The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-20
AUTOPSY.
THE POST MORTEM EXAMINA-
TION OF THOMPSON AND
WHAT 1T DISCLOSED.
Some Interesting Tales Told by the
Silent Wounds and Leaden
Messengers

A good deal of curiosity has been felt
in Austin to know the actual facts in
regard to the killing of Ben Thompson.
1t was hoped that the investigation of
the coroner's inquest would bring
the facts TO light but instead ev-
cry witness seemed to studiously
keep them from being made public.
All classes in Austin, not only Thomp-
sons friends, but those who have no
regret at his death, have a desire to
know the truth respecting the matter,
and not a little disappointment was
felt on every hand when the evidence
of the inquest was lead. To throw
light upon this question
AN AUTOPSY WAS HAD
yesterday morning, and the post NOR
tenn conducted by two of the leading
physicians of this city, and per-
haps the state, Drs. Worthlng-
ton and Wooten-the latter one
of the most scientific gentlemen
in Texas. This was held at the resi-
dence of the deceased, and in the
presence of representatives of the
press, and other gentlemen. The cor
oner's jury at San Antonio only found
that three shots hit Thompson, when,
in fact, eight bullets entered his body,
five of which
ENTERED HIS HEAD.
The cold, hard facts of science show
how Valueless is human testimony in
a case like this. All of these eight
balls entered the body on the left side;
the back. the front nor the right side
being hit at all. This, of course,
proves that the shoot g was
all done from the left of
Thompson. and that whoever they were
shot from the same point. The first
wound probed made another startling
disclosure. The bali enteerEa1 the left
side CT the head near that point where
the side head begins to round off to
form the crown, and its course was
downward, little backward and
slightly inward so that if the ball had
came out its
POINT OF EXIT
would have been just back of the right
jaw in the neck. An inch and a half
below this another ball entered and fol-
lowed an exactly parallel course to
the first, and had this came out
its point of exit would have
been an inch and half below that of
the first one mentioned. A third bull
let entered above the left eye, just
where the side head turns to the front,
and passed in the same downward
course, lodging in the mouth, to which
it was traced and found. A fourth ball
entered just below the point of en-
tranceNof the last one described, and
Gu, trough the arch over the left eye,
con- z out just over this eye-ball, and
grazing the side of the cheek in
ITS DOWNWARD COURSE,
which was almost perpendicular with
the body wnen standing erect. The
fifth ball entering the head entered
the ear just above tie ear opening
travelling parallel line with the all
passage of the ear and lodging in the
brain. 1t will be noticed that the
four first mentioned balls must have
been shot from above, coming from
the same general quarter and having
the same downward course; the bal
entering the ear being the only eccen.
trio one of the five. The sixth ball
STRUCK THE JAW BONE
IN Il downward course, against which
it spent its force and passed into the
neck " here it lodged and was found
making five of the balls ranging down.
ward, inward and slightly backward
The seventh ball entered the Gutter
side of the left arm, passing through
the muscles at right angles with the
body which it entered, passing through
the center of the heart. The course of
this ball was at a perfect right angle
with the body when in an erect pos
ture. The 9Th ball had point of en-
trance on the left side above the hip
and ranged upwards coming out on
the other side lust below the ribs.
STILL ANOTHER.
ball, which did not enter the body
grazed across the shoulders from the
left side to the right, leaving its track
plainly narS'd on the dead mans
skin and Ia les in his clothes CORES
pond with the track of this bullet.
Some of the bullets were taken from
the body, and these were submitted
to experts, among them j. G. Pet
mecky, AMI they were found to have
come from both Winchester rifle,
and 44-calibre pistol cartridges, she W.
ing that both these weapons had been
used in the deadly work.
THE EFFECTS.
of six of the eight balls that entered
Mr.. Thompson's body, as will be seen
from this autopsy, were fatal and he
would have been powerless in an in
slant after any of these struck him.
The conclusions of the post mortem
are: First, Thompson was shot when
standing erect by persons who were
above him, and who were also little
to the left, armed with both Winches-
ter rifles and revolvers as shown by
the bullets found and by the same
general downward track of all the
balls except two; and that he must
have been
STANDING STILL
at the time, as is shown by the paral-
lei courses of the bullets. Secondly,
that five of the balls were fired by
different persons and simultaneously,
as is shown by the fact that he would
have instantly fallen from the effect
of any of them; and their courses
being in the same general direction.
The ball entering the heart, and the
one shot from the hip upward may
have been shot after Thompson fell
the latter must have been so fired. 1t
would be interesting to have a
scientific investigation of Fishers
wounds to see what sort of evidence
they wOuld rive