John Wesley Hardin’s death gun - Handguns of Note
Hardin’s cousin by marriage, James Miller, known as “Killing Jim,” had requested legal assistance in a case involving armed altercations with Sheriff G.A. (Bud) Frazier. In two shooting incidents, Miller had survived being shot by Frazier, thanks to a steel plate insert placed by Miller in his clothing. Their feud, which began in 1891, eventually resulted in the death of Frazier, murdered by Miller in 1896.
Hardin had responded to requests from Miller to prosecute Frazer in court, having been shot by the latter in April and in December, 1894. Trial was scheduled for April of 1895, in El Paso; Frazer had been arrested that December. Tiring of the wait, Miller eventually killed Frazer.
Miller was known as “the most dangerous man that ever lived,” according to an acquaintance, Dee Harvey. In 1908, Miller would be the prime suspect in the murder of Pat Garrett, killer of Billy The Kid. In 1909 Miller was lynched, after he killed a rancher in Ada, Oklahoma.
Court records show John Wesley Hardin was carrying a Colt Lightning Model 1877, serial number 84304 and an Elgin watch, serial number 4069110, when he was shot and killed on August 19, 1895. The revolver and the watch had been presented to Hardin in appreciation for his legal efforts on behalf of Miller in his trial for murdering Frazer. That trial lasted from April 8 to 14, 1895, ending in the jury being deadlocked.
The Colt, (with a .38 caliber, 2 1/2″ barrel) is nickel-plated, with blued hammer, trigger and screws. The back-strap is hand-engraved: “J.B.M. TO J.W.H.” It wears mother-of-pearl grips.
The Lightning is recorded in Colt factory ledgers as shipped on July 16, 1891, to Hartley & Graham, New York City, with five like guns in the shipment.
The Colt is accompanied with a tooled leather holster, marked with a barely visible stamp of an El Paso maker. The hunting case pocket watch by Elgin is a 14 karat, gold-filled, lever set, inscribed on the front: “April/7th/1895.” The inscription on the top of the inside lid reads: “J.W. HARDIN/From/J.B .MILLER.” There is also a gold-plated brass chain, with a fob of a liberty head penny, with the date 1853 (the year of Hardin’s birth).
The set includes a mounted photograph of Miller and Hardin, likely at the time of the presentation of the revolver and watch. The photograph is marked: “Simpson/602 Main St./Ft. Worth, Tex.”
The original John W. Hardin, Esq. business card and, “The Life of John Wesley Hardin From the Original Manuscript, As Written by Himself” (1896) rounds out this rare and historically significant bit of Americana.
Our thanks to Greg Martin Auctions for supplying photos and information. Phone: (800) 509-1988; www.gmartin-auctions.com
Note: Property documented in inventory of Jon Wesley Hardin estate, recorded at the time of the outlow’s death in 1895. To quote: “1.38 Colt Pistol (84304), While handle./1 watch, Elgin, on movement (4069110)
Condition: Revolver excellent, with 75-80% finish remaining; some flaking on frame and cylinder, 75% blue on trigger and hammer. tiny nick on toe of left panel of pearl grips. Minor wear on holster.