Question: What notorious Texas outlaw shares the name of a prominent 18th-century theologian?
Answer: John Wesley Hardin. The son of a Methodist preacher, Hardin was born in Bonham in 1853. He is reputed to have killed more than 30 people during his life, starting at the age of 15. In 1878, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder.
During his time in prison, he wrote an autobiography, studied law and theology, and became the superintendent of the prison Sunday school. After his pardon in 1894, he was admitted to the bar and started a practice in El Paso. He was killed the following year amid a payment dispute with a hit man.
