On this day, Feb. 17, in 1894, infamous gunslinger John Wesley Hardin was released and later pardoned after spending 15 years in a Texas prison for murder.
Hardin was one of the deadliest, meanest and most famous outlaws. He once shot and killed a man for snoring, and is believed to have killed more than 30 people, including law enforcement officials who tried to capture him.
In 1877, Texas Rangers tracked down Hardin and captured him in Florida. He was convicted and sentenced to 25 years.
While in prison, Hardin studied law. After his release, he was admitted to the Texas bar and practiced law in Gonzales County and then in El Paso.
He was killed during a dice game at El Paso’s Acme Saloon by crooked constable John Selman.
-Scott McCabe
