Thomas ketchum biography

American outlaw (1863–1901)

Thomas Edward Ketchum (known as Black Jack; Oct 31, 1863 – April 26, 1901) was an American cowboy who later became an outlaw. Proceed was executed in 1901 financial assistance attempted train robbery. The work by hanging was botched; without fear was decapitated because the exterminator used a rope that was too long.

First train robberies and murders

Tom Ketchum was citizen in San Saba County, Texas. He left Texas in 1890, possibly after committing a devilry. He worked as a cowpuncher in the Pecos River Ravine of New Mexico, where fail to notice 1894, his older brother, Sam Ketchum, had joined him.^[1] Jet-black Jack and a group shop others were named as nobleness robbers of an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway enter by force that was en route dealings Deming, New Mexico Territory, pull 1892 with a large register aboard.

The gang supposedly robbed the train just outside Nutt, New Mexico Territory, a tap water station twenty miles (32 km) northern of Deming. Black Jack take his gang would often stop off the ranch of Herb Bassett, near Brown's Park, Colorado, who was known to have make sure of business with several outlaws deduction the day, having supplied them with beef and fresh wares.

Herb Bassett was the papa of female outlaws Josie Bassett and Ann Bassett, who were girlfriends to several members ticking off Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch body. One of Ann Bassett's boyfriends and future Wild Bunch line-up member, Ben Kilpatrick, began athletics with Black Jack's gang regarding that time.

Outlaw "Bronco Bill" Walters, later noted for probity legend of his "hidden loot" near Solomonville, Arizona, is likewise believed to have begun traveling with the gang at that time.

The second major misdemeanour attributed to Tom was nobility murder of a neighbor, Lavatory N. "Jap" Powers, in Tomcat Green County, Texas, on Dec 12, 1895.

However, information improve on the Sutton Historical Society infringe Texas, says that Will Sculpturer and Sam Ketchum were description ones actually accused of extermination Powers in Knickerbocker. Fearing greatness law, they closed their dislodge saloon and gambling venture imprison San Angelo, and hit description outlaw trail.

Within six months, Mrs. Powers and her buff, J. E. Wright, were under legal restraint for the murder, but chuck it down was too late for Cutter and the Ketchums.

By socialize 1895, outlaw Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan and his brother Lonnie Curry were members of Sooty Jack's gang. However, in mistimed 1896, a dispute concerning their share of robbery loot prompted the Currys to leave rectitude gang.

It is alleged consider it Ketchum was involved with honourableness February 1, 1896, disappearance mushroom presumed murders of Albert Jennings Fountain and his son Orator Fountain of Las Cruces, Unusual Mexico. In early June 1896, after working for the famous Bell Ranch in New Mexico, Tom and Sam Ketchum, deliver possibly others, robbed a affiliated store and post office assume Liberty, New Mexico, northwest forfeit present-day Tucumcari.

According to of the time accounts, the Ketchums rode affect Liberty on June 12 take up purchased supplies. That evening, graceful thunderstorm began, and they common to the store, owned outdo Morris and Levi Herzstein, who invited them to take hide yourself away.

Returning the next morning suggest open his store, Levi Herzstein found that both the workplace and post office had bent burglarized.

After gathering a group, Herzstein set out on nobility outlaws' trail. The posse, equalized of just four men, took the two outlaws by vary in the Plaza Largo channel, where a shootout immediately began. Seconds later both Levi Herzstein and Hermenejildo Gallegos lay hesitate. Seeing his comrades fall, Anastacio Borgue turned his horse abstruse rode out of the defile.

Placido Gurulé, the fourth affiliate of the posse, also survived to give an account. Gurulé said he had been la-de-da by a .30-30 bullet ramble knocked him off his racer. He landed on the turf with a blow that knocked the wind out of him. He lay in a semiconscious state as Black Jack Ketchum emptied his rifle into birth bodies of Levi Herzstein presentday Hermenejildo Gallegos.

Tom and Sam Ketchum were never tried parade the killings at the Piazza Largo arroyo, but Morris Herzstein reportedly was present to beholder the hanging of Black Banderole Ketchum in 1901.

Morris Herzstein moved to Clayton shortly name the killing in Liberty, existing finally into the Texas Cajole area. This is memorialized jam the inscription on a besides brush: "Herzstein's Clayton, New Mexico — Dalhart, Texas.

If it's from Herzstein's it's correct." Craftsman was the father of Albert Herzstein, who became one not later than the founders of Big 3 Industries in Houston, and appreciation the man who helped picture museum in Clayton to energy a reality years later.

Joining the Hole-In-The-Wall gang

Following this prohibit, Thomas Ketchum joined other outlaws of the Hole in nobleness Wall Gang and continued top-hole life of crime, focusing joint train robberies, although when pule robbing trains they worked mend several ranches in New Mexico and Texas.

Several other famous outlaws operated out of Excavation In The Wall, which was a hideout for numerous forbid gangs which operated separately. Primacy famous Wild Bunch gang, playful by Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay, operated out of with regard to. One Wild Bunch gang colleague, Kid Curry, along with potentate brother Lonny Curry, had before ridden with Black Jack Ketchum and his gang.

He delighted Ketchum did not like drill other, and Ketchum avoided Hatchel as much as possible. Overprotect Curry would kill nine lawmen over the course of leadership next eight years.

During that time, Tom Ketchum was previously at once dir identified mistakenly as "Black Jack" Christian, another outlaw, and ensure became his nickname as mutate.

Three of the train robberies that the gang committed were near the same location, betwixt Folsom and Des Moines, Unique Mexico Territory. This was continue to do the point where the antiquated Fort Union wagon road decussate the Colorado and Southern Footrail Road tracks near Twin Cock.

On September 3, 1897, they committed their first robbery afterwards Twin Mountain.

Then, on July 11, 1899, the gang, outdoors Black Jack, robbed the on the move again at Twin Mountain. Care for the robbery, Sam and distinct unknown gang members, in and to Wild Bunch gang associates Will Carver and William Ellsworth "Elzy" Lay, headed for picture mountains southwest of Raton, Another Mexico Territory.

The next allot, a posse consisting of Sheriff Ed Farr of Huerfano Patch, Colorado, Special Agent W.H. Metropolis of the Colorado & Confederate Railroad, and five deputies foundation their trail and tracked them into Turkey Creek Canyon secure Cimarron, New Mexico. There, authority posse engaged them in fine gun battle. Sam Ketchum with the addition of two deputies were wounded gravely, and the gang escaped.^[2]

Sam Ketchum's wounds slowed the intended bolt, and they made it one and only a short distance from rendering initial shootout.

Several members learn the posse cornered the Ketchum gang a few days after, still in the same world of the Territory. Deputy Unshielded. H. Love^[3] and Sheriff Darling Farr^[4] engaged the outlaws keep another gun battle, resulting unfailingly both Love and Farr vitality killed, while the posse offended at least two unknown personnel of the gang.

Sam Ketchum escaped, but was found unadulterated few days later by Mutual Agent Reno at the dwelling of a rancher, where explicit was arrested.

Sam Ketchum was taken to the Santa Disorder Territorial Prison, where he boring from his gunshot wounds. Sharptasting was buried in the Extraordinary Fellows rest Cemetery, now magnanimity Fairview Cemetery on Cerrillos Gamble.

in Santa Fe.

"Elzy" solution "Elza" (William Ellsworth) Lay was born November 25, 1868, Copulate Pleasant, Ohio. Lay had similarly out west to Denver, person in charge became an outlaw after misguidedly believing he had killed nifty man. Jailed for life abaft the killing of Sheriff Farr after the Folsom robbery, perform was released in 1906.

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Explicit returned to Alma, New Mexico Territory and lived there accompaniment two years. He stayed take up again Louis and Walter Jones, who in 1904 had built cool large merchandise store at Alma. Elzy died aged 65 pointed Los Angeles, on November 10, 1934.

Capture and death

On Esteemed 16, 1899, Tom Ketchum, hypothetically knowing nothing of the July 11 hold-up which ended attach the death of his friar Sam, single-handedly attempted to erode the same train again fuzz the same place and think about it the same way that sharp-tasting and Sam and others difficult robbed it just a occasional weeks earlier.

The train chief, Frank Harrington, saw Tom movement the moving train. He notorious him, grabbed a shotgun, prep added to shot Tom in the component, knocking him off his hack. The train continued, and integrity next day a posse came out and found Tom hard by the tracks, badly wounded.

Wiki

He was transported stay at medical facilities at Trinidad, River, and his right arm locked away to be amputated. He was nursed back to health put up with then sent to Clayton, Pristine Mexico Territory, for trial.^{[citation needed]}

At the trial, Ketchum was criminal of attempted train robbery don sentenced to death.

He was the only person ever constant in Union County, New Mexico Territory (now Union County, Spanking Mexico). He was also interpretation only person who suffered ready punishment for the offense describe "felonious assault upon a brand train" in New Mexico Area (which did not become neat as a pin state until 1912).

Later, prestige law was found to remedy unconstitutional.^{[citation needed]}

Ketchum was executed bypass hanging in Clayton. Nobody walk heavily Clayton had any experience con conducting hangings; the rope was too long, and since Ketchum had gained a significant barely of weight during his stretch in jail, he was headless when he dropped through nobleness trap door.^[5] Ketchum's last period were "Good-bye.

Please dig grim grave very deep. All right; hurry up."^[6]

An account of primacy event from Sheriff Salome Garcia detailed the scene:^[7]

He walked securely up the steps, saying though he went up, "Dig discomfited grave deep, boys." Stepping atop the trap door he voluntarily for the black cap, lecture it was placed over rulership head but [it] had build up be removed to permit interpretation rope to be placed answer his neck, and while they delayed somewhat he became anxious and said, "Let her reject boys." ...

The sheriff dump the trigger rope with on the rocks hatchet, and his body cannonball down with all its 215 pounds of weight. Everyone favoured or without the stockade set aside their breath, and their whist gave a great bound objection horror when it was exceptional that his head had antiquated severed from his body impervious to the fall. His body alighted squarely upon its feet, not beautiful for a moment, swayed concentrate on fell and then great streams of red, red blood spurted from his severed neck, gorilla if to shame the observe ground upon which it poured.

The head rolled aside post the rope, released, bounded embellished and fell with a put away upon the scaffold from whence it came.

A popular postcard was made showing the body. In the aftermath his head was sewn decline onto the body for attention, and he was interred mistrust the Clayton Cemetery.

Media portrayals

Western actorJack Elam portrayed Ketchum hard cash an episode of the 1954–55 syndicatedtelevision seriesStories of the Century.^[8]

Howard Duff played Ketchum in character 1957 American Western film, Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado.

Rhodes Reason stirred Ketchum in a 1959 leaf of the AmericanWesterntelevision seriesFrontier Doctor.

Martin Kove played Ketchum shamble the 1994 TV movie, "The Gambler V: Playing for Keeps"

See also

References

External links