The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-16
HANDY WITH HIS GUN.
General Smiths RccOllecftOns of Ben.
Thompson, the Texas Desperate.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.j

lrIoHu IL CllClnnat1 EnQuiTcT.l
"Well, now, you had better believe 1
have seen some lively times in Texas"
was the remark of Gen. Henry Smith to
an Ehquircr reporter recently. The
General went to Texas when but a lad,
and has accumulated a mint of money
in the cattle business. "Ycs, sir; some
mighty lively times" he continued.
"Why, l knew the time about Austin
and San Antonio when it seemed sorter
lonesome like if you did not hear sew
cral times n day the crack of one of
these here things referring to n large
Colt revolver that he pulled from an
inner pocket of his great coat). You
see ] have n We all carry them out
our way: got to do it. you know. Now
there was Ben. Thompson. OF course
you have heard of Ben. Had the repu-
t~ation, you know, of having made
twenty-five or twcnty-siN different men
bite the dust, all IN a legitimate way,
howeyer-got the drop on 'em, and they
breathcd after the ball left his
gun. He was killed about three years
ago during a fight in a theatre at San
Antonio, but several men went with
him before he gave up"
"Thompson was a great shot, wasn't
he 2"
"Umph! a great shot ? The greatest
I ever saw. lie was n dandy little fell
low, as strong as a lion, and as quick rs
a flash of lightning. Why, it would
make the heart Of the average man sick
to see how readily he could get out his
gun and let it GO. Pshaw! he'd pull
his gun and fire while any of these
other people would be thinking of get
ting theirs out. And, say, ont of them
are slow at pulling a gun and shoot
ing!"
did you ever witness any of his
battles 2" asked the reporter.
"Several. I remember one time
three fellows came down to San An
tonic from Ell Paso. They were MS
tough as they make them, and had not
been in town three hours until one of
them had killed Il good man. They had
heard Of Ben, and wanted to find him.
Ben also heard ofthcm, and thought he
would have a little fun ut their eX-
pcnsc. What do you think Ben did 2
Why, he just went home, dressed him
self up for all the world just like II dude,
with yellow kid gloves and carried n
natty gold-hcaded cane, and sportcd Il
dude glass in nj eye. Then he went to
one of the great public resorts and
waited for his men. He did not have
to linger very long. Just as he was lean
ing over the bar, slipping a clarct punch,
in the mirror In front of HIM he saw the
three men entering the saloon. He af-
fcctcd the air of a dude more than ever.
and in a moment they were onto HIM.
One of them gave him Il tremendous
whack on the back, and another, pull
ing his revolver, ordered Thompson to
dance. Quick rs a flash Thompson
turned about with a gun in each hand,
and in a jiffy the three men were lying
upon the floor stone dead"
"Was he arrested 2"
ooh, no. They couldn't spare the
time to arrest that man. Later that
evening he strollcd into another saloon.
AS he entered the saloon he saw an old
enemy in front of him. He saw the
man going for his gun, and at the same
instant in the mirror saw another enemy
behind him who was also going for his
gun. He killed both of those fellows
and was uninjured himself. These are
just a few samples, you know"