Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-04-26
ATTEMPT
To Stay the Hanging Of the Famous
Bandit, BLACK Jack"

Clayton, N. NJ. April 2i-Special-
The friends Of BLACK Jack Ketchum
have spoken. but their foolhardy ef.
forts will avail the convicted train
robber nothing. and he will undoubt.
edly be hanged Friday.
a false reprleve message was re-
ceived to-day by Sheriff Garcia of this,
Union county. ostensibly from Cover.
nor Otcro. reading as follows:
by request Of President Mckinley,
defer execution Of Thomas Ketchum
to May rs. 1901
a CRUEL FORGERY.
The telegram has been proven a
pure forgery, as Governor Otero has
sent an official denial from Las We.
gas. ~disavowiDg all knowledge Of the
message and promising To search out
the perpetrator Of the forgery to-mor.
row. The Santa fe telegraph office
closes at $ y. m, consequently nothing
could he done In the search tonight.
Detective w. II. Reno. Of the Colo.
RADIO A. Southern. who has devoted
years to the running down of the ban.
dit. was greatly alarmed at the app
rent stay to his efforts at the eve of
the moment when death would for.
WV lfAf'' Afih'N JUN b'lonu lit
possibility Of another train robbery.
He asked n v%erihcation from Cover.
nor Otcro and was relieved by a reply
that no such telegram had been sent.
and that any orders from Washington
affecting a change in the arrange.
for the hanging would be VERT
fed by wire.
The whole town was thrown into
great excitement shortly after the ar.
,ival Of the carefully guarded train
robber, when the receipt of the re.
prieve was announced. No doubt OF
Its authenticity appeared to exist ex.
copt in the mind Of Detective Reno
and others of the posse in charge of
the condemned man.
MILDLY INTERESTED.
The supposed reprieve appeared to
be as much Of n surprise Ia the most
interested a as II was to the
stunned officers. ketchum, when seen
by the Republican correspondent this
afternoon. disclaimed any knowledge
of the attempt to stay his execution,
but was much gratified, though abso.
lutcly declining to make a statement.
Up to this time he had shown little
interest In his fate, and had passed
h""s Ah' hi'a''i Duit VI Ills tlHlt nOI-
c~halantly playing cards with his
guards.
The receipt Of the forged reprieve,
before its falsity was discovered, put
the officers connected with the hang.
ing In a quandary. Captain Fort. OF
Las Vegas. who has charge OF the exc
%cution, did not know what disposition
to make of BLACK jack under the
circumstances, anu Immediately wired
Judge Mills for n solution.
There Is much speculation In Clay.
ton as to the identity OF the sender OF
the forged telegram, Little doubt ex.
lists In the minds OF the officers but
that one Of Ketchum's numerous
friends or pals sought In this manner
to stay the death Of the law.breaker,
but the absurdity of forwarding the
dispatch forty-eight hours before the
execution, when the interval permit.
ted the correction of the forgery, is
not as easily understood.
Others advance the opinion that the
telegram Is simply n practical joke on
the part OF some individual with n mis-
conception Of what constitutes humor.
Governor Otero and Judge Mills, at
East Las Vegas, have been In close
communication with the officials here,
but are unable TO throw any light
which might leau to the detection of
the person who filed the telegram ut
Santa Fe.
The whole matter has stirred up
Indignation and excitement here
and vague and conflicting rumors are
heard in the hotels and cafes.
READY FOR HANGING.
naGnitn tho nnnrtatptU that ayiutu
here preparations are steadily going
forward for the execution OF BLACK
Jack between 10 a. m. and 4 p. IN.
Friday.
The special train bearing Ketchum
and his ten guards. headed by Sheriff
Garcia, arrived this morning. and the
prisoner was Immediately taken to the
county jail, where, at his own request,
he inspected the scaffold from which
he will swing Friday. before ever be-
ing shown To his cell.
GOOD WORK. BOYS"
With perfect aplomb Black Jack"
critically looked the death dealer
over, and remarked that 1T was a
good piece of work"
But, gentlemen" said the bandit.
as he turned to go to his cell, Il wish
you would take the stockade down so
the boys can see me hanged" and
then ~laughingly and with a perfectly
collected manner he stolled away with
his guards.
The Republican correspondent
promised to send him a copy of the
Republican Friday morning. and Ket-
chum with a laugh thanked him, add.
ing whimsically:
Well, get 1t here early, as the band
to play at 10 o'clock"
As the daring band of which Ket-
nhum was for many years the ucces
Inl leader is scattered far and wide.
he officers do not anticipate any at.
Tempt to rescue their prisoner by
'orce, But no contingency is being
,NarInnEaI