November 5, 2020
Volume 50 - No. 45
By Gary Womble
John Wesley Hardin came to Abilene, Kansas, as a cowhand on a cattle drive from Texas in late July 1871. Because he was a wanted in Texas for murder, he used the alias Wesley Clements as well as the nickname “Little Arkansas.” There had been trouble on the trail from Texas and the other cowhands talked about Clements’ gun handling skills and his coolness under pressure. James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok was town marshal and at this point in time his reputation as a The Paper - 760.747.7119
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great gunfighter was literally nationwide. Abilene had an ordinance against anyone not in law enforcement carrying a firearm inside town limits. You could own a gun and carry it outside town limits, but not in the city itself. Shortly after getting to Abilene Hardin visited the famous Bull’s Head Saloon for his favorite pastimes of drinking and gambling. Because other cowhands had talked about Clements quickness and accuracy with a gun, he was quickly approached by the saloon owners Phil Coe and Ben Thompson who
had been a lawman in Texas before coming to Abilene. “Wild Bill” Hickok had been a thorn in the saloon owners’ side since arriving in Abilene. He ordered them to significantly alter a painting on the outside wall of the Bulls Head Saloon. The painting depicted a large bull with a pornographic twist, eventually “Wild Bill” altered the painting himself. They wanted “Wesley Clements” to kill Wild Bill and offered to pay him handsomely for the “work.” Clements declined the offer even after Thompson tried to entice him by stating that Hickok
John Wesley Hardin See Page 2
always picked on rebels knowing that he came from the south. “Little Arkansas” told Coe and Thompson that if they wanted Hickok killed, they should do it themselves. Later while Thompson was recovering from an injury he got falling off a horse, Coe did try to kill Will Bill in a shootout but was instead himself killed in the gunfight. Later that same evening John Wesley Hardin, a.k.a. “Wesley Clements” was approached on the street in Abilene by Hickok.