John Wesley Hardin insisted that he never killed anyone who did not need killing—but the story of Charlie Webb tells us otherwise. Webb was only 26 years old, a former Texas Ranger, a Brown County deputy sheriff, and a Freemason respected enough that his lodge recovered his body and carried him home for burial.
When Webb entered Comanche on May 26, 1874, and approached the Jack Wright Saloon, witnesses said Hardin deliberately stopped and provoked him. Hardin accusingly demanded to know what Webb held in his hand. It was not a warrant or a weapon. It was a cigar.
When a friend called Webb away, Hardin refused to let him leave and drew his pistol. Hardin and two companions opened fire, and Webb fell in the street. Hardin later called it self-defense. A Texas jury called it murder and sentenced him to twenty-five years in prison.
History made Hardin famous, but Charlie Webb’s short life reminds us to look beyond the outlaw’s version of the story—and remember the good men who never lived long enough to tell theirs.
Hear the complete story at Sweet Tea Murders LIVE: John Wesley Hardin—The Gunslinger’s Last Escape, Thursday, August 27, at 6:00 p.m. at Voices of Pensacola.
For tickets, go to https://sweetteamurders.com/events/
