FIRST, LAST, and ONLY Hanging in Clayton - Clayton, NM
N 36° 26.947 W 103° 11.262
13S E 662415 N 4035290
Black Jack Ketchum will probably be best known for what happened to him when he died, the result of a botched hanging that was the first, last, and only hanging carried out in Clayton, NM.
Waymark Code: WMZBK2
Location: New Mexico, United States
Date Posted: 10/14/2018
Views: 1
The historic
Hotel Eklund is but one place in town where one can pick up a copy of an informative brochure, which includes an e-mail address to write to the author for more. A copy is in the gallery, and its title is "Clayton's Only Hanging". Below the title is a photo of Black Jack Ketchum, with a noose superimposed and "Black Jack" added. It reads:
Thomas Edward Ketchum
Train Robber and Murderer
Born on Halloween, 1863 in San Saba county, Texas. Tom and his brother Sam's outlaw career spanned the years 1896-1899
Tom was hanged in Clayton, New Mexico on April 26, 1901 in a bungled execution in which he was decapitated.
The hanging site (the north wall of the sheriff's office at the courthouse) may be visited today, along with Black Jack's grave at the local cemetery east of town.
What Went Wrong
Black Jack attempted his final train robbery by himself on August 16, 1899. He was surprised in this attempt by conductor Frank Harrington, whose shotgun blast demolished Ketchum's right arm. The next morning he was arrested and taken to a hospital in Trinidad, CO. While he was being held at the New Mexico Territorial Prison in Santa Fe. his wounded arm became so infected that it had to be amputated.
Black Jack's hanging was Clayton's first (and last). No one in the area had any experience with hangings. New Mexico Governor M.A. Otero sent Lewis C. Fort to Clayton to oversee the arrangements. That didn't help.
A drop of five feet would have been sufficient ... Ketchum was dropped seven. It's possible that the rope was too thin. It was tested the day before with a 200 lb. sandbag. which was left on the rope all night. stretching it and removing its elasticity.
It's also possible that the noose had been soaped to ensure that it would slide well ... perhaps too well.
Tom Ketchum was the only man on America's western frontier legally executed for a crime other than first degree murder; and his execution was the most bungled affair in the annals of frontier justice.
Black Jack Sites to Visit in Clayton:
Directions to the 1901 hanging site of Black Jack Ketchum:
From the county's only traffic signal go west, on Main Street, cross the railroad track; once across track, veer left immediately onto Court St. Stop sign on Hwy 402. Beyond stop sign on your left is the Union County Courthouse. On the west side of the complex is the small, square brick building of the sheriff's office. The
scaffolding for Black Jack's hanging was erected against the north wall. Notice the plaque on the wall commemorating this site (placed there in 2001).
Directions to Black Jack Ketchum's Grave:
Begin at traffic signal in downtown Clayton. Go east along Main St.
(Highway 56-64 toward Boise City, OK). Follow signs toward Port of Entry, Airport, Golf Course and turn right on West Avenue. Keep following signs - Airport, National Guard Armory - and turn left on Water Street. Pass the trailer park and descend hill to the stop sign. Tum right at stop sign (do not go through the yellow gate.). You are now driving along the west side of the golf course. The main entrance of the cemetery is on your right, marked by a brick gateway and a flagpole. ENTER: Go straight west beyond the flagpole and along the tree row. About halfway down is Black Jack's grave, under the trees, and in the middle of the road.
Additional information may be viewed at the Clayton Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, The Herzstein Memorial Museum and the Hotel Eklund.
Enjoy your visit to Clayton N.M.
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Photos of the hanging are easily found on an Internet search. Interestingly, you'll find them on the wall in the restaurant at the front of the Hotel Eklund, although most folks don't really notice that they're enjoying their meal with photos of an execution and decapitation in plain sight.