Last of the Train Robbers - Quay County, NM
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 34° 59.414 W 103° 44.813
13S E 614366 N 3872676
Thomas Edward "Black Jack" Ketchum was born on October 31, 1863 in San Saba County, Texas.
April 26, 1901 1:13 p.m. Thomas "Black Jack" Ketchum was taken to the scaffold.
Waymark Code: WMJG4Z
Location: New Mexico, United States
Date Posted: 11/14/2013
Views: 3
Marker Erected by:New Mexico Official Scenic Historic Marker.
County of Marker: Quay County.
Location of Marker: NM-209, 15 miles S. of Tucumcari.
Marker Text:
BLACK JACK KETCHUM
The last of the train robbers, Black Jack Ketchum, who terrorized the railroads in the 1880s, killed two men near this spot and hid out in a cave near Saddleback Mesa to the Southwest. The swarthy bandit was wounded in his last robbery and hanged in 1901.
Brief History of Mr. Ketchum:
Thomas Edward "Black Jack" Ketchum was born on October 31, 1863 in San Saba County, Texas. His father, Green Berry Ketchum, Sr. died at the age of 48 when Tom was only five years old. His mother, Temperance Katherine Wydick Ketchum, suffered from blindness before she died when Thomas was just ten. Both are buried at China Creek Cemetery in San Saba County, Texas. Thomas was the youngest of eight children -- six boys and two girls.
On December 12, 1895, Tom and several other men shot and killed John N. "Jap" Powers, a neighbor in Tom Green County, Texas. Tom later admitted he took part in the murder, but claimed he was paid to do it. After this episode, Tom and Sam high-tailed it out of Texas back to New Mexico
The hanging was delayed several times until lawmen heard rumors that the old gang was going to attempt to free Tom. Therefore, a decision was finally made and the hanging was scheduled on April 26, 1901 at 8:00 a.m. The hanging was a big attraction with stores closing and saloons remaining open, doing a brisk business. People came from all over the area to see the big event, where the local lawmen were selling tickets to view the hanging, as well as little dolls of Tom hanging on a stick.
However, the town of Clayton had no experience in hanging a man and there was a debate concerning the length of rope. The night before the scheduled hanging, the rope was tested by attaching a 200-pound sandbag to the noose and dropping it through the trap. Finally, at 1:13 p.m. Thomas "Black Jack" Ketchum was taken to the scaffold. While they were adjusting the hood, Ketchum stated, "Hurry up boys, get this over with." Finally, Sheriff Garcia took two blows with a hatchet, cutting the rope and Tom fell through the trap.
Unfortunately, the inexperienced hangmen had forgotten about the sandbag they had used to test the rope and the weight of it caused the rope to be as rigid as wire. When Black Jack fell through the drop, he was immediately decapitated. The black hood pinned to his shirt was the only thing that kept his head from rolling away. A few minutes later the doctor pronounced him dead, then sewed his head to his torso prior to the burial at the Clayton's Boothill at 2:30 P.M. In the 1930's his body was moved to the new cemetery in Clayton, where it remains today.