The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-20
JUDGMENT.

ten the same bloody route 10 inc
Cat Beyond upon which he has sent
: my another trembling traveller. 1t
ishe same all the world over, and it
gndly establishes the truth of the
sred scripture which reads, "whoso
A slddeth mans blood by man shall his
bod be She'd 1t is not our purpose
u teit in judgment upon this remark
ale man. We cannot praise, and we
o. WI not blame. We leave him with
tn Merciful Father who takes ac-
; cent of the actions of men. But we
Z Wuld draw a lesson from the life
al wild career of this most remark
n ae man and his tragic and bloody
oath. in a den of darkness fittingly
grounded, at dead Of night, with
Rd women and desperate men as
e only witnesses of his exit from
S nth; and only that some incipient
esperadoeism in this community and
ONE weak initial w be induced
% turn away from sb' evil paths
and escape fate sue - u l'5.
! This frontier has been prolific in
the production of men of Ben Thomp-
sons stamp. Brave, generous and
with many traits endearing them to
people not always careful as to asso-
citation, amid the exciting and wild
life of the borders, both Indian and
Mexican, the almost entire absence of
the wholesome restraints of law, they
grew to manhood. Deft with the pis-
tol, with iron nerve, and revealing in
the reputation of being the leading
desperadoes, scene after scene of
blood was enacted with startling
rapidity; but in and among them all,
toss beyond any, stood Ben Thomp-
sons work, as finished and perfect as
bloody fiend could have wished. Like
many of his compeers, he was not all
bad. There were many fine traits
about him. He was open and gen.
erous to all of his friends, sharing
with them literally of tolls, dangers,
and the money he had accumulated. 1t
is also said that Ben never gave his
man the death shot in the back. He
was an open and brave foe and sought
the front of man he had fued with.
His wonderful experiences with all
sorts of fire arms made him very dead
ly, but these moods were always the
result of drunkenness, sober, he was
anything but quarrelsome. Indeed he
was in many respects genteel in man.
ner and bearing.
What career, and what a sad fail
ure. Had this mans mind taken other
bent he might have stood well to the
front in public estimation, and had
bitter, but grateful tears shed over
his early demise. But amid bad
men and unclean women; amid
the sounds and surroundings of a
frontier vaudeville he goes to his
last home, leaving behind him trail
of blood which stamps his earthly ca
reer worse by far than failure. Can !
it be possible that there are young
men now growing up who are ambi-
tious to initiate the career of this man ?
Who would die as he has done, who
would be execrated as he has been,
who would live as he has lived, only
for reputation of bloody exactitude in
the handling of weapons, and for dis
tinction and honor among the crimi-
nal classes? His whole life and it's
bloody close is loud sermon against
his courses loud plea for law and
for cleanliness and virture as rules
of life. Redeeming traits are lost in
the awful sum of crime, in the CUR
Cling blood and the deep groans of his
victims. Two more desperate men
than Ben Thompson and King Fisher
never lived on earth. How fitting it
is at they should have been warm
bosom friends, and that they should
die together side by side in San
Antonio dance hall or variety show
Had their bloody regulations not been
so bloody; had there been less fear of
them, they had not died thus. But
when one causes others to fear him he
is in danger. A less desperate brace
of men would not have induced the
preparation which rendered the job
performed by the variety peo-
pie, so perfect. Doubtless as soon
as Ben and his party entered
the theatre, perhaps as soon as they
stepped from the train, the vaudeville
people, knowing well their habits, as
well as the danger which menaced
them, began to prepare, resolved that
yet one other struggle for mastery
should be made, ere the terror of the
border should have it all his own way.
The result is death to two of them.
This killing will bring sorrow to
many breast, but the officers of the
peace and the peaceful citizenship of
the land which hates blood and dis
order will feel rather sense Of relief.
Quiet people in this city who have for
years dreaded the evil genius of Ben
Thompson, while plying the man,
will weep not that he is at last de-
prived of the power to kill, and to ter
rorize Austin, as he has done for many
years.