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119 “I am either killed or shot. If all the gold in the world belonged to me, I would freely give it to kill him. I have one consolation, however, I made the coward run.” John Wesley Hardin ugitive Hardin did not leave Sabine County in a gallop as one might expect him to do after wounding a state policeman. He intended to return to Gonzales County—to Jane—but on the way he stopped in Polk and Trinity counties to visit relatives. At a store not far from Livingston he and a man identified only as Hickman engaged in a horse race. The winner would walk away with a purse of $250. There were several Hickman families living there at the time: Bartley, Asa, Hezekiah, Morton S. and James as heads of households. They were all from Louisiana with the exception of Morton S. Hickman who was a native Texan. These all constituted a group who were related. What is most interesting is that an acquaintance named Richard B. “Dick” Hudson now informed Hardin that the Hickmans intended to take the $250 winning purse whether they won or lost the horse race. It was set for noon on a certain day. Each party put up an initial sum of $100 “as a forfeit.” Hardin informed Hudson that he was aware of what the Hickmans intended to do, and that he was ready to fight them, as “I wanted [them] to understand that no man or set of men could take my money without killing me unless they won it,” and if they wished to fight, “they would not commence any too soon to suit me.”1 No race occurred, nor did a fight occur, as the “Hickman Bros.” learned of Hardin’s response— carried to them by Hudson certainly—and they backed off, surrendering 120 Chapter 6—Capture and Escape the $100 forfeit money as well as the $250, totaling $350 for the nonrace . Hardin, in relating this incident, acknowledged that Hudson and he had been boys together in Polk County. At this point in time the two were trusted friends, but that would soon change. Although Hardin had ruined a good horse in his efforts to get back to Jane not long before, he now felt it more important to spend time with relatives. He stopped at Uncle Barnett Hardin’s place and spent a relaxing week hunting and fishing with his cousins. While he enjoyed this time with them one wonders how often he thought of Jane. Along with cousin Barnett Jones, the same one who had arranged the “wrestling match” with Maje resulting in his first kill, Wes Hardin went to Trinity to be with more relatives and friends. Here he met a man named Philip Allen Sublett, the son of a wealthy planter, who also enjoyed gambling and perhaps was not a great deal different in character from John Wesley Hardin. The pair met at the saloon and bowling alley of proprietor John Gates. Gates operated a combination drinking establishment and gambling hall and it was there that Hardin chose to relax, drink and bet on a game of pins. Cousin Barnett Jones remained a bystander, perhaps to watch Hardin’s back while he enjoyed himself. Sublett remains a mysterious figure essentially, one whose life begs for disclosure. He was born about 1842, the son of Philip A. Sr. and Easter J. Sublett. In 1850, when the family resided in San Augustine County, the twenty-one-year-old firstborn son Franklin B. Sublett was an attorney; Philip Allen was eight years old, and younger brother Henry but four years. The family had located in Texas at least by the 1830s, before Phil Jr. was born. By 1860 Easter J. Sublett was a widow but remained in San Augustine County. As head of household, she had her sons to help as well as forty-three slaves among her chattel. When Hardin and Phil Sublett met they of course found reason to have a drink or two prior to any gambling. Wesley apparently lost shaking dice to see who would pay for drinks, perhaps purposely, intending to lure Sublett into a higher stakes game. Hardin now was not yet twenty Chapter 6—Capture and Escape 121 years old; Sublett was thirty-five, and judging from his background was flush enough to spend a great deal of time carousing and gambling. He and Hardin bowled at $5.00 a ball. Hardin beat Sublett six times straight, winning $30...

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