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 and served 60 days in the county jail. Texas
Governor Hardin Runnels later pardoned Thompson.
Not long ago a True West subscriber wrote and asked me if any Englishmen ever…
Texas gunfighter Ben Thompson’s family were no strangers to violence. In July 1851, his uncle…
Wyatt Earp had no luck selling his version of the Tombstone events during his lifetime.…
Mark Boardman is the features editor for True West Magazine as well as the editor of The Tombstone Epitaph. He also serves as pastor for Poplar Grove United Methodist Church in Indiana.