15. From Convicted Murderer to Lawyer
In 1878, John Wesley Hardin was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 25 years behind bars. He made numerous escape attempts, including a tunnel into the prison armory, but they all failed. He eventually adapted to prison life, settled down, began to read theological books, and was put in charge of the prison’s Sunday school. He also studied law while behind bars. That changed attitude helped him get a pardon, and in 1894, Hardin was released from prison after he had served 17 years of his sentence.

Upon his release, he took and passed Texas’ bar exam, and became a licensed lawyer. He moved to El Paso in 1895 to start a law practice but got into trouble when he quarreled with John Selman, a lawman who had arrested a prostitute friend of Hardin. Heated words were exchanged, and that night, as Hardin was playing dice in a local saloon, Selman walked up to him from behind, shot him in the back of the head, then pumped three more bullets into him as lay on the ground.