The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-08-19
JOHN WESLEY HARDIN.
The Career or n Man who Did not Value
Life in 1he Least
philadelphia Times ]

hAiadcifutA
A few years ago, when was in the
cattle business, l started out of the little
town of Cuero, Texas, ON my return 70
San Antonio. Cuero was and is still a
sort of headquarters for the cowboys,
and it has been the scene of some of the
bloodiest encounters ever witnessed. 1t
was there that two factions frequently
met in the wretched dirty streets, and
the minute they caught sight of each
other they always began popping away
with rifle or revolver.
The most desperate villain connected
with this crowd was John Wesley Har-
din, the son preacher, and a fellow
who, to my certain knowledge, has
killed more than dozen men.
There was good deal of drinking and
carousing in the town, and I hurried
through my business, mounted my mus
tang and struck off at an easy gallop for
San Antonia. Only little way out l
drew up at the roadside and went into
one OF those miserable little Texas inns
to get something to eat. l had scarcely
seated myself at the table when a small,
bright-eyed fellow came in, set his gun
behind the door and sat down on the
other side of the table. We nodded IA
miliarly to each other, exchanged few
we being the only two in the room. He
asked me which way L was going, and
when l mentioned "Santone," as it is
always pronounced in Texas, he
said he would accompany me a shors
distance, but would have to turn off be-
fore going far. We paid our bill, noun ted
our mustang and moved off side by side.
As my companion, although uneducated,
was quite intelligent, / kept my horse
down to a walk so as to converse with
him during the short distance we were to
be companions.
"You're from the North, amt you :"
he asked
/ replied that L was, but that had
been in Texas several years.
"What do you think of the country ,"
he asked.
"It has grand possibilities before it, y
i replied, with considerable earnestness /;
sits area is so prodigious that it is capa-
BILE of making dozen good sized States,
and its soil, climate, and natural facili-
ties mark it as the coming empire. But
it has its disadvantages also"
whats them ?" asked my compan-
ION more eagerly than grammatically.
"Well, one thing is, the need of bet
ter government There Is too much
outlawry. Texas averages a murder a
day, and i have heard the authorities
state that there are full thousand muir
derers remaining at large within her
borders to-day"
"That's too bad" said, he apparently
quite struck with my truthful statement.
L concluded had q native Texan with
me and would give him little needed
advice, or, more properly, information.
never saw any place where crime
Is viewed with such leniency, if not
admiration, as in Texas. The greatest
glory of Texan is to boast of being a
bad man, and no one is of much ac-
count who has not killed some one All
this has got to change before Texas can
make any really material progress The
best thing she can do Just now is to
hang her Longleys, her Thompsons and
John Wesley Hardins
"Do you know any of those fellows?7
interrupted the little horseman beside
me. m
'.No, nor do wish to excepting that
/ wouhl like to pull one END of the r,pe
that was to hang them I feel special
hatred of John Wesley Hardin"
"Why so"
'sWell, he's the son of a preacher,
who named him after the great founder
of Methodism, and he is the worst sort
of Desperate He hasn't any redeem
ing features. He is a cowardly murderer,
a man who kills in mere wantonness,
and would give five hundred dollars
this minute for the privilege of strangling
the life out of him. He is a curse to
Texas, and there ought TO be reward
offered to the first man who will shoot
him on sight TheLone Star State mus
be e.purged of such pets before she can
thrive" -
tThat may be so,1 said my companion
quietly, tbut all I've out got to say,
stranger, is that my name is John Wesley
Hardin i'' = 1Ts 4 34ra7.E'. 81.
Never until that minute was / prepared
to believe that n nlan'suhair actually rises
on end wien he is "struck with terror
but when that shorseman. at my side an,
nounced himself as the eterrible desperate
whom had been denouncing distinctly
felt my hat slide up my forehea{i'as my
hair stiffened and literally stood on end
was transfixed with fear. For few
seconds i couldn't stir hand NOR foot
nor could speak aword never haC
dreamed that the horseman was anything
other than o Texan cowboy, rough but
hmpitable--one who had probably killed
his man, but who was not q dangerous
characfer. . = anA49kE r4.tes-ts.
Finally n managed to'turn my eyes s,
~ 10 look 1t Hardin. He was q ittl,