John Wesley Hardin

VictorianKitty · #1 ● 08-01-2011, 08:58 PM

The Death of Hardin

Hardin got into an argument with a local lawman by the name of John Selman who had arrested Hardin's girlfriend about illegally carrying a pistol. Hardin, in his quiet and deadly way apparently threatened to kill him. Selman's father knew Hardin's reputation as a fast and lethal gunfighter having killed over 40 men, especially those who wore a badge. So John Selman Senior who feared for his sons life, decided to take the law into his own hands and permanently stop Hardin from carrying out his threat.

So it was on August 19th 1895 at around 11 p.m that Hardin was in the Acme Saloon, in El Passo, Texas, rolling dice on the bar just by the front door with another gambler, a Mr. Henry S. Brown the local grocer.

John Selman Senior walked in and ordered a drink and sat down at a table with it, Hardin glanced at him but kept on rolling dice. Selman finished his drink and walked out, it is now believed that he was weighing up the scene.

Several minutes later Selman walked back in and strode four paces to within a few feet of Hardin who had his back to him, he then shot John Wesley Hardin " The fastest gun in the west " dead. He shot Hardin a total four times at close range hitting him in the head, arm, chest and hand.

42 year old John Wesley Hardin dropped down, he was dead before hitting the floor. His last words to Henry Brown were "...You have four sixes to beat "

Below is a photo of the dead Hardin taken at the mortuary in Concordia, Texas. The bullet wound can be seen just below his right nipple, also the top of his right arm shows a wound and also by the left eye.

Hardin was apparently shot in the back of the head, the bullet entering 3¼ inches behind the right ear with the bullet exiting out of the corner of his left eye. As he lay dead on the floor he was then shot in chest by the right nipple area, shot in the right arm and also a shot took the tip off Hardin's little finger of the right hand, sloppy shooting to say the least !

Selman actually claimed that Hardin turned from the bar and reached for a gun, but Selman shot him in the face before he could fire it, which would explain the neat entry hole in Hardin's eye. Bullet exit wounds are generally bigger than an entry wound which is normally the same size as the bullet, specially a .45 caliber which is what Selman used. But all the witnesses claimed the first shot hit Hardin in the back of the head, so that's what we will have to believe.

Either way, Hardin fell dead from a headshot and that was how the deadliest gunfighter in American history came to his end, shot whilst his back was turned without the slightest chance to defend himself. Selman was brought to trial but taking into consideration Hardin's reputation as a killer the court showed leniency and Selman was acquitted and set free. Selman however, only lived another 8 months before being gunned down himself...