John Wesley Hardin

John Wesley Hardin. . , John Wesley Hardin was not an outlaw; he was, however, a killer. It began with the accidental killing of an ex-slave during the time of one of the most corrupt administrations to ever occupy the governor's office, Hardin was 15 years old when the Rangers came after him, and he killed them too. By April of 1874 when Hardin, Jim Taylor, and cousins pushed a herd of longhorns into the town of Hamilton, he had been the State Police's most wanted man for years , With the cattle drive that would push the herd north over a month away, Hardin and the others decided to spend the time in Comanche, where they could visit family. Comanche was known for good horse racing, and with race day planned for Hardin's 21st birthday, Comanche was the perfect place to celebrate. By nightfall of May 26, 1874, the boys had won over $3,000 as well as most of the horses and the wagons in the county., Taking their winnings to town, the celebrating began in the Carnes-Wilson Saloon, on the west end of the north side of the square. Soon, the entourage moved up the street, heading east, where the Jack Wright Saloon was located, no one realizing that Brown County Deputy Charles Webb had come to town for the purpose of killing Hardin. , As Hardin entered the east door of the saloon, Webb pulled a gun, intending to shoot Hardin in the back. Cousin Bud Dixson screamed out a warning, and Hardin whirled in time to shoot Webb, taking a bullet himself. Fleeing first to Round Mountain in Comanche County and later to Florida, it was 3 years before Hardin was arrested and brought back to Comanche for trial. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and pardoned for the crime 15 years later. In prison, Hardin studied law, setting up a practice after he was pardoned. In 1895, Hardin looked into a mirror inside the Acme Saloon in El Paso Texas, in time to see John Selman shoot him in the head. Ironically, Selman had once himself been a prisoner in the Comanche County Jail.