Gunman Ben Thompson (right) had his photo taken on March 11, 1884—and promptly signed and gave it to his friend, fellow shootist King Fisher (left).
On that day, the pair were on a drunken spree that spread from Austin, TX to San Antonio. But they made a big mistake when they took the party to the Vaudeville Theater, where several of Thompson’s enemies hung out. Thompson and Fisher were riddled with bullets.
The bloody photo of Thompson was found in Fisher’s pocket. It is now in a private collection—signed and stained.
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