The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-08-30
JOHN WESLEY HAuDrs.
How Detective Duncan worI<ed Up
the Arrest.
Particular. of abe Capture.
The Prisoner Interviewed in all By
sIAte.nan Reporter.
" hat He Says.

n reporter OF the STATESMAN called
on Lieut.. Armstrong at the Avenue
Hotel and obtained from him the par
ticulors Of the arrest of John Wesley
Hardin, the noted desperate. He
stated tina. the credit OF working up
the arrest was entirely due 10 detective
Jack Duncan, formerly of Dallas, who
a few weeks ago went down among
Hardin's relatives and friends in De
Witt county and remained there until
he got all the information necessary.
This done, Armstrong and Duncan
were entrusted by Adjutant General
Steele with the important duty OF at
tempting the arrest of this dangerous
character, who had so often boosted
that he could never be taken alive,
and on the eighteenth day of August
they left Austin for Pensacola Junction,
Alabama, a place sometimes called Whit
ing, where he had lived for some time
past. When they arrived at Whiting
they sscertaIned that Hardin had gone
down to Pensacola, Florida, and they
proceeded to that place on special
train furnished by Mr. W. ID. Chipley,
general manager of the Pensacola Rail.
road, who also accompanied them and
rendered Invaluable assistance in max
ing the arrest. Sheriff W. II. Hatch
inson and his gallant deputy, A. ].
Purdue, of Escambia county, Florida,
ara also entitled to liberal praise for
aid rendered, and Lieut.. Armstrong
speaks highly of them as well as of Mr..
Chipiey, and he proposes to deal fairly
with them in the division of the
REWARDS oFFKRED IN TEXAS
for the arrest Of Hardin. Arriving at
Pensacola, it was soon ascertained that
Hardin had gone aboard of train
which was soon 10 start to Whiting
and that he was In the smoking car.
It was then resolved that he should be
taken alive if possible. and some hasty
planning had to be done. Detective
Duncan, who knew Hardin, took
his position on the opposite side of the
car from the depot building to prevent
his escape; Lieutenant Armstrong and
Mr.. Chipley entered the front of the
car, while the sheriff and his deputy at
the same time entered the rear of the
car. Hardin and a companion named
Mann were sitting together in seat
at the rear end of the car, and the
moment Lieutenant Armstrong, who
held IN his hand large pistol, stepped
upon the front platform, Hardin saw
the pistol, and lie afterwards stated
that he instantly suspected that there
was something up which
'sNEIT OF TEXAS BUSINESS,
and he also said, had he not at that
moment been seized by two men who
entered just behind him he would have
fired on Lieutenant Armstrong; but
fate was at last against him, and now
it was himself that was to be
roughly handled. The moment he was
seized, Mann arose and fired three
fortunately harmless shots, when sew
eral shots were fired at him. Mann
then jumped out of car window and
started to run, but was again
FIRED UPON AND KILLED.
Hardin was, in the meantime. strug-
Cling fearfully against great odds, but
with four men hold of him the contest
cou'd not last long or result seriously.
He did all that brave and desperate
man could do to gain his liberty, and
when pistol was pointed at his head
he said.
SHOOT AND DE DAMNED,
I'd rather die than be arrested" Even
after he bad been stretched out upon
the car floor with a man hold of each
limb he confined to struggle for some
time, but all in vain. After order had
been restored, Hardin insisted that
he was not
JOHN WESLEY HARDIN,
but the next day, however, he admit
ted that he was, and be began to look
at his situation more