tho cap WAS drawn
! over his face he shouted: Let her GO"
| At 1.21 The drop was sprung, the body
| shot through the trap and the head
| was torn from the trunk by the ire
| mcndous jerk. The head remained in
its covering and fell into the pit. The
body dropped to the ground quivering
and bleeding. Men groaned and turned
| away from the horrible spectacle. For
Il few seconds the body was allowed to
! lie half doubled up on its right side.
| the blood pouring in stream from the
| several arteries as the heart kept up
its mechanical beating. Then the Off
GERS rushed down and lifted the body
from the ground.
Life was pronounced extinct in FIVE
minutes from the time the body
dropped through the trap. The result
| showed that the drop of seven feet
with the running moose was too great
| for so heavy man as ketchum. who
weighed about 10 pounds. Sheriff Car
cia superintendent The execution and
himself sprung the trap.
Kctchum spent the greater part of
the morning in reviewing his past life.
during which he had displayed perfect
control of himself. frequently referring
to his momentarly expected death in
a violent manner. He cursed the rail-
road and express companies and the
officers who Mere instrumental in his
| conviction. the people of New Mexico
in general and their laws. He acknowl-
l
in many robberies accredited to him.
including the robbery on the Southern
Pacific Railway in 1897 and on the Col
orado Southern in July. 1898.
| ketchum said that Frank Herington,
| the conductor who shot him, causing
him to lose his right arm, l.. &. Fort.
| Il Wells Fargo attorney, and w. II.
Reno the Colorado Southern Railway
| l,
be killed within a year. y struggled Il
| letter out Of the prison at Santa Fe,
said he. "and those three men are
Marked.
kctchum mailed letter to President
Mckinney, this morning. in which he
says:
| standing in the presence of death
/ where no human aid can reach me, /
| desire TO communicate to you some
facts which may possibly be the means
| of ibcratinC innocent men. There arc
now three men in Santa Fc pcniten-
| tiary serving sentences for robbery of
| the United States mail at Stems Pass.
| Arizona. in 1897. viz: Leonard Albert
| SON. Walter Huffman and Bill Water
man. and TICK arc as innocent of the
| crime as an unborn babe.
| The names of the men who commit
| ted the crime arc Dave Atkinson. Ed.
Eulln. Will Carver. Sam Ketchum.
| Ri oncho Fill and myself. | have given
| to my attorney in Clayton means by
| which articles taken in said robbery
may he found where we hid them and
also the names of witnesses who live
Fin that vicinity who will testify that
myself and gang were in that neigh
borhood. both Immediately before and
after the robbery.
THE fact that these men are inno-
| cent and are suffering impels me to
make this confession. Nothing can h"lp
me and | recognize that all efforts to
secure to me a communication of my
sentence have signally failed. Wish
| to do this much in the interest OF these
men who so far as ! know. never COM
mitted n crime in their lives. | make
this statement. fully realizing that my
end is fast approaching and that L
| must very soon meet my maker