Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-04-26
KETCHUM PAYS
THE PENALTY
He Writes a Letter to President Nc
Kinley and Makes Startling
Confession,
HE DIES A HORRIBLE DEATH
The Rope Broke and His Head Was Ssv-
cred From His Body-Ris Last Hours
He Blasphemed and Asked
for Music.

Denver, Colo, April 26.-A special to
the Times from Clayton, n. M, says:
Ketchum passed a quiet might ate a
hearty breakfast, took bath and put
on a new suit of clothes this morn4ng'
Twenty deputies were ON guard last
night A priest from Trinidad was with
him from midnight till dawn. In an IN
terview with John r, Guyer his attor-
ney. Yesterday he asked him to write
a letter to President Mckinley when
was done
AS his attorney was leaving tha SAID:
Say, tell Harrington tn meet nm IN
hell for BREAKFAST Harrington is the
conductor who shot his arm off. The
town is well guarded and quiet. katch-
um made the strange request that ne
be buried face downward. Upon aWak-
ening this morning he remarked vt was
nice and asked Sheriff Garcia to- hurry
up with the hanging so he could get to
hell i'm time for dinner.
CONFESSION BY KETCHUM.
Denver, Colo. April ga special to
the Denver Post from Clayton, N. M,
saws: Thomas e. Ketchum, who lis to be
hanged there at noon today, ,.mailed the
following letter to President Mckinley
this morning:
Sir: Being now at the town of Clay
ton. awaiting my execution set for TINS
day and realizing the Importance to the
liberty of other men and the duty COM
ceive to be incumbent upon myself
standing in the presence of a death
where human aid can't reach me- L
desire to communicate you by means OF
this letter, facts I deem would be of in
terest to the people through their pres
ident and perhaps be the means of the
lfberating of Innocent men. There are
now three men in the Santa Fe penl-
,tentiary serving a, sentence for the rob-
berry of the U. S. mail at STEMS Pass,
n. M, i'm 1897, viz: Leonard ALBERT
sem, Walter Huffman and Bill Water
man, They are innocent of the crime
as an unborn babe. The names of the
men who committed the crime are
Dave Atkins, Ed. Cullin, Will Curver,
Sam Ketchum, Broncho Bill and my
self. I have given my attorney i'm Clay
ton the means by which the articles
taken in said robbery may be found
where we hid them. also the names of
witnesses who live in that vicinity who
will testify that myself and gang were
in the neig'hborhood, both immediately
before and after the robbery. The
fact that these men are Innocent and
suffering, impels me to make a confess
sion. While you cannot help and while
realize all efforts to secure me a COM
mutation of sentence have signally
failed, T wish to do this much i'm the in
terestt of innocent men who, so far as
know, never committed a crime in
their lives. make this statement, fully
realizing that my end is fast approach
ing and must very soon meet my ma
ker Very respectfully, your servant.
THOMAS E. KETCHUM.
AT 1880, Ketchum asked for music. A
violin and guitar were sent for.
Ketchum talked over am hour with
visitors, cooler than amy ONE who met
him. He declared that death is prefer
able to, Imprisonment Ketchum told
of the robberies i'm which The was con-
cerned, but declared he never KILLED a
man, and only shot three. He said he
was not Black Jack and that the bandit
still lived. Ketchum refused ito give
the names of friends still at Liberty.
THE ROPE BROKE.
Clayton, N. NJ, April 26.-KeltcIhum
mounted the scaffold at Ill p. M; the
trap was sprung at 1:21; the rope break
ing, but the fall jerked his head off
TOO BIG A DROP.
Clayton, N. NJ, April 26-Ke'tchlm
was very pale as he mounted the plat
form, but showed no fear. A priest
stood at his side. He declined ITO make
speech and merely muttered: "Good-
bye, please dig my grave very deep"
and finally GAM nig1t, hurry up" His
lgs trembled, but his nerve did not fanl
him. When THE body dropped Through
the trap the half inch rope severed his
head as cleanly as if a knife had cut it,.
The body pitched forward, the blood
squirting fro1 the headless trunk.
Many spectators turned away in horror.
DR.. Slack pronounced life extinct in five
minutes. The drop Of seven feet was
too great for so heavy a man.
THE EXECUTION.
Special to- the New Mexican.
Clayton, N. NJ, April 26.-Thomas r.
Ketchum, alias Black Jack spent the
morning talking to friends, his attor-
ney, and newspaper reporters. He was
cheerful and treated those he liked with
marked courtesy. Those against whom
he felt ill will he would not notice
During his conversation he made state
rnents duplicating himself and Others
i'm crimes for which innocent mem have
been convicted and are now sufferine
imprisonment. He said he Thought II
was his duty. He said to- his attorney
"T,ell Harrington I'll meet him i'm hel
SOON" After eating a hearty DINNER ne
was told to prepare himself for deatn
The death warrant was read to- him
early this morning. A priest went tt
him after starting to the scaffold ant
accompanied him on his death march
At lis he began his march to the scat
fold, after having his last request tol
music, which was granted compliet
with. He had given his attorney di
rections for disposing of his effects
Sheriff Garcia ON alis right. Harry Lew
lis of Trinidad, on his left, accompanies