The Last Gunfighter: John Wesley Hardin by Marohn, Richard - 1995

New in dj. Index, 172 b/w illustrations, maps, photos. John Wesley Hardin, killer of 42 people, was the premier and last gunfighter of the Old West. The son of a Methodist preacher, he killed his first man at age 15; at 17 he was accepted as an equal by such Texas gunmen as Bill Longley, Phil Coe and Ben Thompson. Only days after his 18th birthday, Hardin rode into Abilene wearing his guns in defiance of the law enforced by Marshal Wild Bill Hickok. The Hardin-Hickok showdown is one of the famous legends of Western folklore. Hardin became Texas' most-wanted outlaw, was arrested twice, and escaped both times. On his 21st birthday, he outgunned Deputy Charles Webb in Comanche, which resulted in the lynching of Hardin's brother and two cousins by vigilantes. Hardin was later caught in Florida, served 16 years in jail, and practiced law. His violent death closed the door on the era of the gunfighter (1868-1895).