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After killing Charles Webb, Hardin was chased by
Waller's company of Texas Rangers while his father and the family
of Aleck Barrickman were confined in the home of Joe G. Hardin.
Joe Hardin with Tom & Bud Dixon were taken and placed under
guard at the courthouse.
Hardin, Taylor, Barrickman, and Anderson were camped about six
miles away in a draw west of Comanche, 200 yards away from a
lake.
Hardin and Taylor came out on open prairie early in the morning
on June 2. They were sighted and pursued. As they came on the
Brownwood road they ran into a posse led by Waller. They knew
they couldn't turn back so they rode right through them. They
circled Comanche and went out on the Hamilton road about 10 miles
from Comanche. It was raining and the horses were tiring, so
they stopped at the home of Bud Tatum, who was no good friend
of the law. He offered his help, which was $100.00 in gold for
them to take to James Hardin.
Hardin learned that in Comanche they had confiscated his cattle
and imprisoned his drovers. Also that on June 5 a mob had taken
Joe Hardin, Tom Dixon and Bud Dixon and took them to the edge
of town and they were all hanged. He heard it was true at Tatum's.
Instead of going directly to Comanche he went to his father's
and met Dick Wade, a ranger who had had sympathy for Hardin before
he had fled. He told him where to find his brother and cousins
graves.
Over his brother's grave, Hardin swore and oath:
"I swore to avenge my brother's death, and could I but tell
you what I have done without laying myself liable, you would
think I say from the deepest depths of my heart that my desire
for revenge is not satiated, and if I live another year, I promise
to my friends and to my god to make another of my brother's murderers
bite the dust. Just as long as I can find one of them and know
for certain that he participated in the murder of my brother,
just that and nothing more, right there, be the consequences
as they may, I propose to take life."
THIS INFORMATION WAS
TAKEN FROM:
THE HISTORY OF COMANCHE
COUNTY, TEXAS TO 1920
BY: BILLY LIGHTFOOT
AUSTIN, TX. 1949
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