The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-07-26

morning
The hearing of the petition Of Thompson
was resumed, this morning. in the district
court befoT Judge Noonan. There was
large attendance, but not SO great as yester-
day; still all seemed to be much interested in
the proceedings.
Mr.. T. T. Teel re-opened the case by call
ing w. II. Sims, who deposed as follows ::
reside in San Antonio. On the nth of this
month. between and 7, came down to
the Vaudeville heatre, and as | reached the
the east door | met Ben Thompson coming
out OF the house; he turned around and met
me with his back towards tn. sidewalk and
says. Billy, I'm going to close these -
house tonight He said Joe Foster is d I'd
thief and Jack Harris lives off the e. D.
W.. | said, Ben. do not get into any trou
bic there no use for it, Ben says there's no use
talking heres going to be hell here haven't
got anything against you, Bill. but these
have mistreated me and they've got to come
to me. says 'for Christ sake don't get into
trouble, it is not necessary" About that time
Ferry Neal began to talk to him, took him
by the hand, and walked up stats. When
got up stairs he,rd two shots fired, and
was told that Jack Harris was shot. That's
! all know about it. did not see the killing.
My conversation was alb ut ten minutes before
the killing. I just walked around the room
I was armed. had no difficulty with Thomp-
son. next saw Harris being carried out, the
doctors were there. He had hole in his
breast in the centre of his chest | did not
examine the parts of his body. do not know
where Harris was shat. There was about one
hundred people round the body. Nobody but
Thompson was making noise, asked him
to 90 away, and told him trouble was not
necessary. He says thy have mistreated
me and have got to come to me. know Of a
shotgun being kept about the place. 1t was
kept in the ticket Office. The gun is now in
my possession. GOT it from Frank Sparrow
lie is in the city now. Harris lived on Sole
dad street. two or three blocks from the saloon.
live ON Laredo street. All this occurred on
Main plaza, in the front IF the Vaudeville. |
saw Thompson alb tut ON the night Of the 10th
about twelve. He was then in hack Next
time I saw him IN a house controlled by
Bones Cullmore. After that saw
him in front Of the Vaudeville. l shook hands
with Ben in Bones house. When l met Ben
it was a. Harris door, and l was then going
up stairs At the end of the ticket Office there
is gas jet. but do not know whether it was
lighted a. the time Of the shooting. 1t is about
three feet above a mans head; there are any
number of gas Jets, but l can not say what
were burning; there is an electric light about
ten feet from the door. Harris residence is
on the same street as the saloon, but on the
east side; 1--we a mil from it
C,oss- examined: l was witness at the
coroner's Jury, and there real and signed my
I need the words IF Thoun.
son. In that conversation he said there's 60
ing to be h IL here to night, or words to that
effect. Thompson also laid that the men had
mis,reated him and had got 10 come to him.
Sins testimony at the coroner's inquest was
then ready III ,mpSon Wa coming GU Of
the door when mt him He said, Billie, I'm
going to close w this g. d-w--
- tonight. | said, don't think
there is any need for trouble
On which he said There's no use talking
they have mstreated me. and they have got
to close. | don't exactly remember my reply:
in fact d MT remember what he said after
| made no answer, bu. what have said From
a conversation with me here and in Austin,
| think Ben Thompson meant to use, or had
used, legal means to close up the house
There were number of men who heard
| Thompson talking to me. do not recollect
who. Terry O'Neal had just taken him by
the arm. Before Thompson had been talking
loudly do not think he was speaking to
me, but to the crowd generally. left him
talking to Terry O'Neal. | had my pistol on
then; it was in my pants. l had a coat on.
| went IN stails to attend to nv business. |.
was dusk then. The electric light was light
ed. found Ed Mum up stairs; he was the
only man up there. was not doing anything.
| asked where Foster was: walked across the
room to the faro game and came out The room
is about 20 feet wide. Thompson and were
| talking about five minutes. l entered the
stairway from the street, not the stairs close to
which Harris was shot. saw Harris Just be-
| fore thi, difficulty. did not see him after
talking 10 Thompson. saw him at Wolfson'
corner about ten minutes before. | was on
intimate terms with Jack Harris. Harris
never said to me he would kill Thompson il
he came in the saloon on previous occasion
| (Objected to by the state: overrule1 Some
time ago. about eighteen months, he said tina:
he would kill Harris; that was a year and a
half ago: then tried to reason with him and
told him would tell Thompson to stop away.
Harris did not threaten to kill Thompson in
presence of Edwards and Lieut. Hickie: VIVA,
occurred was this: Hickie Edwards and
| were III |hNd'C DoA dt ulC NduueVllle, ana
Hick;e said. is there no way to stop this
trouble between Harris and Thomp-
son. said no, they are
both positive men. and the only way is for
Thompson not come here. Harris will not
follow Thompson unless he came in the house.
| Jack Harris was not there at the time. did
not apprehend any trouble until thai evening;
that was after I met him. | do not know Har-
riS intended to kill Thomson If he found him