Tom Ketchum, who was also known as 'Black Jack' Ketchum, was a member of the 'Hole in the Wall' gang and committed various robberies and crimes until he was apprehended and sentenced to be hanged. So far, there's nothing unusual at all, as he is, after all, a wild west outlaw. However (and this is where the tale gets juicy), when he was hanged on April 26th 1901 (at Clayton, New Mexico), the rope was too long, Ketchum had gained weight, and he fell (so it's said) about 9 feet, which resulted in him being decapitated. That's not even the only gory bit (not by a long chalk), as it gets better (or worse). Afterwards, his head was sewn back onto his body so that it could go on show before being interned in Clayton. Now that, brothers and sisters, is what l call a hanging and aftermath.
As an aside, he also hung around a bit (see what l did there) with Kid Curry (Harvey Logan), although they apparently never got on. Curry was later to become well known due to the TV series 'Alias Smith and Jones' (starring Pete Duel and Ben Murphy!), a favorite show of mine from when l was younger. Kid Curry was portrayed in the show as likeable, but extremely fast on the draw. I'm sure the real Kid Curry would have been a pretty nasty guy, and nothing at all like his TV portrayal. The top picture is Ben Murphy as Kid Curry, whereas the bottom (scruffy and unattractive) one is the real deal. I think l can spot a tiny bit of a difference between them.
toodle pip
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