The bee., 1884-03-22
A DESPERADO'S DEEDS.
Some OF the 3Eany Grimes of Ben
Thomson, Of Texas,

A San Antonio TIA dispatch to the Ne
York World says: The tragic ath Of the
famous deSrecadoes, Ben Thomson, King
Fisher ana joe Foster, who killed each other
in tho Vaudeville thea re here, was the sole
topic Of conver sio1. Everybody knew Ben
Thomson, and while the public in general
breathes more freey over his death, yet all
feel that tie city has lost one o. its most
noted characters. Strangers coming here
were 10Th to believe thai the quie:-Spoken
gent!ema2 POINTED oIt tt them was tie no
torious Ben Thomson. He looked more like
sentimental dry-g0ods clerk tan ike des-
parado. One of MS boasts was that be va
the only man i'll the city who care wear a
silk ha5 on all OCCASIONS. Slenderly built
with carefully CURED mus: ache, ratty IN
dress, always clad i'll Immaculate linen, Ben
was the last man in the world TO Ee taken q:
the murderer Of a dozen men. He never
could remember all whom he Ea1 wounded
a1i not killed, and l. was difficult for him TO
recall the name; o. those who had met death
a. his hanls.
Ken was born in Yorkshire. Engia1 Id, in
1914, and cane Nto Austin, Texas, when a
child, with his pa -ent5. His mother was
murdered b. runaway slave, and Ben,
with his brother Bill. enlisted in the Confed.
(
was only a hot-hea lei hoy o tnis time ard
very soon lrreled with his superior officer,
shot him dea l. aud was chained in the guard
house, to which he set fire and escaped.
Theu he enlisted under Macmillan and spent
two years chasing Mexican deserters, most
of wnom be shot on the run.
Tired of the army Ben went to Austin
and ioned = gambling saoon under the
Austin Statesman. Here he often amused
amused himself and frien ds by firing
through the ceiiiug just to see the printers
Chamber out Of the windows" Thai old Of
fec is even now considered the best vanti-
! n ted in Texas. When drunk he would ride
! like mai through the streets. shooting cut
the lights. Next Gay he woull cal aad pay
! his fine.
One bright moonlight night Ca tain Rabb
| came to his house aid asked Ben TO prot CT
! him from five cowlo oys. Ben ran down
| from his house b1reLCa'ed and in his
cowboys. His first shot killei the
leader, his second a horse. and he actually
chased the foG men out of town, swearing,
! taunting and firing at them as they Galloped
away. So this desperate was continually
; fighting the bat les OF his friends. In Kan
| sas his brother Bill was b-sie-ed by the
entire police forcs in q store. Ben clanbered
in to his asss' ance. The marsha, an old
! friend of Ben, apprC aChed to confer with the
| be.ieged, when Bi shot him dead Ben
cursed his brother for causing the death of
his best fri nd. bit nevertheless helped Bill
to escape by a rear exit. Both got away.
but Bill was captured, tried and acquitted
two years later.
Christmas night three years ago Ben
Slapped the face of the proprietor of the same
theatre in which he met his death Wednes-
! day. The latter ran bshind the bar, caught
up double barreled shotgun and fired botn
barrels. One side of Ben's trousers, vest and
Ia l..H L. Il. -
wounds were received and his wife soon
patched the clothes. AS the smoke cleared
away Ben fired three times at the proprietor.
One bullet w nj through his brain, one
through his heart and the third through his
arm. The barkeeper meanwhile got out
him he dropped behind the bar.
The point of his pistol was alone visible
and Ben fred by guess through the. wood
work of the bar The bullet struck the man
in the face, going through his nlustache.
Ben believed that the barkeeper died from
His name was Matthews, and he afterward
was connected with the H It Springs Sentinel.
He then had three bullets in him, one of
| which was received from the mayor of Hot
Springs. He was killed less than two years
ago III an affray at the ArlytOn house, Hot
Springs. Ben was not strong physically. He
said that when Irolicking with his wife and
little boy they could always throw him down
and master him. But he was dead shot,
and could hit maj every time 100 yards
away with his pistol, which was beautiful
silver-mountel one His luck was amazing,
and half the time he did not carry his pistol.
If man wanted to Fl yht he tried to talk
him out of it. If he persisted, Ben let him
fire first Them said he, with smile,
Il fixed him and worked in the plea of self
defense" One night Ben and bis brother
were in gambling saloon in Laredo. A row
started, the lights were put out and every
body went to shooting. Ben and Bill got in
the windows, empti-d their revolvers, sprang
out the window, swan the river and got off
without q scratch.