The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1903-09-30
Bad Man
r in ISL
HotO Ben TbompSon Was
Done Up In a San
Antonio Obeafer.
Thirty Men Ourned Loose Their
Guns on Him and He Was
RiddIed WITH Bullets
Game 10 the End.

The recent killing of Outlaw Jim Nc
Kinney in Chinese joss house at Bak.
ersticld, Cal. by the town marshal hai
served to recall the nervy deeds of fa
nous frontier marshals.
Mckinney was n desperate of tie
worst type. He was known to he sure
shot and quick with the gun. COnse.
quently after his brutal and mpro
voked murder of Blakey when McKirl
ney turned up at Bakersfield the towa
marshal knew that he was facin.
death rs soon as he got within range Of
McKinncy's gun.
Deeds like this were not uncommon
in the west few years ago. In fact
when a man accepted the marshars
star or service badge he knew pretty
well that he was taking long chances
In game with death, particularly II
he happened to be in a community that
was favored with the presence of many
men of the bad type. Towns like
Dodge City and Hays City, Kan:
tombstone, Ariz., and Leadville. Colo.
were the bright particular gathering
places of the knights of the rcvolve..
and the history of the bad men ana
of the takers of bad men, IS SO min.
gled that one is at loss TO know today
where to find the line that marks tho
desperate from the upholder of the
law. In fact it was common custom In.
the west to select as sheriff n man who
had made a record us a killer.
Ben Thompson was noted shooter
and he and his brother Bill PLAYED
many wild FRANKS with their reyolvers
10 the terror of the popuIace and to
the undoing of many marshals. III
was Ben Thompson who broke nm u
cattlemens banquet at Austin by shoot
ing every plate off the table and break
Ing the neck off of every bottle. white
not Il cattleman dared shoot In return
Inc wholesome fear of THOMPSON
can be realized when 1t is known that
the desperate rode into county court |
room on his mustang, with a six shoot. |
er In either hand, and pleasantly in |
FORMED the judge and Jury that be
would Ike to see any coyote in the
,rowd with nerve enough to take him
Nobody moved, and Thompson rode
rom the room as debonair ms vo,,
please despite the fact that there wera
several unseryed warrants out for him
IN charges of murder.
thompson met dramatic death. He
vas persuaded TO visit the Palace thea
er at San Antonio. Tex. AS he en-.
ered his seat in the front row OF tbe
'alcony volley OF rifle shots rang out
lhirty men In the parquet fired by sig.
ai, ana the desperate WAS riddIad
With bullets. king" Fisher who ras
'itA thompson. was killed outright
no thompson tumbled from the hal
Oh! INTO the pit, MORALLY wounded
'efore the desperate died. howavar
e drew gun and killed two men ono
them being the man who had nra.
allied upon him to come 10 tbe tboaton
ihohpsons brother Bill quickly ,
card The news, rallied his followers
NJ swept down upon the theater
hrricade Of well armed men unda.
,Ver Kept them back with repeating
Mes The COW punchers poured into
'"n 10 ayeDge the death of "Ixin,,,,
lsher The militia was cnIled OUT ana
y slh weeks San Antonio was under q
afilai law Al last the cowbovs 10.
' :, .., lsnglng the deaths OF Thompson
~ King Fisher uDayenged.
~ - was seldom however. that any
'ap man arose who could nof be cor.
l's' W llf Merry marshals of ne ,
-, ana " worst came 20 worst NJ ,
'np p,Hp' bimself could usually nj =
'sps''q % don fbe star on aufhor
pi'p H'f 10 me ipfernsis of fhe law
i'i' case ~ nearly eyery obad MANI
elp hAs been violent 900 has Leen
'NFp' spoui by ireachery.
NpqpF supplies 81 Welhor A. som.
lInaulUI. fW