Gunfighter Ben Thompson got his start at a relatively young age. He was 14 when—at
least according to some accounts—was bullied by another youngster, James Smith—in
Austin, TX. Thompson got a shotgun and emptied a load of birdshot into his opponent’s
back.
His attorney argued that the it was a clear case of self-defense, but a jury didn’t buy it.
Ben was convicted of aggravated assault an

True West March/April 2025
In This Issue:
Western Books & Movies
More In This Issue
- Truth Be Known
- What Has Taught Me: Deb Goodrich
- Earp, Cowboy Songs & Prairie Hygiene
- Trails of the Old West
- The Frontier Characters of South Dakota
- The Bowie Knife
- The Kindled Flame 1835
- King of the Scatterguns
- Selling the Mythic West and the Real West
- A Gut Punch Turns into a Miracle Reprieve
- The Beginnings of the Bird Cage
- Frontier Colossus