John Wesley Hardin (May 26, 1853 – August 19, 1895) was an American Old West outlaw, gunfighter, lawyer and controversial folk icon. Hardin often got into trouble with the law from an early age. He killed his first man at the age of 15, claiming he did so in self-defense.
Pursued by lawmen for most of his life, in 1877, at the age of 23, he was sentenced to 24 years in prison for murder. At the time of sentencing, Hardin claimed to have killed 42 men, while contemporary newspaper accounts attributed 27 deaths to him. The actual number, while unknown, is believed to be in excess of twenty, possibly higher. While in prison, Hardin studied law and wrote an autobiography.