Wakefield Council. In Copyright
Rich interior, sharp dressed man, top hat and walking cane: this could be the portrait of a wealthy industrial or an esteemed politician. Nothing about this image reveals the wild story that is the life of Ben Thompson. Thompson was born in Knottingley (UK) in 1843 and emigrated to Austin, Texas at the age of 8. As a teenager, he initially worked as a printer’s assistant but soon started earning a living as a gambler. Next, he became a soldier in the Confederate States Army and in the forces of Emperor Maximilian. At 25, Thompson was imprisoned after having attacked a man who was harassing his wife. In 1871, he opened a saloon in Abilene, but left for Kansas after a fight with the town marshal. The murder of the Kansas sheriff by his brother got Thompson arrested, allegedly by Wyatt Earp. After having survived more shootouts and arrests, Thompson changed sides and became a man of the law. He was appointed as a marshal in Austin and got the crime rate to drop significantly. Thompson was killed at 40 in the San Antonio “Vaudeville Theater Ambush.”
