St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-28
TWO FAMOUS DEsPERADos.
Exploits of Ben Thompson and King Fish
er-ClearilG a Banqueting Hall tcith Re
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1Da1las Teya, CDAcia1

COtrers-CGpttfrihDa Totcsi.
Dallas Texas Special
If Ben Thompson had not been killed the
other night in San Antonio he probably would
have been finished here. He intended to
come to this city TO attend the convention
of cowmen, and as he was morally certain TO
get into trouble, it is also certain that he
would have had no quarter. Dozens of cat
tie men and others now here came with the
expectation that they would have battle with
Thompson, and the word had gone around
that if he INDUCED in any of his customary
pranks he should be fought to the death. The
determined efforts of several unknown citi-
izens of San Antonio who, standing high
over Thompson's head, filed his body with
bullets, spared the cowmen here the disa-
greeable duty of killing him during conven-
ton week Since his death and that of King
Fisher there has been general disarming
throughout Texas. Hundreds of men who
carried weapons for no other reason than
that they feared they might encounter one or
the other Of these desperados have now put
away their six-shooters, and probably will
have no occasion to carry them.
Thompson was well known to the cowmen
of Texas He always atte nded their conven-
tions, and usually made himself obnoxious.
When the cattle raisers met in Austin, two
years ago, Ben kept the entire crowd on the
verge of battle for three or four days, but no
blood was shed. On the last day of the con-
venticn he drank heavily, and when the del
egates were ndulpng in farewell banquet
l,a irtf Il INT, l,oll l,.-itb
earthly war whoop. fourishing big revolver
in each hand. The attack was so sudden that
the cowmen stampeded, some jumping out
of the windows, others crawling under tables,
and still others dashing nadly into the street.
Very few Of them were armed, and the
well-known desperation of the men threw
them into momentary panic. Five minutes
| later the banqueters were going around with
tears in their eyes, bemoaning their luck,
ana wishing they could have had seconds
warning OF tine terror's approach. When the
banquet hall was cleared Thorn pson stood st
one end with revolver in each hand, and
emptied his weapons, two shots ct time, at
the glasses on the tables breaking about half
of them. After this experience the cowmen
determined to be ready for him, and many of
T. en- came to the meeting this year expect
ing to have trouble WITH him, Tor he sent
word early that he would be here.
Ben Thompson had been a border desper-
ado ever since the war, and his victims num-
bered fully q score. He was well known in
all the cities OF Texas, in many western min
ing camps, and along ali the cattle trails.
His parents are English people, who came to
this country just before the war; when Ben
was a lad of16. He served in Confederate
regiment during the rebellion, and at the
| L ;,,4,
he was a soldier for short time under Max
milian. On the fall of that monarch he re-
turned to Texas and entered on Il career of
crime which has few equals even in this coun-
try. Running gambling games of all kinds,
he made his home with the cattle men. When
the drive occurred he and his brother Billy al
ways went along, and always got into trouble.
In 1868, when Abilene was the shipping
point for Texas cattle, Thompson arrived
there with herd and the same night under
took to run the town" as he called it. Will
liam Hcllok, better known as Wild Bill, was
Marshal of Abilene, and hearing of Thomp-
sons movements, he recruited party and
attacked him. Thompson had several back
ers, and in the running fire that was kept up
for more than an hour, several men on both
sides were killed and wounded.
The next morning Wild Bill organized a
posse and chased Thompson and his friends
into the Indian territory, keeping close on
| their trail and allowing them no time to rest
or sleep. Thompson fnapv escaped, but he
never appeared in Abilene again while Wild
Bill was Marshal.
The next year the drive ended at Els
worth, Kansas, where Ben and his brother
Billy determined to recover some of their
lost prestige. They captured the town i'm
mediately on their arrival, and when the
sheriff demonstrated they shot him dead.
Finding the place too hot for them, they left
the town the next day, closely pursued by
posse, but the brothers, who were magnif-
Gently armed with Winchesters and revol-
vers, kept their pursuers at bay, and escaped
in safety to Texas. Although Billy Thomp-
son was arrested for this murder some time
afterward and taken back to Kansas, he was
never punished for it.
After killing a number of men down on
the border, Thompson appeared in Austin in
1874, and, provoking quarrel with the own
er of theatre there named Wilson, shot him
dead. This was desperate battle dozen
men taking part, and weapons of every de-
scripton, from a shotgun to bowie knife,
being used.
Much of Thompson's deviltry was COM
mitted in a spirit Of fun. Going by the Ray
mond House in Austin one night, he noticed
number of guests on the piazza tanning
themselves.
''Let's have some fun,'' said he to his
companion, and, walking behind one of the
strangers, he fired his revolver twice in rapid
succession into his chair. The man was hit
by one of the bullets, out was not fatally
hurt. In the excitement Thompson escaped.
Once when in partnership with man
named Lorraine in the gambling business at
Austin Thompson, who had drawn more
money from the bank than was due him,
was turned off when he asked for more
Drawing his six-shooter, he put one bullet
through the check rack, smashed the globe of
the hazard dealer with another, and shot off
gas burner.
Hearing that woman named Fannie
Kelly had spoken of him in uncomplimenta-
ry TERMS he visited her at her house and
opened the interview by shooting the KEYS
out of her piano, shatterlng the mirrors, and
snuffing the lamps with pistol balls
Only two weeks before his death he wrote
to- Jim Courtright of Fort Worth, saying:
I have got no place to go, and am com
ing up there to run your town. I under
stand you are running it now.
To this Courtright repied:
am Deputy City Marshal here. can
run the town without your help. You need
not come.
Ben had one or two fights with Courtright,
and knowing his man pretty well, let him
and Fort Worth alone
King Fisher was younger, slighter and
! m ore genteel than Thompson, although the