The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-05-14
THE BAD MEN
CONE FROM
NEW MEXICO

There haven't been any bad men
IN New York" said Theodore w. Car
ter, of Silver City. to New York Sun
reporter, "since they rounded up Black
Jack and his band something like eight
years ago.
"Of course the capture of Geronimo
was a big thing for the Territory in
the way of making life comfortable out
there, but after that event there still
existed or sprahg up numerous bands
Of desperadoes who were exterminat-
ed one after another until Black Jacks
band of outlaws was the last left
"Black Jacks name was said to he
Thomas Ketcham, though nobody was
ever certain of it. 1 never had the i'll
fortune to fall in with Black Jack or
his men when they were on the war
path, but l have gone into a place
after they had left it many time or
got away just before they struck town.
And, of course, l used to see Black
Jack himself once in while.
THE lot of them used to hang out
in the mountains, and for several years
ey would terrorize communities.
They would hold up trains, dynamit-
ing once in while, and they murder
ed between twenty and thirty persons.
Nobody knew where Black Jack him
self came from whether he had oper-
ated in some other part of the coun-
try as an outflow or whether he hai
come from these parts. He was a
dark complexioned man, heavy set,
with smooth face, which was round,
black hair and a low forehead. When
saw him last he was about SO.
"The credit of the rounding up of
him and his gang belong to United
States Marshal Creighton Foraker,
who is a brother of the ex-senator.
Foraker was determined to get the
desperate, and the way he started do
ing it was to have one of his deputies
join Black Jacks gang. 1t took long
time for him to win their confidence, |
but after a time he was able to keep !,
Foraker posted on their movements |
and plans Finally plot was fixed up
and it was given out that certain
train on the Southern Pacific would
carry a lot or bullion and money, ana
Forakers man with the outlaws tipped
him off that Black Jack would hold it
up at STEMS Pass, which is in the
southwest corner of the Territory, |
near LordsDurg. The attack was an
ticipated and some of Black Jacks
men were killed, but he and the 9TH
ers got away. Foraker kept after him
and next came up with him at Clay |,
ton, in the extreme northeastern part
Of the Territory, and there all of the
men were killed, but he es-
capped with one arm shot away. Black
Jack made for the mountains and stay
ed for three days, but his arm drove
him in for treatment and he surren-
dered He was tried and condemned
in record time by jury and hanged.
"Well, after his death the rough ele-
ment gradually disappeared, better
classes began to come in in larger |
numbers and during the last five years
the country has totally changed. There
is no gambling and the old type or
miner has disappeared. The agricul- |
tural development OF the Territory |
has been as strong in that time as the
mining. Last year $4,000 settlers, bona
fide ones, too, came in and took up
lands and started farming.
There is one fine institution out
there that seems to be little known
in the East, and that is the sanatorium
which the government has established
at Fort Baird for tuberculosis and
where from 400 to 600 men from the
army and navy are under treatment.
1t is right on the Rocky Mountain Di-
vide at an elevation OF about 5000 feet
and in almost every case mat has not
reached the tertiary stage cure IS
effected.
"As for Statehood, we haven't been
by the delay at Washing
ton, as we've got a sure tip that Wen
get it before this session Of Congress
is over Then you'll see New Mexico
hum"