 Ben
Thompson, gunfighter and lawman, was
born in England on November 11, 1842,
and was taken as a child with his
parents to Austin, Texas. He initially
worked as a printer and subsequently
took up gambling as a career. Before he
was eighteen he shot and killed a youth
and killed a man in a knife fight in
New Orleans. Though he enlisted with
the Confederacy, he did not leave Texas
until near the end of the Civil War. He
killed a Confederate soldier and
wounded several others, shot a teamster
in Austin for allegedly stealing an
army mule, and left the state to join
Emperor Maximilian's forces in Mexico
as the Civil War ended. He then
returned to Texas and killed his
brother-in-law, Jim Moore, whom he
believed was abusing his
sister.
Thompson was
convicted for the murder and sent in
June 1868 to the Texas State
Penitentiary at Huntsville, where he
was held for two years. After his
release, he left Texas for Abilene,
Kansas, undoubtedly hoping to change
his fortunes. In 1871 he opened the
Bull's Head Saloon with his partner,
Philip H. Coe. The pair ran the
drinking and gambling establishment
while Abilene prospered as a railhead
for the cattle drives originating in
Texas. Thompson was recovering in
Kansas City from a riding injury when
Coe got into a shootout with Abilene
marshal "Wild Bill" Hickok and was
killed. Thompson and Hickok left
Abilene in different directions shortly
thereafter, thus precluding a
confrontation between two of the
foremost shootists in the West.
Thompson moved to Ellsworth, Kansas,
with his brother Billy, who killed
Ellsworth sheriff Chauncey Whitney. The
brothers were forced to leave Kansas.
In 1875 Ben Thompson moved to Fort
Elliott in the Texas Panhandle, where
he befriended Bartholomew (Bat)
Masterson. When Masterson shot an army
sergeant in a fight over a woman,
Thompson stepped in to prevent
Masterson from being killed by other
soldiers.
After this
altercation, Thompson and Masterson
were hired by the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railway in a right-of-way
dispute with the Denver and Rio Grande
Railroad. On this unusual occasion the
conflict was settled in the courts
rather than in the streets or saloons.
Thompson earned several thousand
dollars, some diamonds, and the
lifelong friendship of Masterson.
After the
railroad war Thompson returned to
Austin and opened his own business, the
Iron Front Saloon, at Sixth and
Congress. According to Lafayette
Rogers, a local patron of the Iron
Front, "Ben...never run a crooked game
in his house." One of his main
competitors was Mark Wilson's Capital
Theatre. On Christmas Eve in 1876,
Thompson was at the Capital with
several friends when a fight erupted.
When Thompson tried to intervene on
behalf of one of the troublemakers,
Wilson emerged with a shotgun. In the
ensuing fracas, Wilson fired at
Thompson and was killed by three fast
return shots. Thompson was found to
have fired in self-defense. Afterward,
Thompson's urbane manners and prowess
with a revolver impressed the citizens
of Austin enough that they elected him
city marshal (1881). During his ten
months in office there were no murders,
assaults, or burglaries in the city.
But in 1882, while still serving as
marshal, Thompson got into another
fight in a saloon in San Antonio, where
he killed the owner of the Vaudeville
Theatre, Jack (Pegleg) Harris. He was
indicted for the murder and resigned as
marshal. After a sensational trial and
acquittal, he returned to Austin to a
hero's welcome. Shortly afterward, on
March 11, 1884, Thompson brashly
returned to the Vaudeville Theatre with
his notorious friend John
King Fisher,
and the two were shot and killed by
Harris's partner, Joe Foster. Thompson
was survived by his wife, Mary Ann
(Moore), and three children. Residents
of Austin engaged those of San Antonio
in a free-wheeling, nasty debate after
a coroner's jury in San Antonio ruled
the killing self-defense.
"THOMPSON,
BEN."
The Handbook of Texas Online
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Born
November 11,
1842
England
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Parents
took him to Austin, Texas
child
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Youth
Worked as printer and then took
up gambling
prior
to age 18
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Youth
He shot and killed a youth and
killed a man in a knife fight in
New Orleans
prior
to age 18
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1860
or
after
Enlisted with the Confederacy but
did not leave Texas until near
the end of the Civil War
around
age 18
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1860-1865
He killed a Confederate soldier
and wounded several others
age
17 to 22
|
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1860-1865
He shot a teamster in Austin for
allegedly stealing an army
mule.
age
17 to 22
|
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1865
He joined Maximilian's forces in
Mexico.
age
22
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Sometime
shortly after Civil
War
He killed his brother-in-law, Jim
Moore, whom he believed was
abusing his sister.
age
24?
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June
1868
He was convicted for the murder
and sent to the Texas State
Penitentiary at Huntsville, where
he was held for two years.
age
25
|
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1870
After his release from prison, he
left for Abilene, Kansas.
age
27
|
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1871
He opened the Bull's Head Saloon
with his partner, Philip H.
Coe.
age
28
|
|
|
October
5,
1871
Philip H. Coe was killed in a
shootout with Abilene marshal
"Wild Bill" Hickok.
Both "Will Bill" and Thompson
left Abilene in different
directions without
confrontation.
age
28
|
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Shortly
after leaving
Abilene
Thompson moved to Ellsworth,
Kansas, with his brother Billy,
who killed Ellsworth sheriff
Chauncey Whitney.
Both were forced to leave
Kansas.
age
28 or 29
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1875
Ben Thompson moved to Fort
Elliott in the Texas Panhandle,
where he befriended Bartholomew
(Bat) Masterson.
age
32 or 33
|
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|
When
Masterson shot an army sergeant
in a fight over a woman, Thompson
stepped in to prevent Masterson
from being killed by other
soldiers.
|
|
|
Thompson
and Masterson were hired by the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railway in a right-of-way dispute
with the Denver and Rio Grande
Railroad.
Thompson earned several thousand
dollars, some diamonds, and the
lifelong friendship of
Masterson.
|
|
|
Thompson
returned to Austin and opened his
own business, the Iron Front
Saloon, at Sixth and
Congress.
|
|
|
Christmas
Eve in
1876
A fight erupted in the Capital
Theatre, owned by Mark Wilson, a
competitor of Thompson's
business.
Thompson, in attendance,
attempted to intervene. Wilson
fired a shotgun at him. Thompson
then returned three fast shots,
killing Wilson in, what the jury
later determined, was
self-defense.
age
34
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1881
The citizens of Austin elected
Thompson city marshal. During his
ten month tenure there were no
murders, assaults, or burglaries
in the city.
age
38-39
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July
11,
1882
Saloon in San Antonio
Thompson killed the owner of the
Vaudeville Theatre, Jack (Pegleg)
Harris, former army buddy.
age
39
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Thompson
was indicted for the murder and
resigned as marshal. After a
sensational trial and acquittal,
he returned to Austin to a hero's
welcome.
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March
11,
1884
Thompson brashly returned to the
Vaudeville Theatre with his
notorious friend John King
Fisher.
They both were shot and killed by
Jack Harris' partner, Joe Foster.
It was ruled
self-defense.
age
41
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Buy
The Book
Fugitives
From
Justice
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