Ben Thompson
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Benjamin "Ben" Thompson (November 11, 1842–March 11, 1884.) was a gunman, gambler, and sometimes lawman of the American Old West. Many his most famous contemporaries such as Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin and James Butler Hickok knew Thompson personally, some considering him a trusted friend, others a lethal enemy.
Ben Thompson had a colourful career as a private in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and subsequently fought in Mexico before being imprisoned for murder. After his release from prison, Thompson made his name as a gunmen and a gambler before being offered the job as marshal in Austin, Texas, during which time the crime rate fell dramatically.
He was murdered by Billy Simms in the Vaudeville Theatre in San Antonio, Texas.
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[edit] Early life
Thompson was born in Knottingley, Yorkshire, England. His parents moved the family to Austin, Texas, when he was still very young. Thompson began working as a printer while still in his teens but discovered gambling and began traveling while making a living as a professional gambler. When he was 17, he stabbed and killed a young man in New Orleans, when the man accused him of cheating and attacked him.
[edit] Civil War
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Thompson did not initially show any interest in joining. However, by 1863, his views had changed, and he joined the Confederate Army in Texas, enlisting as a private. He saw some military actions during his service, but during his service he killed a fellow Confederate soldier, Sgt. William Vance, during a dispute. He also, while in the army, shot and killed a teamster for attempting to steal an army mule.
After the war ended, Thompson left for Mexico, and joined the forces of Emperor Maximilian. He only stayed for a short while, then returned to Texas. He had received word prior to his return that his brother-in-law, Jim Moore, was physically abusing Thompson's sister. Shortly after his return to Texas in 1868, he confronted Moore and killed him. He was charged with murder for killing Moore and sentenced to 2 years in prison, which he spent in the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
[edit] After prison
In 1870, Thompson left Texas for Abilene, Kansas, a newly expanding cattle boom town. In 1871, Thompson opened the Bulls Head Saloon in Abilene, with partner Phillip H. Coe. The saloon prospered from the cattle drives that gave Abilene a steady stream of cowboys passing through who were anxious to drink and gamble.
That same year, Thompson was injured during a fall from a horse, and in his absence, on October 5, Coe was involved in a shootout with town marshal "Wild" Bill Hickok, in which Coe was killed. During that shooting, Hickok was holding off a crowd during a street brawl when Coe had fired on him, and Hickok shoting back and killed Coe. Seconds later, Hickok saw movement from the side of someone rushing toward him, and Hickok fired one round mistakingly killing Special Deputy Mike Williams, who was coming to Hickok's aid. Thompson never confronted Hickok over the shooting of Coe, feeling that Hickok was justified in the killing, and left Abilene shortly thereafter, as did Hickok.
Thompson moved to Ellsworth, Kansas, which for a short decade during that period also prospered as a cattle oriented boom town. However, not long after moving there, Thompson's unpredictable and hot-tempered younger brother, Billy, shot and killed Ellsworth town sheriff Chauncey Whitney. Although Wyatt Earp claimed it was he that arrested the Thompson brothers, Earp actually was only present at the time, and Thompson was actually arrested by Deputy Ed Hogue. Wyatt Earp was just assisting him, after just being appointed marshal. [1] The Thompson brothers were not tried in the case since the sheriff played some part in starting the gunfight, but they were forced to flee Kansas.[2]
In 1875, Thompson moved to Fort Elliott, in the Texas Panhandle. There he met and befriended gunman Bat Masterson. When Masterson shot and killed a Cavalry sergeant in a dispute over a woman, Thompson stepped in to prevent other soldiers from attacking Masterson. After that incident, both Thompson and Masterson were hired by the Santa Fe Railroad to intercede in a right-of-way dispute between that railroad and the Rio Grande Railroad.
After the railway war ended, Thompson returned to Austin, Texas, and opened the "Iron Front Saloon". One of Thompson's main competition businesses was the "Capital Theater", owned and operated by Mark Wilson. On Christmas Eve, 1876, Thompson and friends were at the Capital Theater drinking when a fight erupted involving other patrons. When Thompson tried to intervene and stop the fight, Wilson produced a shotgun. A struggle ensued, during which Wilson fired one blast toward Thompson, missing, after which Thompson fired three shots in response, killing Wilson. Thompson also killed bartender Charles Mathews in that same gunfight, when Mathews produced a gun. Thompson was not arrested, and the shooting, which had numerous witnesses, was ruled justified self defense.
[edit] City marshal
In 1881, Thompson was approached by the city of Austin to serve as City Marshal, a job that he accepted. He reportedly did well in the position, and Austin had a drastic drop in the rate of crime while he was in office. However, in 1882, Thompson became involved in a dispute with Vaudeville Variety Theater owner Jack Harris, in San Antonio, during which Thompson shot and killed Harris, who also was armed. Thompson was indicted for murder and resigned his position as marshal. He was tried and acquitted, after which he returned to Austin, where he was welcomed by the citizens, but he did not return to his law enforcement.
[edit] Murder
On March 11, 1884, Thompson ran into gunfighter and rancher King Fisher in San Antonio. Both men were in town on separate business. The two men, who had known one another for several years, decided to attend a show at the Vaudeville Theater. Thompson was aware that friends to Harris had threatened to kill him, but he evidently had little concern about the threats.
Fisher and Thompson attended a play on that night at the Turner Hall Opera House, and later, at around 10:30pm, they went to the Vaudeville Variety Theater. A local lawman named Jacob Coy sat with them. Thompson wanted to see Joe Foster, a theater owner and friend of Harris's, and one of those fueling the ongoing feud. Thompson had already spoken to Billy Simms, another theater owner, and Foster's new partner. [3]
Fisher and Thompson were directed upstairs to meet with Foster. Coy and Simms soon joined them in the theater box. Foster refused to speak with Thompson. Fisher allegedly noticed that something was not right. Simms and Coy stepped aside, and as they did Fisher and Thompson leapt to their feet just as a volley of gunfire erupted from another theater box, with a hail of bullets hitting both Thompson and Fisher. Thompson fell onto his side, and either Coy or Foster ran up to him and shot him in the head with a pistol. Thompson was not able to return fire and died almost immediately. Fisher was shot thirteen times, and did fire one round in retaliation, possibly wounding Coy, but that is not confirmed. Coy was left crippled for life, but the shot may have been from friendly fire. [4]
Foster, in attempting to draw his pistol at the first of the fight, shot himself in the leg, which was later amputated. He died shortly thereafter. The description of the events of that night are contradictory. There was a public outcry for a grand jury indictment of those involved. However no action was ever taken. The San Antonio police and the prosecutor showed little interest in the case.
Fisher was buried on his ranch. His body was later moved to the Pioneer Cemetery in Uvalde, Texas. Thompson's body was returned to Austin, where his funeral was one of the largest the city has ever seen. He is currently buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.
[edit] Will and property
Thompson's will deeded all his property to his business partner, and it has been sold serveral times since.
On January 13, 2007, Ben Thompson's roulette table was sold at auction by A&S Antique Auction in Waco, Texas. The table had been on loan to the Ranger museum, on loan from the founding curator Gaines de Graffenried (Waco Tribune-Herald, January 17, 2007). Tom Burks, the curator of the A&S Antique Auction, said that the table was used by Thompson in a gambling house he opened above the Iron Front Saloon on Congress Avenue in Austin (San Antonio Express-News, January 12, 2007).
[edit] References
- Adams, Paul (January 1945). The Unsolved Murder of Ben Thompson. Southwestern Historical Quarterly 48.
- Starr, Mary (1963). History of Travis County and Austin, 1839-1899. Texian Press.
- Walton, W. M. (1884, 1956 (reprint)). The Life and Adventures of Ben Thompson. Austin.
- Braun, Matt (September 2000). Deathwalk. St. Martin's, 336. 0312975163.
- Culp, C. Western-themed items set for auction today, Waco Tribune-Herald, January 17, 2007.
- Zarazua, J. Rare auction items linked to San Antonio, San Antonio Express-News, January 12, 2007.
- Silverman, J. When the bad guys really wore the badges SF Stages' new work by Kilmurry, Santa Fe New Mexican (New Mexico), July 04, 1997.
