This is from an Austin American Statesman article in the 1800s. Ben Thompson was a Englishman who came to Texas and found himself in Austin. Did he have a bad attitude? Was he a troublemaker? Was he just good with a gun? Do some people need shooting, in the old days when there was a lawlessness, yes. Many people are on the fence about Ben Thompson, including myself. Was he a good guy? Or just hot tempered?
The author of this article. Is living at the Austin Confederate Home, otherwise known as the Confederate Men’s Home, a place for men who fought in the Confederate war and were somehow disabled and couldn’t support themselves. It was not a state run structure. It was all donations. He is not related to Ben.
This article was titled The Last Man Killed by Ben Thompson and the story by Man Who Saw It Done.
Thompson was chief of police in Austin at the time and shot his last man in San Antonio.
written. By Taylor Thompson. Austin Confederate home.
In a recent issue of the Austin Americans, I read an article telling of. An exploit of Ben Thompson in this city some years ago.
I was well acquainted with Ben Thompson, and I have thought that perhaps an article detailing the affair in which Ben Thompson killed the last man he ever slew might be of interest to your readers.
I do not know how many men Ben killed in his career, but quite a number fell before his steady aim. I remember when he killed Wilson of the firm of Wilson and Wilson proprietors of the Senate Saloon on Congress Avenue, but I do not remember how many other men he killed in Austin gambler, but not a bully. Ben Thompson was a professional gambler, but he was not a bully, and was not brow beating or overbearing in his conduct toward others not go around with the chip on his shoulder trying to raise a row, and if he saw any other bully imposing on some quiet man, Ben was almost sure to take the part of the quiet, inoffensive man and call the hand of the bully.
Thompson was a handsome man, and his bearing and deport were those of a gentleman.
The last man slain by Ben Thompson was Jack Harris, for many years, a noted character in San Antonio, where he had been a professional gambler for many years and at the time of his death was proprietor of a saloon and of the vaudeville theater, a place which bore a very. unsavory reputation. Jack Harris had been a filibuster with Walkers in Nicaragua.
Fought the Mormons
Later, he had been employed as a scout for the United States government and went with the expedition commanded by Albert Sidney Johnson, which marched across the plains to Salt Lake City in 1857 to put down the Mormon uprising. Still later, Jack Harris was a Confederate. Soldier serving, I think in the old Sydney Brigade. Now known as Greens Brigade. There had been blood bad blood between Ben Thompson and Jack Harris for some time, but I never knew the exact origin of the trouble. Some time before the killing, Ben had been in San Antonio.
Saloon and bank
In the upper story of Harris’s saloon, there was a Faro bank presided over by Joe Foster, and Jack Harris was Foster’s partner in the bank, and there were reports current that Ben Thompson and Foster had had some trouble at the Farro Bank 1 night and Ben had taken the train to return to Austin. When Harris came downtown next morning and heard of the trouble, he and got his shotgun and started for the International. Great Northern Depot telling several men that he was going to shoot a hole through Ben Thompson A cow could jump through, but the Austin train had pulled out before Harris reached the depot.
Made another trip
Some time later, Ben Thompson made another trip to San Antonio, and I have always believed he had. Heard of the threats made against him by Jack Harris? At this time, Ben Thompson held. The office of Chief of Police in Austin and had announced his candidacy for sheriff of Travis County. In early life, Ben Thompson was a printer and when I became acquainted with him because I was also a printer and my name was Thompson, he got into the habit of calling me cousin.
When he started on the trip, which resulted in the death of Jack Harris, the late Hal Gosling who was then United States Marshall, and who had a tragic death a little later on was conveying to San Antonio and transporting —- on the same train as Thompson. Gosling met Phil Sheridan, chief of police after he reached San Antonio and told that office. He had. Been warned his force to be on the lookout because Ben Thompson. And come over on the same train, and that he had seen Ben and he had blood in his eye and hell in his neck.
Looked for his man.
On reaching San Antonio, he put up at the Menger Hotel and started to walk uptown. I met him at the bridge on Commerce Street. We had not seen each other for a long time and were busy talking when another friend of his, who was a jeweler, a German and he had lived in Austin, but his name I have forgotten. Joined us and we entered into the conversation. A little later we strolled up Commerce Street and when we reached the Buckhorn Saloon, we went in just a strollin.
A few minutes later we continued our walk up Commerce Street. We stopped again at the old George. HOERNER Saloon, and a little later proceeded to the corner of Main Plaza.
Jack Harris’s saloon was on the north side of the Plaza, opening to the south, and but a few paces from where we stood. Presently then suggested that we ”take something”. Whereupon his German friend suggested we go back to Hoerner ‘s.
Wanted to go in Harris’s
Ben then insisted that we go in Harris’s saloon. Then I began to feel that Ben ‘s. mission in San Antonio was to shoot Jack Harris, and hoping to avert trouble between the two men, I went with him. Upon entering. Ben asked the bartender. ”Where is the man with the shotgun”? The bartender replied he did not know whom he met. And then Ben explained. ”I mean that man that shoots holes through other men that cows can jump through.” The bartender said if he meant Mr Harris, he was not in.
Harris lived on Soledad Street and Billy Sims walked up the street until he met Jack Harris coming down and he told him that Ben was looking for him and asked him if he was armed
Harris not armed.
Jack said he was not, that his shotgun was in the ticket office of the theater and that he would go in the side door and get it. I might want to say here that Jack’s left hand was crippled so that he could not hold a gun, and he was in the —– laying a gun across his. Left wrist when he went to shoot, but he prided. Himself on being a crack shot with a shotgun, especially on the wing.
Ben meant business
We had gotten Ben away from the saloon, and I hoped that he would not go to the back there soon after dark, he insisted on going back down Commerce Street and to do so it was necessary to pass Harris’s saloon, and when we reached there, Ben insisted on going in. There were three double screened doors hanging slight of 10 feet back from the entrance doors, these screens coming down within two or three feet of the floor, and I could plainly see that Harris was standing behind the screen with his shotgun resting on his left arm.
Thompson called Harris out
Ben saw him also and called to him come out here, ”you man, with a shotgun.” Ben and I were standing under the glare of a bright lamp, hanging over the sidewalk and seeing that I could not get Ben away from the door and thinking, of course that Jack would open fire with a shotgun, I released Ben’s left arm, which I had been holding for some time, and had gone perhaps 10 steps to the West when a shot rang out.
Ben fired First
I knew the difference between the reports of a shotgun and a 6 shooter, and I knew that Ben had fired the shot. Looking back, I saw them in the act of firing a second time, and the report followed immediately. Ben said afterwards that he fired the second shot to catch the body of Harris, who fell.
The first shot had passed between the slate of one of the screens knocking a small piece out of the slats and taking effect in the breast of Harris, inflicting the mortal wound The first shot had passed between the slate of 1 of the screens, knocking it off, knocking a small piece out of the slate and taking effect in the breast of Harris, inflicting a mortal wound.
Dead when he fell
Harris never spoke. The second shot from Thompson, a pistol, took effect a little above one of Harris’s knees, and it appeared that his shot had accomplished the purpose for which it was intended and had caught the body as it fell. Thompson entered a hack standing on the Plaza, drove West across the San Pedro and returning in the course of an hour, went upstairs over Horner’s saloon, where he wrote a note to the chief of police telling that officer that if he would order his force to let him alone that night, he would go to the man. Menger and go to bed and give himself up by 9:00 next morning. Then he drove to the Manger and retired to his room and was not molested
Gave up in the morning
Ben gave himself up next morning. Had an examining trial and was remanded to jail without bail awaiting the meeting of the district Court, then resigned his office of Chief of Police of Austin and also withdrew from the race for sheriff of Travis County. When District Court met several parties from Austin went over to attend Thompson’s trial, among them being. Monton Miller, who formally kept a livery stable here.
I asked Mr Miller the morning of the trial what brought him to the Alamo City and he said the party had come over to take Ben home with them. Thompson was acquitted and was escorted to Austin by his friends.
Given an ovation
On arriving here, Ben Thompson received an ovation. It was the character of the man whom he had killed which rendered the acquittal of the slayer on prompt. While Thompson was a better man in every way, then Harris there was no doubt that the killing was premeditated.
