Guest Episode: The Wild Tale of Black Jack Ketchum

Crimes of the Centuries

Amber Hunt and Audioboom

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.6 • 3.8K Ratings

🗓️ 23 June 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

While Crimes of the Centuries takes a brief summer break, enjoy a guest episode from Josh at The Wild West Extravaganza. This one’s a doozy: It’s the story of "Black Jack" Ketchum — a train robber whose criminal exploits made headlines across the American frontier. But it was his botched execution that really cemented his place in Wild West lore. This is one of those cases where the truth is not only stranger than fiction — it’s also way bloodier.

Find more here: Wild West Extravaganza

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, Amber here. I'm taking a little time off this week, but I didn't want to leave your feed empty.
0:06.0	So today I'm bringing you a special guest episode from my friend Josh over at the Wild West extravaganza.
0:12.8	If you've ever been curious about the stranger-than-fiction stories of the Old West,
0:17.7	Josh is your guy. He's got a knack for digging into history's outlaws, lawmen,
0:23.1	and everything in between. This episode is all about Black Jack Ketchum, a train robber with a
0:29.4	flare for the dramatic and a name that sounds like he walked out of a spaghetti Western.
0:34.8	Let's just say his life and especially his death are not easily forgotten.
0:40.5	So sit back and enjoy this wild tale from the Wild West extravaganza. I'll be back in your ears in two
0:47.5	weeks. When they executed Black Jack Ketchum, he only had one arm left. Had he had both or somehow
0:53.0	figured out how to shoot with his left hand, things may have turned out a bit different. As it were, Ketchum, he only had one arm left. Had he had both or somehow figured out how to shoot with his left hand,
0:55.1	things may have turned out a bit different. As it were, Ketchum remained defiant until the end,
1:00.2	marching to the gallows and telling the sheriff to hurry up because he was doing hell for dinner.
1:05.2	And what happened next sent the throng of onlookers running in terror?
1:09.2	Who was Blackjack Ketchum?
1:11.0	What caused him to become an outlaw?
1:13.1	What happened to his arm and what exactly occurred on the day of his execution
1:16.8	that would haunt those in attendance for the rest of their lives.
1:20.8	Stick around and find out.
1:22.2	My name's Josh and this is the Wild West extravaganza.
1:40.7	Thomas Edward Ketcham was born in San Saba County, Texas on October 31, 1863.
1:46.1	His parents arrived back in 1849 looking to raise cattle, a move that most definitely came with a price. Two of Tom's uncles were killed by the Kickapoo in 1867. His father,
1:51.8	Green passed away the following year and his mother temperance would do the same in 1873. In other
	...

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