A notorious train robber, Thomas Edward Ketchum, met a gruesome end when his hanging turned into a horrific spectacle, resulting in his decapitation and a gory scene with blood spurting from his neck. Ketchum, a member of the infamous ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’ gang from Texas in the late 19th Century, drew the attention of law enforcement across multiple states due to his criminal activities. His capture followed a failed train robbery in 1899 near Folsom, New Mexico, where he was shot in the arm by the train’s conductor, leading to the amputation of his right arm.
Ketchum was subsequently convicted of attempted train robbery and sentenced to death by hanging after a trial in Clayton. On April 26, 1901, a large crowd gathered in Clayton for the execution, which turned into a macabre event due to critical errors made by the inexperienced executioners. The overlong rope, Ketchum’s weight gain in jail, and the imbalance caused by his amputated arm led to a horrifying execution where his head was completely severed from his body upon the trapdoor opening.
The aftermath of the botched hanging became infamous, with photographs and postcards circulating of the decapitated body, showcasing the extreme nature of the execution. Ketchum’s history of criminal activities, including a failed train robbery with his gang and a disastrous solo attempt, added to his notoriety. Despite the morbid tale, visitors still flock to his grave at Clayton Cemetery, where his body was moved in the 1930s from the original Boothill site.