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The Life of Black Jack Ketchum


            Thomas Ketchum later known as "Black Jack"" Ketchum was a notorious train robber from about 1895 to 1901. Thomas was a cowboy and cattle driver who eventually turned to horrible life of crime. .
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             Thomas Edward Ketchum was born October 31, 1863 to Green Berry Ketchum Sr. and Temperance Katherine Wydick Ketchum in San Saba County, Texas. Thomas was the youngest out of eight children, six boys, and two girls. One of Thomas's older brothers, Samuel Ketchum, left his wife and kids to become a cowboy along with Thomas. Both cowboys worked throughout west Texas, northern New Mexico, and eastern New Mexico, and were on many trail drives so they knew the territory, the settlers, and ranchers very well.
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             Black Jack's first crime was the murder of his neighbor John N. Powers; he was shot down December 12, 1895 by Black Jack and several other men. In 1892, Black Jack, his brother, Sam, and several other outlaws learned that an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad was on route to Deming, New Mexico with a large payroll. The gang set up to rob the train just outside Nutt, New Mexico, a water station about 20 miles north of Deming. The gang stopped the train, holding it up at gunpoint, and made off with about $20,000. The $20,000 dollars was never found. Black Jack's final attempt to rob the Santa Fe Railroad train by himself ended in defeat, the conductor had shot his arm, and Black Jack staggered off into the night when they found Black Jack he was at a watering hole it was there that he surrendered peacefully, and he was taken to a hospital where he had his arm amputated and when it had heeled he was taken to Clayton, New Mexico where the judge sentenced him to death.
             So it was set Black Jack was going to be hung for his crimes even though he plead innocent to most of them but the judge found him guilty. The hanging had been pushed back several times but when lawmen heard some rumors that a couple of his old gang members from the Hole in the Wall was going to set him free so the lawmen pushed his hanging up to April 26.


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