Trudeau is latest target of train robbing uncle hoax

With Canadian federal elections approaching, it would be no surprise for potentially compromising information to emerge from politicians’ pasts. However, the story of Remus Trudeau, or Remus Rudd, is not true. Yet the photo of a man being hanged continues to be shared by Canadians on social media along with captions falsely recounting the story of how he was a train robber and horse thief in Alberta in 1889.

Image

Screenshot of a Colorado Encyclopedia web page on March 12, 2019

In this version of the tale, genealogist Judy Trudeau, who shared a family connexion with the man, as well as with the current Liberal prime minister, asked Justin Trudeau’s office for information about her ancestor. The response she supposedly received is a humorous example of political spin:

"Remus Trudeau was a famous cowboy in the Alberta Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Beginning in 1885, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Northwest Mounted Police. In 1889, Remus passed away suddenly during an important civic function held in his honour when the platform upon which he was standing, collapsed."

Image

Screenshot of a Facebook post taken on March 12, 2019

However, a nearly identical story began to circulate in 2013 when Conservative Stephen Harper was prime minister of Canada. At the time, the genealogist was called Judy Harper, and the horse robber was called Remus Rudd. Prior to that, the same story was peddled about former Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion, as well as Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, George Bush, and others. Fact-checking website Snopes reported receiving word of this story, likely presented as a joke before it became a false fact, in 2000.

Although the man in the picture was indeed a train robber, his name was not Remus, nor was he Canadian. Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum was a train robber in America, hanged in 1901 in Clayton, in the US state of New Mexico. The photo became famous partly because, according to a Colorado Encyclopedia entry, none of his executioners were experienced at hangings, which led to Ketchum’s decapitation when his body fell through the gallows.

While Ketchum did have siblings (page 18) it is unlikely he is related to any of the politicians that this long-running internet hoax has linked to the photo of his hanging.