19 November 1998

Dear Curator:

Great site!  The URL was forwarded by a former colleague who also appreciates the offbeat.  Post cards are a neglected genre nowadays in my view.

Regarding the Black Jack Ketchum hanging card, there actually was a second photo taken moments later at this notoriously botched execution. When the trap door was sprung, the noose severed Ketchum's neck, dropping both head and body to the ground below. The crowd supposedly turned away in horror. The second photo is focused under the gallows and shows one official glaring balefully at the photographer while others regard the now-shrouded corpse.  You can't see the head but the legs are clearly visible, stained with gore.

Both post cards of this appalling event may be seen at the historical society museum in St. Johns, AZ. They are among the memorabilia of a local man who was high up in the state police. The "before and after" shots are in a glass case with other items and it is hard to see all the details.  But you see enough - along with a rather macabre narrative - to give you the shivers for the rest of the day.

Again, thanks for putting up an excellent site! 

Regards,

Daniel Gallagher

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