John Wesley Hardin, one of the deadliest men in the history of the Old West, arrives in Abilene, Kansas, where he briefly becomes friends with Marshal Wild Bill Hickok.
Hardin revealed a tendency toward violent rages at an early age. When he was 14, he nearly killed another boy in a fight over a girl, stabbing his victim twice with a knife. A year later, he shot a Black man to death after the two tangled in a wrestling match. By the time he finally went to prison in 1878, Hardin claimed to have killed 44 men. The outlaw may have been exaggerating, though historians have positively confirmed about half that number.
In 1871, when Hardin was 18 years old, a Texas rancher hired the young gunman as trail boss for a cattle drive up the Chisholm Trail to Abilene. Hardin was eager to get out of Texas—a few days earlier, he had murdered a Texas state police guard who was transferring him to Waco for a trial. Hardin needed to lay low, but he proved incapable of keeping his hot temper under control for long. During the cattle drive, a Mexican herd crowded Hardin’s animals from behind. Hardin complained to the Mexican in charge of the other herd, and when the exchange grew heated, shot him through the heart.
When Hardin and his herd arrived at Abilene, Kansas, on this day in 1871, the town marshal, Wild Bill Hickok, was unconcerned with prosecuting a murder that had taken place outside of his jurisdiction. To the contrary, he took an almost paternalistic interest in the young gunslinger–Hardin was 16 years his junior–and the two men struck up an uneasy friendship. Like many of the early Western lawmen, Wild Bill Hickok had won a formidable reputation by committing several killings of his own. He may have seen something of himself in Hardin, believing he was a hot-tempered young man who would eventually grow up to be a reasonably useful and law-abiding citizen. For his part, Hardin was simply proud to be associated with the celebrated gunfighter.
For several weeks, Hickok and Hardin drank and womanized together, but the marshal’s faith in the basic decency of his young friend was ultimately undermined. During his stay in Abilene, Hardin rented a room at the American House Hotel. One night, a stranger in the next room began to snore loudly. Hardin became so annoyed that he began firing bullets through the wall to quiet him. The first bullet was high, and it merely woke the man. The second bullet silenced the unsuspecting stranger permanently.
Hardin realized that his friendship with Hickok would not save him. “I believed,” Hardin later said, “that if Wild Bill found me in a defenseless condition, he would take no explanation, but would kill me to add to his reputation.” Wearing only his undershirt, Hardin escaped through the hotel window and jumped down to the street. He spent the night hiding in a haystack, stole a horse at dawn, and returned to the cow camp. The next day he left for Texas, never to set foot in Abilene again.
Years later, after he had become a notorious outlaw, Hardin recalled that the Abilene murder had given rise to an exaggeration. “They tell lots of lies about me,” he complained. “They say I killed six or seven men for snoring. Well, it ain’t true, I only killed one man for snoring.”
Hardin eventually served 15 years in the Huntsville, Texas, state penitentiary. He was pardoned in 1892 and made an unsuccessful attempt to go straight. In August 1895, he died after being shot in the back by an El Paso policeman who was looking to embellish his reputation as a gunman. Hardin was 42 years old.
FAQs
Hardin later got a job herding cattle on the Chisholm Trail, but the combination of his white-hot temper, a quick draw and the prodigious amounts of alcohol he regularly imbibed resulted in his killing at least seven men along the way; when the herd arrived in Abilene, KS, he got into more gunfights, resulting in three ...
Did Wild Bill Hickok know John Wesley Hardin? ›
John Wesley Hardin, one of the deadliest men in the history of the Old West, arrives in Abilene, Kansas, where he briefly becomes friends with Marshal Wild Bill Hickok. Hardin revealed a tendency toward violent rages at an early age.
Who was the most feared outlaw in the Old West? ›
Many infamous outlaws terrorized the Old West, gunslingers like Billy the Kid and John Wesley Hardin. But one name stands out as the most efficient, elusive killer of the bunch—Deacon Jim Miller. His dastardly deeds included the first documented murder on the South Plains.
Was Wild Bill Hickok a good guy? ›
Hickok's growing reputation for fairness and courage earned him, in 1858, a position as a constable in Monticello, Kansas. Later that year he became a teamster with the great freighting enterprise Russell, Majors and Waddell, creators of the Pony Express, for which he was too tall and heavy to be a rider.
Which gunfighter has the most kills? ›
One — John Wesley Hardin
He is said to have killed over 40 men, including his first victim at 15.
Who was the deadliest cowboy in history? ›
William Preston Longley (October 6, 1851 – October 11, 1878), also known as Wild Bill Longley, was an American Old West outlaw and gunfighter noted for his ruthless nature, speed with a gun, quick temper, and unpredictable demeanor. He is considered to have been one of the deadliest gunfighters in the Old West.
What was Wild Bill Hickok last words? ›
Not noticing McCall, Hickok said to another player, "The old duffer. He broke me on the hand," his final words. McCall shot Hickok in the back of the head with a single-action . 45-caliber revolver, shouting "Damn you!
Did Wild Bill Hickok have syphilis? ›
In 1876, Hickok sought treatment from an eye specialist in Kansas City, Missouri. No definitive diagnosis has survived, but speculation ranges from secondary syphilis to glaucoma.
Who was the meanest gunfighter? ›
The most feared man of his day was John Wesley Hardin. Even in his lifetime, it was known that he was so mean, that he shot a man for snoring. Who was the most dangerous outlaw in the Old West? John Wesley Hardin hands down.
Who was the scariest cowboy in history? ›
Bloody Bill Anderson. He was one of the most feared cowboys to ever exist . At the tail of the civil war ,there were some men still fighting. Bloody Bill was mainly known for his time with Quantriels Raiders.
Quick draw and hip shooting was a rare skill in the West, and only a handful of historically known gunslingers were known to be fast, such as Luke Short, John Wesley Hardin, and Wild Bill Hickok.
Was Wild Bill Hickok a good gunfighter? ›
He came to be known as the “Prince of Pistoleers.” His name was James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok. He was born on a farm in Illinois in 1837, but he seemed destined from the outset to be a lawman rather than a farmer. As a young boy, he practiced shooting with a pistol until he became highly proficient in its use.
What disease did Wild Bill Hickok have? ›
In early 1876, Hickok was diagnosed with glaucoma and ophthalmia. It affected his vision, and his health had been in decline. On March 5, 1876, Hickok married Agnes Thatcher Lake. She was a 50-year-old owner of a circus in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory.
What was Wild Bill's last letter to his wife? ›
In Wild Bill's last letter to Agnes, he promised her that if “we never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife — Agnes — and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore.”
Who was one of the first marshals of Abilene? ›
Thomas James "Bear River" Smith was appointed the first marshal of the cowtown, Abilene, Kansas in June 1870. Prior to bringing law enforcement to Abilene, Thomas Smith served as a lawman in New York City, Bear River, Wyoming and Kit Carson, Colorado.
Who was the famous sheriff of Abilene KS? ›
After the death of Abilene's first city marshal, Tom “Bear River” Smith, the city hired a man named James Butler Hickok. People better know him as “Wild Bill” Hickok. Hickok controlled the town from April to December of 1871.
What did John Wesley Hardin accomplish? ›
John Wesley Hardin (born May 26, 1853, Bonham county, Texas, U.S.—died Aug. 19, 1895, El Paso, Texas) was the most notorious killer and quick-draw gunman of the Texas frontier. He killed at least 21 men in gun duels and ambushes in the period 1868–77.
