The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-07-13
GAMBLER WAS
REAL Dad MAN
How an Innocent Tenderfoot Held
Up an Entire Crowd of
Tinhorns.

From the Kansas City Journal:
Bill Thomason, the gambler who
killed jeff D. Mclean, county attorney
of Tarrant county, and Hamil Scott.
deputy sheriff, and who himself re-
ceived mortal wounds in fight with
officers at Fort Worth recently, was
well known throughout the southwest
! as a killer twenty years ago.
He was professional gambler and
had operated In many small towns of
Texas and In New Mexico and Arizona.
Ihere IS one thing that Is said to his
credit by the old-time citizens of this
reg1on-he always ran square game
That fact covered multitude of sins
| In the eyes of the men Of the cattle
| range.
Thomson lost his right arm on a
hunting trip when a young man. He
always said that he took to gambling
because he was untitled for other
kinds of labor. He was a quick and
expert shot with his left hand He
could deal and handle the cards as
we'll with his one hand as the average
! man could with two hands
1t was about eighteen years ago
that he made his first appearance in
San Angelo: He had just been run out
Of Hays City, Kansas, aftef a shoot
! ing affair with bunch Of cowboys.
He opened an establishment that was
patron1zed by many of the well known
cattle men. Those were the DAYS of
prosperity among the sheep and cattle
! men and they played clear up to the
ceiling. Thomson was never faxed by
their plunges. One day he would be
| flat broke and the next he would be
rolling in wealth.
Began Drinking.
Thomason's course in San Angelo
was comparatively smooth as long as
he kept sober, which he did for a
couple Of years. Then he began drink
| Ing. One day he warned Willis john
! son, the sheriff, that he would kill him
| IT he ever attempted to arrest him.
johnson respected this warning.
One day 1homason got drunk and
walked up and down the streets firing
! revolver and daring the sheriff to
| arrest him. Finally Rome Shield.
cattleman, rode into town and hearing
| the shots inquired what the trouble
was about.
| Bill Is on another tear and Is threat
ening to kill any man that attempts
to arrest him. he was told.
This seemed to amuse Shield
rye been out on the range 50 long
tie excitement" he drawled. II guess
I'll go around and take Bill in myself"
| Shield tied his horse in front of the
postoffice, took his pistol out of its
holster and carefully examined the
| cylinder and cartridges and then
showed the weapon back into its place.
Thomason was in the Blue Goose
saloon continuing his lbations and
firing an occasional shot into the
street. Shield walked around a block
! and entered the Blue Goose saloon
! from the back door. Thomson was
| standing at the front door when Shield
entered from the rear
Throw up your hands," yelled
Shield.
! Thomson turned and saw the gun
in Shields hand levelled at his heart.
The gamblers hand went into the air
and his gun dropped to the floor.
I'm going to put you in the GALA
| boose.' and suiting the action to his
words. Shield marched Thomson
down the street and placed him in the
little adobe building which served az
a Jail.
Thomason had sobered up by the
next day and he was 50 Inundated
| over his arrest that he left town with
out telling any one where he was go
ing. He never appeared in San An
gelo after that
There Is hardly town along the Fit.
Worth and Denver and the Colorado
and Southern railroads between Dem
YER and FIT. Worth that Thomson has
not operated gambling establishments
In. He was among the crowd of gam
'lers who followed the construction
gangs when that road was being built
through Texas.
! With a Tenderfoot.
He had an experience with tender
loot about ten years ago in the little
town of Sherwood, Texas, which he
was fond OF relating to his friends. al
though the outcome did not add much
to his fame as fearless man Sher-
wood is located about IS miles
west Of San Angelo and is In the CEN
ter of cattle country. Thomson
drifted down there one spring think
Ing he might do a profitable business
in his line. VI. - So. $3.50 :: -. -, ;,