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Texas Billy Thompson

© Mary Trotter Kion

The life of William Thompson, later known as Texas Billy, spanned forty-three violent years from the alleys and by-ways of Knottingley, England, where he was born in 1845, to the streets of Laredo, Texas, where he died in 1888.

Thompson was the son of an alcoholic father who left England to reside in Texas when Billy was very young. In Texas, Billy's father busied himself catching fish which Billy had to sell along the dusty streets to help support his family.

Sometime in his youthful years William Thompson adopted the nickname of "Texas Billy." When the American Civil War began, Billy "joined up" and became a member of the Second Regiment of Texas Mounted Rifles. However, during the war his military duties were often neglected while Billy held poker games with his fellow soldiers.

It was in 1868, while still in the military, that Billy first ran seriously up against the law. During a three-day leave, Billy and some friends decided to see the sites, especially those for viewing in a local brothel. Later that night, two of Billy's friends got into a drunken fight and Billy stepped in to help. Soon he was to realize that he had killed his friend. Now he was on the run from the law that was looking for him.

Texas Billy's flight eventually, in 1872, took him to the wild cattle town of Abilene, Kansas where he tried to keep a low profile, hoping that no one would learn of his past violence in Texas. But Billy's past life collided with the present when one night, in a drunken stupor, he was told that one of his friends was involved in a fight. And once again, Texas Billy went to a friend's rescue.

Grabbing up his shotgun he rushed, as best as his inebriated state would allow, to assist. In Billy's haste to do good he accidentally fired his gun. The results of that misfire was that he nearly shot a couple passing by. For some unknown reason, Billy fired the gun again. This time he hit the sheriff who just happen to be one of his close friends. Now Texas Billy was on the run once more.

Three years passed since killing the sheriff in Abilene and Billy was still a free man. Then, whether he was actually guilty or not, he was arrested by Texas Rangers. They suspected him of cattle rustling. But worse was yet to come. The Rangers discovered just who they had in hand and returned Billy to Kansas to stand trial for murder. At least this time Texas Billy drew a winning hand. He was acquitted for the murder of Abilene's sheriff.

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