The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-07-25
THE BEN THOMPSON HABEAs CORPUS
CAE.

THE BEN THOMPSON hABEAS CORPUS
Examin .tion BefO Judge NO"nan.
The habeas corpus case Of Ben Thompson
was called before Judge Noonan this morning.
The curiosity Of the public to see the murderer
caused rush to the court. house, and for a
while the room and stairway and alley ways
lea ding thereto, were crowded with me,
anxiously stretching their necks to get lool
at the ran who killed Jack Harris.
The sheriff had the benches removed be
cause OF the crowd, and the prospect of tn,
court and bar being crushed out by the mol,
seemed imminent. AT last Deputy Sheriff
Daniel made the crowd, which had gradual,
diminished, as each individual got through
scanning the array Of lawyers seated at long
table, evidently more puzzled than before he
went in, as to which one was the distingui> hett
criminal, and left.
The prosecution was represented by Dis,
Attorney Cooke, Mess. carleton & Brown
Messrs I. G and Mr.. G.. Anderson. Judge
Devine, L. T. Teel and W. X. Wallace. IN.
defense by Buck Walton & Hill, and Wooten
q Pendexter, of Austin; John A. & N. o
Green, and N. o. Green, Jr., of San Antonio;
MIR. w. w. Heron, Esq, was selected to take
down the evidence.
A discussion arose as to the petitioner
right to open the case, the Judge ruled tina,
the case proceed.
In view of the arr of counsel on eithe,
side the Judge announced that only one at
torney should examine witnesses and one ad
dress the court This announcement cut OFT
the hope OF getting up a general bar conven-
ton.
The witnesses were sworn and placed under
the rule.
Justice Anton Adam was the first witness
for the state, and testified
My name is Anton Adam: reside in San
Antonio, and AIN a usllce of the peace for
pre- cinct No. l: knew ack Harris; he is
dead: He died on the nth of July, from :,
pistol shot wound in the breast. 1t passed
through him.
BARNEY MITCHELL
sworn My name is Barney Mitchell. re
side on Garden street, and am a bar keeper.
l kept bar for Jack Harris about IoH months
On Tuesday, July 18th, | went on watch
about 20 minutes past six. had been Oh
watch about IS or 80 minutes when Ben
Th' mpson came in. know him; that's him,
(pointing out accused). He wanted to know
where those -- were, with shot
guns. He said, you tell them when the,
come there's going TO be trouble; am going
to close the - house tonight Tell Jack
Harris and Joe Foster that | said they wer,
id $ D., thieves, living Or
the produce OF VS. After he said this |
said why don't you tell them so? Who the
HI are you ? he replied. Il want some O.
you fellows to tell them So. He started out;
as he did SO one of the musicians came out OF
the hall with his instrument in his hand. He
throwed his hand round for his six-shooter.
and said, Il thought it was one of those -
with his shot guns Thompson went on ou,
then, and came back to the bar in about o.
minutes. lie asked for drink, and brough,
Mr.. Rouvant to have drink with him. H.,
then asked if any of those - With shot
guns had shown up yet. l said that there
was no one with shot guns, and he
then said tell them when the,
do come there's going to be trouble. am
going to close the ------- tonight. |
do not know whether there vas any one pres
ent, except John Dyer. Thompson went GU;
at the lower door next to Sim Harris, and
as he did so Jack Harris came in at the other
uooIi lilC uOOIS are dD III twenty Iett apart.
could see Thompson standing on the side
walk talking loudly to Billy Sims. Harris
came in, got his shotgun from the ticket
Office. Harris was standing with his arm on
the rail near the ticket office and the gun I'M
der his arm, barrel downward. He was
standing about IS feet from Ben thompson
when Thompson called out, "What are you
doing with that sho, gun you - -
-. Jack Harris replied you ---
you --; immed atrly at err two Shots
were fired. The shots came from the side
walk At the nrst shot he (IIarri laggered
against the wall, aud at the secoad shot he
walked upstairs. lie was wounded in the
breast. Hewa> standing at the ticket office,
barrel of gun downward. there was No
change in position after the challenge of
Thompson. Harris was the proprietor vi the
saloon and Vaudeville He was shot IN
his own house. do not know who IN led the
shots; they came fr"m the sidewalk re
cognised the voice challenging iarrIs as be-
ing Ben Th"mpson's. Hams was shot at the
saloon on Mai: plaza, in the city of San An
tonic, county Of Brxar. he saloon is light
ed by electric light, about 10 or - feet from
the front door. There are three doors on the
front. The saloon counter is about twenty
itet from The front door. I here is
screen before the C, unter which covers the