The Mena weekly star., 1910-05-12
HARDIN, SMILING,
 MEETS HIS DEATH
ro,dsmued Man Boasts on Gal ows That He Meyer Asked Governor to Spare His Life Denounces His
 Enemies.

E nQunCiuR tho' H~ 6 asa,h bravely and boastlng that .. had nev.r asked Governor D,naghey to spare his life, Hem r. Hardin, aged slayer of J. T. p,,,erson, went 10 his death cn inc pallows here today with ? .m,ie on bis lips. A crowd of all mosr 800 people drove through a downpour of rain to tbc poor farm. where the execution took rlace, and three minutes after the lstal drop they were allowed to enter within the walls of the stockade and see Hardiu's body wrlthing at the ropes end. After a drive of three miles from Wynne, Hardin mounted the scsffold at 1920 o'clock. For n minute lie talked to the Is or 20 with, sses within the stcckade. Theu, smiling calmly, he stood ooietly waiting while biiadfold was placed Scross bis eyes. Four teen minutes after the drop the body was cut down and Drs. w. R and Banner aud l.. H. Lipsey ptonuuucei life extinct. Iisr- din's neck was broken by the fall.
 Refused to See Clergyman.
 The condemned man refused to talk 10 a minister of the Metho- dist church, of which he was a member. Ia his final speech he denounced the man for whose murder he was executed, and 0. N. Killough, an attorney at WynHe, who was connected with the lawsuit which led up to the killing.
 Hardin left his cell in the St. Francis county jail at Forrest City shortly af.cr s o'clock this morning in company with Sheriff Rolfe of Cross county, and was taken to the court house at Wynne, making the ] urney from one town to the other on a tram.
 A crowd of more than 1000 people gathered around the court house soon after his arrival, and at the request of the condemned man he was permitted to address them. His words were striking ly bitter, and he said nothing 10 show that he regretted the crime for which he was soon to die. He spoke freq. .he ce:s:::::: house steps.
 Almost s Years Old.
 ''I am an Eng lishmau by birth and have no relatives that I know of," he said. "If the state had let me live six more days, l would have been 0 years of age. l have been in Memphis and around Cherry Valley, Cross county, for the past three or four years.
 While youth 1 was taught iu a Methodist Sunday school, and always clung to the Metho- dist belief. l was baptized in that church.
 "l killed J. T. Patterson in his law office because he grabbed chair aud vas going to hit me. He was employed as my attorney in some land litigation, and his lee was $l00. The papers were not fixed up right, and Patterson was working with 0. N. Killongb, who was on the other side. l told Patterson so when 1 found it out, and he answered.:
 "'You are liar '
 "We began to fuss, when l killed hlm, and he will not sell out anyone else."
 Carried Pistol Two Years.
 Why were you carrying a pis- tol1" asked someone in the crowd.
 "l had been carrying the pistol two years,' replied Hardin. "But l never thought of killing MT. Patterson.
 II have considerable property, which IS tied up in litigation iu this county and ia Memphis. Mrs. Patterson sued me for damages when 1 killed her husband, and she got $7,50O judgment against me, which is tied up in litig ation.
 Denounces His Victim.
 'l made a mistake in employ Ing my attorney, aud 1 feel that