Ben Thompson | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Ben-Thompson.gif) Ben Thompson as a City Marshal of Austin Texas. | |
| Born | Ben Thompson November 2, 1843 |
| Died | March 11, 1884 (aged 40) San Antonio, Texas, U.S |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Occupation(s) | Gunfighter, gambler, and lawman |
| Years active | 1868 – 1884 |
| Known for | Lawman and gunfighter of the old West |
Ben Thompson (November 2, 1843 – March 11, 1884) was a gunman, gambler, and sometimes lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of "Buffalo" Bill Cody, Bat Masterson, John Wesley Hardin, and "Wild Bill" Hickok, some of whom considered him a friend, others an enemy. Thompson fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, and later for Emperor Maximilian in Mexico. After he was hired in 1881 as marshal in Austin, Texas, the crime rate reportedly dropped sharply. Thompson was murdered at the age of 40 in San Antonio, Texas, in the "Vaudeville Theater Ambush."