TX BIOS:  Ben Thompson, Austin TX

   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   0001
   
   Ruby Maloney Austin, Texas
   
   JUL -1 1938 #9 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF BEN THOMPSON
   
   Ben Thompson was born in [1845?], of English parents. The name of
   Thompson has spread to the extreme borders of this country, over its
   mountains and valleys, through the mines of Mexico, the mines of
   California, the mineral fields of Colorado and the far interior and
   even beyond the oceans, for he had kindred in Old England on one side
   of us, and far Australia on the other.
   
   A brave, fearless man, retiring and charitable as a woman when not
   aroused by the perpetration of wrong or injustice on him self, or
   others unable to cope with assailants, he was dangerous, deadly and
   quick as a bolt of lightning when the supreme moment of recessity,
   safety and action came. His appearance was attractive when his
   indignation was not on fire. The subject of this sketch was, at his
   untimely "taking off," forty-one years old, five feet and nine inches
   high, rather swarthy complexion, stoutly built, weighing about 170
   pounds, black hair and blue eyes, quick in all his motions, of
   indomitable energy, and modest and retiring in demeanor. He spoke
   gently, and was a handsome, generous man; the friend of the weak and
   oppressed, fearless as a lion, and although it has been his fate or
   misfortune to repeatedly take human life, it has ever been done in
   self-defense, or at least under circumstances that enabled juries to
   aquit him. Many heroic deeds had he accomplished which he deserved
   credit for. [?]
   
     NOTE: C. 12 - 2/11/41 Tex.
     
   00022was no part of Ben Thompson's nature. Generous to a fault, he
   bore no ill will to anyone. It was natural for him to forgive a wrong,
   and instances are known where, under the most aggravating
   circumstances, he freely forgave the injurer, and afterward, by
   generosity, made the wrong-doer a friend. A Printer Boy
   
   Ben Thompson at the age of fourteen commenced to learn the printing
   business, and during the time he followed it, acquired sufficent
   proficiency in it to be a good workman and receive fair wages. But the
   course of effents in Texas and Mexico at the time Ben was working at
   his trade were of too exciting a nature for a man of this temperament
   to follow so peaceful an occupation. A year or two before the war
   between the states Ben was in New Orleans, where he had gone to work
   with a book binder who had formerly carried on business in Austin. He
   Stick La Tour
   
   His first difficulty was in New Orleans with a Frenchman named La
   Tour, who attempted to kiss a girl in an omnibus in which he was
   riding. The Frenchman had been to a ball, was full of wine, and when
   Ben interfered to protect the girl who screamed for assistance, called
   him an American puppy and stuck him. Quicker than thought Ben pulled
   out a dirk knife and stabbed the Frenchman in the shoulder, and would
   have killed him had not the friends of 00033the Frenchman stopped the
   fight. He returned to Texas about the time that Gen. Cortina, with a
   considerable army was operating on the Rio Grande by the Texas State
   Authorities, Ben repaired thither and joined him, and here was the
   initial move in Ben Thompson's career that shaped the course of his
   life for years and turned him fr from the quite walks of every day
   existence to be an actor or principal in scenes and incidents that,
   were they transcribed to paper, would read more like the Arabian
   Knight's entertainments than the actual occurences of life - love of
   adventure, positions of danger, a life of excitement that fed on
   excitement. He Shoots a Sergeant
   
   When the Cortena war ended the war between the north and South had
   just begun. Ben at an early day enlisted in the regiment of Col. John
   [?]. Baylor and proceeded enroute with his comrades to New Mexico.
   
   When at Fort Clark temporarily, Ben for some unknown reason, was
   generally late when rations were issued, and on one occasion he was
   compelled to appropriate some necessary articles, one article in
   particular being a candle, by which he could make "lay-outs" for the
   boys at monte.
   
   When the boys discovered that Ben perpetrated the act, he endeavored
   to reprimand him in harsh terms, calling him a liar and thief. As he
   said this he approached Ben menacuigly, who said, "Sergeant Vance,
   don't come any nearer; if you do you will repent it!" Vance continued
   to approach, and as he did so he began to draw his six shooter; but he
   was too slow; Ben drew his pistol and fired 00044simultaneously with
   the Sergeant. His ball went through the body of Vance, and through
   both legs of a soldier who was standing in range. Ben was not touched
   for a wonder, as his antogonist was only a few feet from him. Lieut.
   Hughes was standing near, and instead of arresting him or ordering him
   arrested, made at him with the evident intent of cutting him down. Ben
   fenced with his pistol as well as he could, at the same time demanding
   of the officer to cease his assault. He Kills an Officer
   
   Ben saw the officer was bent on killing him, and, quick as thought,
   fired, striking the officer in the neck. He finally surrendered to the
   Captain, remarking: "Captain, I surrender to you, and would have
   yielded to them had they sought to arrest me instead of kill me. I am
   but a private, still my life is dearer to me than either of them,
   judging by the way they threw theirs away." Ben was made a prisoner.
   At first it was thought both the wounded officers were [?]. The first
   slowly recovered; the later died in six weeks. Thus again Ben was in
   trouble. He was subjected to the greatest cruelty chained to a prison
   floor for more than a month on the flat of his back, until the hard
   boards were even his flesh away. A Friend to the Rescue
   
   With some matches furnished him by a [comanche?] he fired the prison
   and came near "going up" before he was rescued. 00055Saved by Smallpox
   
   The smallpox, or what was thought to be that dreaded disease, breaking
   out among the troops, nurses could not be obtained, and Ben
   volunteered to attend upon the sick and his services were gladly
   accepted and he was released for the purpose. The disease proved to be
   chicken pox, and Ben made good use of his opportunity and [Escaped?]
   
   Ventured 200 miles to another camp and remained there until his time
   of enlistment expired, being twelve months. He then returned to Fort
   Clark. He was never tried for the killing of Lieut. Hughes. His time
   expired and/ a court martial had no jurisdiction.
   
   The next serious affray was with John Coombs.
   
   whom he killed in Austin. It was in a general street fight, and the
   difficulty originated about the captaincy of a military company. Capt.
   [?] was in the fight, which took place near [?] livery stable. Another
   man was seriously wounded at the same time. He was admitted to boil in
   the case by Justice McLaughlin, stood trial and the jury acquitted
   him. At the close of war Ben's regiment was disbanded at Waco, and he
   returned home where he remained, attending to his own business and
   molesting no one, until the arrival of the first Louisiana Calvary,
   commanded by Col. Badger. On the day after the arrival of this
   regiment in Austin (the latter part of Mayor the first of April, 1845)
   an order was issued by Col. Badger for the arrest of Thompson. No
   crime or offense of any kind was 00066mentioned in the order. He was
   arrested and placed in the Travis County jail. We were then under
   military rule and officers of the United States army did pretty much
   as they pleased with citizens. After exhausting every fair means that
   his friends and himself were capable of, Ben made his escape through
   the counivance with two sergeants of the guard, and accompanied by
   these two friends and five enlisted federal soldiers the whole party
   succeeded in making their escape to Mexico. Maximilian
   
   was struggling in Mexico to sustain himself in the false position in
   which the diplomacy of Napoleon had placed him.
   
   The down fall of the Southern confederacy had opened the door to
   recruit soldiers of fortune who believed them selves with home or
   country, and Ben and his comrades linked their fate [and?] fortunes
   with this [?] unfortunate emperor and his equally unfortunate cause,
   and remained in his army as a Captain until Maximilian's capture an
   execution. While in the Mexican army he had a Difficulty with a
   Mexican Officer, which was [one?] of the most desperate affrays in
   which he was over engaged, as it was hand-to-hand, and his autogonist
   got in a knife thrust before Ben could use his pistol, which he did
   most effectually, putting four loads into the Mexican. It had its
   origin in the officer maltreating some of Ben's men while they were in
   the guard house. Kills a Lieutenant
   
   The third encounter in which Ben was engaged was at Laredo, with a
   Mexican lieutenant named Martino Gonzales. He had won money 00077and
   pistols of some Mexican soldiers at Monte, and the lieutenant and Ben
   had hot words about it, which resulted in a fight with pistols, in
   which the lieutenant received a ball through the breast that proved
   fatal. Probably one of the most noted eposodes in the history of Ben
   Thompson occurred after his return from Leadville, and came near
   resulting in a Pitched Battle between the forces employed by the rival
   roads. The war between the Atchinson Topeka and Santa Fe and Denver
   and Rio Grande railroads was then at daggers' point. The managements
   of both were determined to carry their respective points, even if
   blood shed was the result. Forces were marshaled and preparations made
   for the seizure and holding of the property in dispute. The character
   of Ben Thompson being well known, he was approached to enlist his
   services in behalf of the first named company. He was not disposed to
   interfere in the matter. While ready to take up arms against the
   public enemy or in private quarrel, when conscious of being in the
   right, he hesitated to take part between corporations, when the right
   on the one side or the other was susceptible of easy [solution?] by
   having resource to the courts of the country; but he was over
   pursuaded by several of the prominent men interested. [?] agreed, for
   the sum of five thousand dollars, to take the action desired, viz; to
   hold a certain round house until, overpowered by superior force, or
   until the officers of the law, should the law be appealed to, show
   force enough in his front to probably make a serious fight. Thompson
   made the pledge, "I will die unless the law relieves me." 00088All
   efforts to dislodge him failed. Officers finally came, Ben walked out
   and surrendered the round house to the sheriff. He then demanded of
   the train dispatches a special train to take him and his men out of
   the state. It was at first refused, but when Ben proclaimed that he
   would kill every officer of the company if it was not furnished, the
   train was forth coming, and putting his men on the train, and
   ascertaining that there was a clear track, he ordered the conductor to
   "turn her loose", and landed safely in Dodge City, Kan. before
   morning. Mark Wilson
   
   The difficulty between Thompson and Mark Wilson, which resulted in the
   death of Wilson and serious wounding of Charley Matthews is too fresh
   in the minds of our readers to call for rehearsal. Jack Harris
   
   The same reasons exist with regard to the difficulty between him and
   Jack Harris, in this same [?] Theater at San Antonio, where Ben
   Thompson, Tuesday night, met his death. The incidents of the homicide
   and the subsequent trial and acquittal of Thompson are still fresh in
   the minds of people of both Austin and San Antonio. But these two
   tragedies are both out growth of the same cause, it is deemed best to
   recapitulate the two homicides and their causes. Thompson, while in
   San Antonio went into a gambling house owned by Jack Harris, Joe
   Foster, Billy Simms, and probably some others. Ben had lost heavily,
   and had pledged his jewelry to the gambling house. The jewelry
   consisted of some very valuable diamonds. Subsequently Thompson was
   told that a job had been fixed upon him 00099and that he had been
   robbed, without any chance of winning and being in the mood that
   losers generally get into under such circumstances, he went to the
   gambling house and took his diamonds again into his possession at the
   point of his pistol, using language that was pretty forcible, in fact
   cursed the whole house, and denounced them as theives. Jack Harris,
   one of the firm, was a man of violent temper, and Thompson's action
   irritated him to such an extent that he was ready at any time for a
   difficulty with Thompson.
   
   Thus matters stood when Ben went to San Antonio, and he and Jack
   Harris met face to face, Ben on the sidewalk in front and Harris
   inside the vaudeville theater, with a shot gun in his hands. Harris
   was killed in the act of getting his gun in position to shoot
   Thompson. The main witnesses for the prosecution in the
   Harris-Thompson case were Billy Simms and Joe Foster, and what money
   was needed in the prosecution was said to have been furnished them.
   The trial was long and bitter, and intensified the feeling on both
   sides. Consequently the parties to the tragedy of Tuesday night in San
   Antonio had every reason to believe that fresh trouble would arise
   should circumstances present the opportunity. The delvish opportunity
   was presented, and our readers are already aware of the result.
   
   In the early life, death and incidents in the history of Ben Thompson
   are presented some of the strangest [?] of which human nature is
   capable. Blended with afforent recklessness was a compact and will
   managed mind; the principal actor in scenes where 001010lawlessness
   was a leading feature, when placed in position as an officer of law
   and preserver of order, no one could be more strict, forseeing and
   successful. A terror himself to the officers of the law in Austin,
   when, in the position of city marshal, he was likewise a terror to
   evil doers, and made one of the best officers the city ever had.
   Wilful, passonate at times, when excited he was yet patient, mild and
   just..
   
   While living Ben Thompson entertained a holy horror of reportorial
   inaccuracy, and was more apt to become offended with a Bohemian for
   failing to state the most damaging facts, than for magnifing his
   exploits. The truth he could stand what ever that was, but a lie he
   hated and could not tolerate the slightest misrepresentation as to his
   forays and war-plays. If the poor fellow could read the world's
   newspapers this morning his brave sould would probably shrink from the
   hereuteen task of punishing his slanderers. Much that has been printed
   about the dead man is doubtless very highly colored, but there is an
   average vein of truth running through it all that photographs one of
   the most remarkable men of the times and upon whose like a generation
   may not look again. He possessed many good traits of character - if
   bad ones, let them sleep in the bloody grave where rest the immortal
   remains.
   
   The Daily Capitol, March 13, 1884.

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