The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-27
BLACK JACK HUNG
TRAIN RoBBER KETCHUM's END 4
HORRIBLE ONE.
HEAD FLEW FROM HIS BODY
HE WRITES LETTER TO PRESI-
DENT MCKINLEY.

He Declares Most SOIemnIy That
Three Men Now Serving Sentences
in the Santa Fc PenitentiRry Are
Innocent and Names the Guilty
Parties-Crime Was Committed by
Himself and His Gang "Please
Dig My Grave Very Deep" Has
Last Request.
Clayton, ~ M April 26.-Thomas e.
Ketchum, alias BLACK Jack" the noto-
rious outlaw who had terrorized the peo-
pie of the Southwest for the past fifteen
years, was hanged here this afternoon
for train robbery. His head was severed
from the body by the rope, as il by a
guillotine. The headless trunk pitched for
ward toward the spectators and the blood
spattered upon those nearest the scat
fold.
The execution took place inside stock
ade built for the occasion. One hundred
and fifty witnesses saw the execution.
When Ketchum mounted the scaffold at
III p. m. his face was pale but he show
ed no fear, A priest stood at his side as
the rope was being adjusted. The con-
demned man had consented to spiritual
attendance at the last moment Ketchum
declined to make a speech. He muttered
"Goodby" and then said, please dig my
grave very deep" as the cap was drawn
over his face, he shouted: Let her go!'
At 1:2l p. m. 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 remained in the
sack and fell into the pit. The body
dropped to the ground quivering and
bleeding. Some men groaned and others
turned away, unable to endure the sight.
For a few seconds the body was allowed
to lie half doubled up on its right side,
with the blood pouring in stream from
the several arteries as the heart kept up
its mechanical beating.
Ketchum talked for over an hour dur
ing the morning with visitors. cooler
than any who met him. He declared
death preferable to Imprisonment. Ketch-
UNI told of robberies in which he was
concerned, but declared that he had never
killed man, and had only shot three. He
said he was not "Black Jack" as that
bandit is still at liberty.
Twenty deputies guarded the jail
throughout the night. Hundreds OF arm
ed men, many of them cowboys from the
surrounding country, arrived during the
morning, but no demonstration occurred.
Ketchun has been the most noted desper-
ado of the Southwest for many years and,
although he was credited with having
taken the lives of some of his fellow be-
| ings, his execution to-day was for an at
| tempted train robbery in which nobody
| was killed. '~-~--- --...-
This crime was committed near Fol-
| som, N. M. Aug. 16, 1899. ngle-handed.
| Ketchum held up Colorado and South
| ern passenger train. He ordered the en-
| gineer and firemen to uncouple the en-
| CINE and leave the train. The conductor
! and mail agent opened fire. Ketchum re-
ceived the contents of a double-barrelled
| shotgun in his right arm, but. quickly
changing the rifle to his left shoulder, he
| succeeded in wounding both conductor
and mail agent. He was captured the
next day, tried and given the extreme
penalty.
| Owing to rumors of organized bands
| making preparations to rescue their COM
| rade, extreme precautions were taken to
hold the prisoner, who was removed from
| Folsom jail to Clayton this week by spe-
| cial train, under a heavy guard OF depu-
| ties.
Black jack is said TO have been the
| leader of a band of outlaws, who COM
| mitted many train robberies aud other