b'Hardin continued from page 21Rangers hat from his head. He turned and fired a shot that crashed into Manns chest. Mann died within minutes. In his twenties John Wesley Hardin had symbolizedCelebrated Trial the Old West and its gunfighters. As a middle-aged man,Hardin was taken to Gonzales, Texas, for trial in the death of Deputy Webb. The infamous gunfighter handled his defense.he was a desperado who had outlived his time.He did a pretty good job. Hardin told the court he had never shot a man except in self-defense. He noted that Webb came to Comanche to arrest him. Hardin and others knew it was in Webbs mind to kill the famed gunfighter. He noted that everyone knew Webb to be a dangerous man. He repeatedget his hands on. History, politics, law, mathematics, that while people called him a killer, he had only shot hisscience, the dictionary, the Bible, books on religion, guns in self-defense. He said that when Deputy Webb drewanything of substance. As the years passed, Hardin became his pistol, he had to draw his to keep from being killed. an educated man.As Hardin put it, Anybody else wouldHis wife Jane ran the small farm the have done the same thing. With acouple had and raised their three Thats all, gentlemen, Hardin walkedchildren. She worked in the fields like a slowly back to the defendants table andman and wrote faithfully to Hardin every sat down. The jury stayed out an hourSunday after church. Authorities admired and a half. It returned a verdict of guiltyhis prison behavior and after 17 years of second-degree murder. Hardin hadHardin had reason to hope he would be defended himself well enough to save hisreleased after serving two more years. own life. The gunfighter was sentencedHe was still in prison when Jane died on to 25 years at hard labor. He was taken toNovember 6, 1892. Hardin had seen his Rusk Prison in Huntsville, Texas. wife and children only once during the years he was in prison. The infamous John Wesley was 26 years old. Hegunfighter was 41 when he was released didnt take to prison life and tried tofrom prison on February 17, 1894. He escape. That attempt failed. He plottedmoved to El Paso and took up the study another escape, but fellow prisoners toldof law. Hardin stayed out of trouble and the warden and Hardin was severelykept busy writing a book about his life.whipped, 39 lashes with a heavy whip almost killed the man. He was thenCallie Lewis Women Attracted to Himthrown into a solitary cell without foodAn 18-year-old woman named Callie or medical attention for three days. He was delirious whenLewis met Hardin and was impressed by the legend. They carried from the cell. were married on January 8, 1895, but something went wrong. A big wedding party was planned by their friends Hardin survived and was put to work in the prison shoebut the couple did not show up. Reportedly as soon as the shop. After work, he studied. He read everything he couldwedding ceremony was over, Callie began to cry hysterically and refused to have anything to do with John.Hardin then took up with a married woman named Helen McRose.John Selman Sr.Her husband was wanted for rustling and she hadof days and when he returned he found that Helen had ULDRIKSONasked Hardin to defendbeen arrested. She had staggered down the street drunk him. Martin McRose andbrandishing a pistol. El Paso policeman John Selman Jr. PERFORMANCE HORSES his gang were hiding inwas the arresting officer and Hardin was furious at him for Mexico at the time. Martinarresting Helen.heard the relationship Buddyuldriksonhorsemanship.com between his wife and hisOfficer Selmans father, John Sr. was the local constable. lawyer was becomingHardin, still drinking heavily, met the senior Selman on the 928-231-3053 more than professional,street and cursed him loudly, then told him he was going to so he sent two of his menkill other the senior Selman and his son. Hardin spent the Buddy & Kim to talk to Hardin. Hardinnext few days drinking and telling everyone the Selmans denied he was having anwere going to get what was coming to them. affair with Helen and a fistfight erupted betweenOn July 19, 1985, the elder Selman heard that Hardin was Hardin and the twoin the Acme Saloon playing dice with grocer H.S. Brown. rustlers. Hardin knockedHardin rolled the dice and said to Brown, Four sixes both men to the floor andto beat. Selman had walked into the bar and up behind then challenged them to aHardin. The elder Selman aimed carefully and pulled the shootout. The cowboys hadtrigger. A bullet crashed into the back of Hardins head. enough of Hardin and rodeHe dropped to the floor dead. The elder Selman continued Rancho Rio BonitaWickenburg, AZ out of town. A couple offiring into the dead man until his son rushed into the months later, McRose andAcme and grabbed his fathers arm. John Selman Sr.Colt Starting Rope & Barrel Horses Consignments his men were surroundedwas arrested for the murder of Hardin. At trial, SelmansLessons Ground Work Horsemanship by a large posse of Texaslawyer managed to convince the jury that Selman acted in Rangers and U.S. Marshals.self-defense and that Hardin let it be known he intended The outlaws were allto kill Selman and his son. The jury believed Selmans 30+ years of experience teaching andgunned down. defense and he was acquitted.training all ages and levels Trouble Over Helen John Wesley Hardin was buried at age 42. As a teenager Friends noticed Hardinand in his twenties John Wesley Hardin had symbolized the drinking heavier thanOld West and its gunfighters. As a middle-aged lawyer in El Long list of personal and studentusual. He quit practicingPaso, he was a desperado who had outlived his time. Things accomplishments at all levels law and was seen mostly inwere becoming civilized compared to what they were in El Paso saloons. He had toJohn Wesleys days of gory glory. There was nothing left for go out of town for a coupleHardin so perhaps Selman did him a favor. 22 November 2020'