A train bandit met a gruesome end when his hanging went terribly awry, resulting in his decapitation and blood gushing from his neck.
Thomas Edward Ketchum, hailing from Texas, rose to infamy as a member of the infamous ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’ gang during the late 1800s in the United States. His criminal exploits attracted the attention of law enforcement across several states, leading to his apprehension following a failed train heist in 1899 near Folsom, New Mexico.
In the course of the robbery, Ketchum sustained severe injuries after being shot in the arm by the train’s conductor, resulting in the amputation of his right arm. Subsequently, he faced trial in Clayton, where he was found guilty of attempted train robbery and sentenced to death by hanging.
On the morning of April 26, 1901, a large crowd assembled in Clayton for what promised to be a significant public spectacle. Businesses shuttered, bars opened early, and vendors peddled souvenir dolls of Ketchum on a gallows stick.
However, behind the scenes, inexperienced executioners made a critical error. They had tested the rope with a 200-pound sandbag the previous night, leaving it in place, causing the rope to behave like a rigid wire when the trapdoor was released.
The combination of the overly long rope, Ketchum’s weight gain in prison, and the imbalance from his amputated arm led to a grotesque and tragic execution.
Upon being dropped through the trapdoor that afternoon, Ketchum’s head was completely severed from his body. Only the black hood prevented it from rolling away, necessitating the executioners to sew it back on for his public burial.
Sheriff Salome Garcia described the scene, stating: “The sight was so horrifying that onlookers held their breath, and their hearts skipped a beat when they witnessed his head being detached from his body upon impact.
“His body landed firmly on its feet, stood momentarily, swayed, and then collapsed, with copious amounts of crimson blood spurting from his severed neck, seemingly disgracing the very ground it flowed onto.
“The head rolled away, and the released rope bounced high before thudding down on the scaffold.”
Reportedly, Ketchum’s final words were: “Dig my grave deep, boys. Let her go boys.”
The aftermath of the hanging became notorious, with photographs and postcards circulated of the decapitated body, titled “Body of Black Jack after the hanging showing head snapped off.” Ketchum stands out as one of the most extreme examples of a botched execution in American history.
Prior to his demise