The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-23
BEN THOMPSON.
A Man Had to Drink With HIM, Shake
ERnds or Fight.

- MAN had TO DRINK Win HIM, snake
Hands or Fight.
RicAdrd Edrding Davis IN Harper's Weekly
The NEST nolable EnglishmaS who ever
came to Texas was Ban Thompson. But he
arrived there at so early an age and became
so thoroughly western in his mode OF life
that Texans claim him as their own. I i'm
agine, however, he always retained some of
the traditions of his birthplace, as there is a
story of his standing with his hat off TO talk
to an English nobleman, when Thompson,
at the time, was the most feared
and best-known man in all
Texas. The stories of hjs reckless
ness aud ignorance of fear end utter disre-
his own are innu9erable. A few OF them
are interesting and worth keeping, as they
show the typical bad man of the highest
degree in his different humOrs, and also as
have not dared TO say half as much about
bad men as l should have liked 10 DO.
Thompson killed eighteen men in different
parts of Texas, and was for this made mar
shall of Austin, on the principle that if he
must kill somebody, it was better to give hun
authority TO kill other desperadoes than re-
putable citizens. As marshal it was his
pleasure to pull up his buggy across the rail-
road track Just as the daily express train was
about to start, and covering the engineer
with bis revolver, bid him hold the train
until he was ready to move on. He would
then call some trembling acquaintance from
the crowd on the platform and talk with
him leisurely, until he thought he had sue
oessfully awed the engineer and established
his authority. Then be would pick un his
reins and drive on, saying to the engineer,
You needn't think, sir, any corporation
can hurry me-" The position of the un.
fortunate man to whom be talked must
p ,ocNN v-wvf rsfh ,.Atf
on one side and a revolver on the other.
One day a cowboy, who wasa well-known
bully and a would-be desperate. shot sew
sral buflet-holes through the high hat of an
eastern traveller, who was standing at the
bar of an Austin hotel Thompson heard
Of this, and, purchasing high hat, entered
the barroom.
shat you are shooting plug hats here to-
day; perhars you would like to take a shot
at mine" He then raised his revolver and
shot away the cowboys ear. II meant, he
said, ito hit your ear; did l do itw The
bully showed proof that he had. well,
then" said the marshal. get out of here"
and catching the man by his cartridge belt,
he threw him out into the street, and so put
an end to his reputation as desperate char
acter forever.
Thompson was naturally unpopular with
a certain class in the community. Two bar
keepers who had a personal grudge against
him, with no doubt excellent reason, lay in
ambush for him behind the two bars of the
saloon, which stretched along either wall.
Thompson entered the room from the street
in ignorance of any plot against him until
the two men halted him with shotguns.
They bad him SO surely at their pleasure
that he made no effort to reach his re-
volver, but stood looking from one to the
other and smiling grimly. But his reputa-
ton was 80 great, aid their fear of him 80
actual, that both men missed him although
not twenty feet away, and with shotgups
in their hands. Then Thompson took out
his pistol deliberately and killed them.
A few years ago he BECAME involved in
San Antonio with Jack" Harris, the
keeper of a gambling house and variety
theater Harris lay in wait for Thompson
behind the swinging doors of his saloon.
but Thompson, as he crossed the military
plaza. was warned of Harris hiding place,
and shot him through the door. He was
tried for the murder and acquitted on the
ground of selt-defense, and o. his return to
Austin was met at the station by
brass band aud all the fire COM
panies. Perhaps Inspired by this, he re-
turned 20 San Antonio, and going to Harris
theater then in the hands of his partner,
Joe Foster, called from the gallery for Fos-
| ter to come up and speak to him. Thomp-
SOD had with him a. desperate named King
Fisher, and against him every man of his
class ia San Antonio, for Harris had been
very popular Foster sent his assIs ant, a
very young man named Bill Sims, to ask
Thompson 60 leave the place, as he did not
want trouble.
II have come to have a reconciliation, ="
said Thompson. II want to shake hands
with my.old friend, Joe Foster. Tell him l
won't leave till see him. and won't make
a row."
Sims returned with Foster. and Thomp-
son held out his hand.
Joe :" be said, II have come all the way
from Austin to shake hands With you. Let's
make up, and call it off"
81 can't shake hands with you, Ren,
Foster said. You killed my partner and
you know well enough | am not the sort to
forget it, Now go, won't you9 and don't
make trouble"
Thompson said he would leave In a minute
but they must drink together first. There
was bar in the gallery, which was by this
time packed with men who had learned of
Thompson's presence in the theater, but
Fisher and Thompson stood quite alone be-
side the bar. The marEhal'of Austin looked
up and saw Fosters glass untouched before
him, and said:
Aren't you drinking with me, Joep'
Foster shook his head.
"Well, them" cried Thompson, "the man
who won't drink with me, nor shake hands
with me. fights me-"
He reached back for bis pistol. and some
one-a jury of twelve intelligent citizens
decided it was not young Bill Slms-shot
him three times in the forehead. They say
you could have covered the three bullet holes
with half dollar. But so great YVES the
desperate courage of this ruffian that even
as he fell he fired, holding his revolver at
his hip, and killing Foster, aud then, as he
lay on his back, with every nerve jerking in
agony, he emptied his revolver into the
floor, ripping great gashes in the boards
about him. And so he died, as he would
have elected to die, with his boots on and
with the report of his pistol the last sound
to ring in his ears. King Fisher was killed
at the same moment, and the Cypress
spoke of it the next morning as "a good
nights work."
AN AGEn MAN at NT1JETYHN