John Wesley Hardin shot dead in an El Paso saloon
- When
- 1895
- Where
- El Paso, Texas
- Episodes
- 2
John Wesley Hardin, an American Old West outlaw, was shot dead in an El Paso saloon on August 19, 1895. The killing was carried out by John Selman Sr., an off-duty policeman and former outlaw, who approached Hardin from behind and shot him in the head with a Colt .45. This event occurred shortly after Hardin's release from prison in 1894.
Episodes
- Afternoon Confrontation
John Selman Sr. approached Hardin on the afternoon of August 19, 1895, leading to an exchange of heated words.
- Fatal Shooting
Selman shot Hardin in the head from behind shortly before midnight, killing him instantly.
Background and detail
Background. John Wesley Hardin was a controversial folk icon and gunfighter who had been released from prison in February 1894 after serving seventeen years of his twenty-five-year sentence. In 1895 he was present in El Paso, Texas: he was involved in a May 1 Gem Saloon incident and was fined $25 for gaming in July 1895. His presence in the city set the stage for a confrontation with local law enforcement figures.
Confrontation. On the afternoon of August 19, 1895, John Selman Sr., a 56-year-old constable and former outlaw, approached Hardin. The two men exchanged heated words during this encounter. This verbal confrontation preceded the fatal shooting that occurred later that night in the saloon.
The Killing. Shortly before midnight, Selman Sr. entered the saloon and walked up to Hardin from behind. He shot Hardin in the head, killing him instantly. The weapon used was a Colt .45, specifically identified as serial number #141805.
People involved
- John Wesley Hardin · Victim
- John Selman Sr. · Shooter
Sources
- John Wesley Hardin Wikipedia
- El Paso, Texas Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.