August 23, 1877 — John Wesley Hardin Is Finally Caught For years, John Wesley Hardin had managed to stay one step ahead of the law. That changed on August 23, 1877. Hardin was one of the most notorious gunmen of the Old West—and by 1874, he was a wanted man after the killing of Deputy Sheriff Charles Webb in Comanche, Texas. Rather than stick around and face a Texas courtroom, Hardin disappeared. The hunt eventually fell to Texas Ranger John B. Armstrong, who followed Hardin'