The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-28
ONE OF TnETEXAS "BADMEND
EPIsODRS Nv IHE CAREER OF JoHN
WESLEY HARDIN, 7HE DEsPERIDO


tie-ss-CIsver Capture by Detective.
John Wesley Hardin. who walked out OF the
Austin penitentlarya few days ago after having
served twenty. Ave years sentence for muir
der. was one Of the most noted despersdoes
ever produced in Texas. famous for It's achieve
msnts In that peculiar line. Like Ben and Bill
Thompson. William II. Longley. Kingnshsr.
and several others he was one OF the specimen
fruits Of the stormy recon instruction days in
Texas. when there was little law except that
Of the pistol and Winchester
Hardin 10 a short. stocky man. OF great ac-
tivlty and strength. daredevil rider. and OF
liRhtning-like auickness with rife or pistol
His face is broad. and. with his small pig-liks
eyes which have a rattlesnaks's glitter. he
suggests a halfL breed rather than the full
bloodsd American which no 10. Hardin's par
snts were good simple folk. his father being
preacher. OF the frontier sort who mingled the
occupation OF rnnchmnn with that OF his sacred
calling. because his pay was never sufficient
TO support his family His intention was to
make preacher OF his son. and the name
: John Wesley was given in memory Of the great
founder OF Msthodism. But the youth
was wild before he was out OF his
teens II Is told and believed OF Hardin
that he was once awakened In a lodging house
by the snoring Of n man the other side OF
chin wooden partition. Having nxed the pre-
else point where the sleeper lay Hardin fred
through the partition. killed him. and then
turned over and slumbered peacefully for the
rest Of the night.
IL may be doubted whether Hardin himself
can recall all tho shooting scrapes in which
he has been engaged. He and Ben Thompson
did not count ringers" and white men who
recovered; 1t was those who passed In their
checks that were deemed trophies Of their
hardness with the gun. When the writer OF
these lines had a talk with Hardin. some ten
years ago. the desperate was suffering from n
severe pistol wound, which had injured his
kidneys. and which he admitted he believed
would finish him. but no sesms to have re-
covered. and donbtless 10 as strong. quick.
and active as over.
the Guadalupe" said u wellknown cattle
dealer OF Austin, and started to ride back
and on the outsIirts u the town 1 drew rein.
dismounted, and went inside Of place kept
s. HS sss Th'f' n %1 Stsa
'ths corner by tho door and was the only per-
n' ts ss nsS sssy Ssfpa S
gun. alongside OF mine. nodded PLEASANTLY to
~. TIN INTO sSsir 9ppasse
Tor come distanss; lie was talkatiye and We
business. in which found lie was M expert.
was young man and worry free In express
by the way, said my companion. after we
had ridden q short distance, have you ever
como across John Wesley Hardin in these
Il ID. a curious fac. that no ono ever refers
90 that famous desperate without mentioning
No. 1 replied: but I would like to meet
him. J would ike to put bullet through the
a. he that gives Texas its bad name. They
keep away the people ,h that we want M, to come
injury than it will recover from in dozen
But Hardin may have good Cause for the
Nothing OF the kind / Interrupted. with |
coward sneak, and not ut to live, 1 wouldn't |
ASK greater pleasure than to pull the rope |
MI companion looked across at me with q |
queer smile and said quietly:
Young man. my name Is John Wesley
have heard OF a mans hair standing up
NTH terror rot at laugh is, As much Is you
would have fallen OF had not each particular |
nave f Sssn "a several shooting ssras: but
was never so com plstely Crushed, sapslshed.
Eaitled. and trsmbled all over. for was sure
that would wind VI, my career then and there.
few rods ahead we reached fork In the
right and / clutched at the straw
MIMI. Hardin i stammered. 'I-that Is
ssG mani ssS Is tSrninr those .
as En %s rS sis when
your feelings too fully till you know who he in.
feel rather good na,ured this morning. You
wheeled my pony to the left. dug my
spurs into his rios ana threw myself forward
the crack OF liardin's Winchester and to re-
esiys the ball In my back. but when 1 ventured
lsisurely away without giving me any iurthsr
thought or attention. l never saw Hardin
guard OF a dozen men"
a few months before HardIn's capture and
% ySu Mb man WAS wTSns the
was engaged ia marriage. Tho couple met
noted .nlly who was out on a periodical tear.
Ataly turned and shot the young man dead. A
more wanton muTderwas never com mitted, for
saw each other before Nothing was done
with the assassin. who was not even arrested.
when n" learned o. the occmrrsnce. that he
started out with shotgun swearing thar he
10 was hunting through the various saloons
or him. ne met Hardin. who inquired his
business The Young man. almost beside him
You cnn,t WORK t." ,aid Hardin with
he drop on you uuickern than lightning."
dent care: he murdered my only brother.
that YOU S' get eta saaars deal" ~ along 70 SEQ
AZ this moment the young man caught sight
ow street. He took deliberate aim and pulled
no trigger. but the gun missed fire, The des-
)eTado either heard the click Of the lock or |
ome one warned him, for hs whlrled around
Ike fash anu had the drop on the young |
nan before he knew his danger.
80 you're looking for me. are you p he
.s IS With grin; wal III give you Just two
And ne held his pistol on q dead level. while
hs trembling youth could do nothing but |
tsnd Ia his trscEs, helplessly awaiting his
Igure few PAGES behind the youth calmly
Watching the proceedings. Before tho two |
ninutss expired Hardin fired and tho other
esPerado rolled over with bullet through
lis brain. |
Among tho many deaths inflicted by Hair
I'M pistol or Winchester. this Ia probably the
'nly one for which al tmp partial Jury would
equit MIN. He would never admit that lie
red a fatal shot Whsn the writer quss-
toned him about this incident Ito listened as
hOugh II was entirely now 10 him, and being
nAlly asked II he really dropped the bully
rom across the street. he grinnsd and an
wered, Fl" Well they say | did"
HArdln's crimes finally became so notorious
nd tho rewards Tor his capture so large that I
e disappeared from his usual haunts. Fhe
g.aalN L.. l..