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Details
AN HISTORIC 19TH CENTURY ROULETTE WHEEL AND TABLE, HAVING ONCE BEEN USED BY BEN THOMPSON, GUNFIGHTER, GAMBLER AND MARSHAL
The large varnished eight-legged wooden table with cloth and painted canvas gaming surfaces, and rosewood mounted roulette wheel (table legs loose, one segment of roulette wheel's outer edge lacking, surface restored), togegther with a City Marshal's hat (similar to one worn by Thompson as Austin City Marshal)
32 inches (81.4 cms.) tall
42 inches (106.8 cms.) wide
130 inches (330.2 cms.) long
Roulette wheel: 32 inches (81.4 cms.) diameter
With letters and newspaper articles attesting to the tables history, and copies of the original estate listing a roulette table.
Ben Thompson (1842-1884), perhaps no more colourful a character of the Old West existed, Thompson was born in Knottingly, Yorkshire, England. His family (his less well known brother Billy was the killer of Ellsworth, Kansas sheriff C.B. Whitney) emigrated to Austin, Texas around 1860. Moving to New Orleans, Thompson started a career in book binding, but soon left this field to join the newly formed Confederate Army. After being wounded he was mustered out, but was soon in trouble. Fleeing Austin, to Mexico he served as a mercenary soldier under Emperor Maximilian I.
Thompson's notoriety as a gun-fighter was second only to that a his fame as gambler. Being elected sheriff of Austin, Texas in 1881, Thompson served with great effect. It was however after killing Jack Harris, proprietor of the Vaudeville Variety Theatre that he gave this position up. Incredibly, the former sheriff Thompson and his friend, famous gun-man John "King" Fisher, attended a show at the Vaudeville Variety Theatre just two weeks after Thompson had killed its owner Jack Harris. The two men were gunned down in a hail of bullets while sitting in a box with friends of Jack Harris. (3)
The large varnished eight-legged wooden table with cloth and painted canvas gaming surfaces, and rosewood mounted roulette wheel (table legs loose, one segment of roulette wheel's outer edge lacking, surface restored), togegther with a City Marshal's hat (similar to one worn by Thompson as Austin City Marshal)
32 inches (81.4 cms.) tall
42 inches (106.8 cms.) wide
130 inches (330.2 cms.) long
Roulette wheel: 32 inches (81.4 cms.) diameter
With letters and newspaper articles attesting to the tables history, and copies of the original estate listing a roulette table.
Ben Thompson (1842-1884), perhaps no more colourful a character of the Old West existed, Thompson was born in Knottingly, Yorkshire, England. His family (his less well known brother Billy was the killer of Ellsworth, Kansas sheriff C.B. Whitney) emigrated to Austin, Texas around 1860. Moving to New Orleans, Thompson started a career in book binding, but soon left this field to join the newly formed Confederate Army. After being wounded he was mustered out, but was soon in trouble. Fleeing Austin, to Mexico he served as a mercenary soldier under Emperor Maximilian I.
Thompson's notoriety as a gun-fighter was second only to that a his fame as gambler. Being elected sheriff of Austin, Texas in 1881, Thompson served with great effect. It was however after killing Jack Harris, proprietor of the Vaudeville Variety Theatre that he gave this position up. Incredibly, the former sheriff Thompson and his friend, famous gun-man John "King" Fisher, attended a show at the Vaudeville Variety Theatre just two weeks after Thompson had killed its owner Jack Harris. The two men were gunned down in a hail of bullets while sitting in a box with friends of Jack Harris. (3)
Provenance
Ben Thompson
Ben Marshall
Laura Marshal Bunton
Jim Davis
Ben Marshall
Laura Marshal Bunton
Jim Davis
Literature
Conger, Roger N., Texas Collector: Gaines de Graffenried, Texian Press, Waco, 1987, page 83-84.