The American Old West, a period synonymous with untamed landscapes and rugged individualism, also spawned a colorful cast of characters who defied law and order. Among these were many notorious figures whose surnames began with the letter ‘H’. From the legendary, quick-triggered John Wesley Hardin to the ruthlessly violent Harpe Brothers and the audacious female stagecoach bandit Pearl Hart, these outlaws left an indelible mark on frontier history. Their stories, often tales of desperation, greed, and survival, paint a vivid picture of a time when justice was often as wild as the land itself. This article explores the lives and crimes of some of the most compelling Old West outlaws whose names began with ‘H’.
The Deadly Gunmen and Feudists
Few names evoke the raw violence of the frontier like that of John Wesley Hardin (1853-1895). Born in Texas, Hardin allegedly committed his first killing at age 15, swiftly escalating into one of the most feared gunmen of the era. He claimed over 30 victims, though the true number is likely higher, engaging in numerous shootouts and cattle rustling. Hardin’s exceptional cunning allowed him to elude capture for years, traversing vast stretches of Texas and beyond. Eventually apprehended in Florida by the Texas Rangers in 1877, he spent 16 years in Huntsville Prison, where he studied law and documented his infamous exploits. After his release in 1894, Hardin attempted to return to a normal life, but his violent past caught up with him. He was shot and killed on August 19, 1895, by Constable John Henry Selman in an El Paso saloon, marking the end of one of the deadliest careers in the American West.
Brother to the notorious John Wesley Hardin, Joseph “Joe” Hardin also found himself on the wrong side of the law. His criminal career, however, was cut short when he was reportedly lynched in June 1874, a testament to the harsh justice meted out in the era of feuds and vigilante action. Another Hardin, Mart Hardin, was implicated in the intricate web of frontier violence, charged with conspiracy in the 1893 murder of Bud Frazer, who was killed by the notorious hitman Jim Miller. His association highlights the prevalence of organized criminal activity and vendettas during the period.
An outlaw whose life was marked by a vengeful end, Adolf Harmon killed Deputy Sheriff Esteban Trujillo in 1897. A decade later, he himself was shot and killed by Gabriel Gonzolez, illustrating the long memory of frontier justice and the personal nature of retribution. Augustin Harmon, a gunman, faced the consequences of his actions, receiving a twenty-five-year prison sentence for the murder of Ricardo Lovato in Springer, New Mexico, underscoring the gradual establishment of a more formal legal system.
A complex figure, Jack Helm transitioned between roles as a lawman, gunfighter, and outlaw. He was deeply entangled in the violent Sutton-Taylor Feud in Texas, fighting on behalf of the Suttons and contributing to the death of Hays Taylor in 1869. However, the cycle of violence consumed him, and he was killed in July 1873 by John Hardin and Jim Taylor in retaliation. Wall Henderson met a violent end on November 14, 1871, when he was shot and killed by John W. Stinson in Elizabethtown, New Mexico, another victim of the frequent deadly altercations that characterized the mining towns.
Operating across Arizona and New Mexico, Milt Hicks was recognized as an outlaw and rustler, representing the numerous lesser-known figures whose lives were dedicated to various forms of criminality across the expansive frontier.
The Infamous Harpe Brothers: America’s First Serial Killers
Predating many classic Western outlaws, Micajah (“Big Harpe”) and Wiley (“Little Harpe”) Harpe stand as grim figures in American criminal history, often cited as America’s first serial killers. Operating in the late 1700s across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois, their reign was one of shocking brutality. Unlike typical robbers, they were indiscriminate murderers who killed men, women, and children, frequently for no apparent motive beyond pure malice. Their gruesome methods instilled widespread terror throughout the nascent frontier. Big Harpe’s eventual capture and beheading, with his head displayed as a warning, brought a chilling end to their rampage, serving as a stark reminder of the primitive dangers of early American expansion.
Notorious Gang Members and Their Exploits
The Halderman brothers, Bill and Tom Halderman, were outlaws who met their end together. They were hanged in Tombstone, Arizona, on November 16, 1900, for murder, exemplifying the severe penalties for violent crime in the late frontier period. The rise of vigilante justice was a common response to lawlessness. “Haltbreek Jack” and “Splay Foot Hartnett” were two outlaws who fell victim to the infamous Montana Stranglers in 1884. “Haltbreek Jack” was lynched near Yellowstone for cattle rustling, while “Splay Foot Hartnett” suffered a similar fate, both succumbing to the powerful arm of frontier justice.
Caleb Hall, also known as The Prowler, was a member of the John Kinney Gang and actively participated in New Mexico’s bloody Lincoln County War, a conflict that saw numerous figures rise and fall. One of the “tougher” members of Butch Cassidy’s notorious Wild Bunch, Orlando Camillo Hanks (1863-1902), also known as Deaf Charley, was a formidable outlaw. He participated in train robberies in Montana and New Mexico during the 1880s, and his career ended violently in 1902 when he was killed by Sheriff Pink Taylor after he had himself killed a lawman.
As a member of the infamous Plummer gang, Chas Harper met a common end for many outlaws of his time: he was hanged at Florence, Idaho, in 1891. The Plummer gang terrorized the Montana and Idaho territories. Edward Hart‘s journey through the criminal underworld began with the John Kinney Gang during the Lincoln County War. Post-war, he joined Selman’s Scouts, but his ambition proved to be his downfall; he was shot and killed by John Selman in September 1878 for allegedly trying to usurp leadership.
A Texas outlaw, Sam Hasley was credited with killing several men and joined the resistance against the Texas reconstructionists in Bell County, reflecting the political and social unrest that fueled much of the violence in post-Civil War Texas. Henry Hawkins led a group known as the “Mesa Hawks,” who specialized in robbing trains in the New Mexico Territory in 1897, highlighting the ongoing challenge of securing rail transport from daring bandit gangs.
Bob Hayes (1874-1896), also known as Sam Hassell, began his criminal life as a horse thief before escalating to become a member of Black Jack Christian’s infamous High Fives Gang. His career ended in a fatal gunfight with lawmen in New Mexico in 1896. A cattle rustler and stage robber in southern Arizona, Harry Head, sometimes called Harry the Kid, was known for associating with the notorious Clanton Gang. His life of crime concluded when he was killed while attempting to rob a store.
The case of John Heath (or Heith) (1851-1884) is a stark example of vigilante justice. After receiving a life sentence for a brutal robbery and murder, citizens of Tombstone, Arizona, lynched Heath in 1884, underlining the community’s demand for severe retribution. Known by monikers such as the “Handsome Bandit,” Marion Hedgepeth (1856-1910) was a dapper-dressing outlaw, train robber, hired gun, and killer, operating extensively across the American West and embodying a more sophisticated type of criminal.
William Hedges, known as Pawnee Bill, was among the outlaws targeted by a famous “Grand Neck Tie Party” poster in Las Vegas, New Mexico, warning criminals to leave town or face severe consequences. Another victim of vigilante justice, Art Hefferman shot a man in Virginia City, Montana, in March 1871 and was subsequently lynched, demonstrating the rapid application of unofficial justice in bustling mining towns.
Bill Heffridge was a member of the legendary Sam Bass Gang in 1877. His criminal career, like many of his associates, was short-lived and violent, ending when he was killed in Kansas during a gun battle with lawmen. Augustus “Gus” Heffron was an outlaw and a close associate of Dave Crockett. He was captured during a fierce gun battle in Cimarron, New Mexico, in October 1876, where Crockett was killed. Heffron, however, managed to escape and vanished from historical records.
Among the most chilling figures of the Old West was Boone Helm (1823-1864), an outlaw member of Henry Plummer’s notorious “Innocents” gang in Montana. Helm was infamous not just for his robberies and murders but also for rumored acts of cannibalism, earning him the terrifying moniker “The Kentucky Cannibal.” He was eventually captured and hanged in Virginia City, Montana, by vigilantes in 1864. Davenport Helm (18??-1855), a cousin to the infamous Boone Helm, also walked a criminal path, his life ending in Sonoma County, California, in 1855.
Bill Henderson (18??-1876) led a rustling gang near Fort Griffin, Texas. After stealing over two dozen horses, Henderson and his cohorts were pursued and, despite a brief arrest in Dodge City, Kansas, by Sheriff Charlie Bassett, were returned to Albany, Texas, where Henderson and others were subsequently lynched. In San Jose, California, Mariano Hernandez was lynched in 1850 after committing murder, an early example of vigilantism in California’s Gold Rush era.
Albert Herndon was an outlaw member of the famed Sam Bass Gang, participating in the audacious train robbery in Mesquite Springs, Texas. Unlike many of his associates, Herndon was captured and sent to Sing Sing prison in New York. After his release, he faded from history. Nestor Herrera was an outlaw member of Vicente Silva’s ruthless White Caps Gang in Las Vegas, New Mexico, known for its widespread terror. A Texas outlaw and member of Joe Baker’s gang, Bob Herring specialized in horse theft from 1885-1894. His career concluded after a gunfight in Dallas in 1899, leading to a lengthy 35-year prison sentence.
Joe Hetherington, an Englishman, met his end as an outlaw in San Francisco, California. He was lynched by vigilantes on July 29, 1856, during a period when San Francisco experienced significant lawlessness. Known colorfully as “The Great American Pie-Eater,” George Hilderman was another member of Henry Plummer’s infamous gang of Innocents, whose unusual nickname belied his criminal affiliations. Frank Hill, an outlaw and rustler, operated in New Mexico until his demise in March 1880, when he was killed by a posse.
Owen D. Hill (18??-1888), a black outlaw operating in Indian Territory, committed the grave crimes of murdering his wife and mother-in-law. Convicted of murder, he was sentenced to death and subsequently hanged in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on April 27, 1888, under the jurisdiction of “Hanging Judge” Isaac Parker. Tom Hill (18??-1878), who sometimes used the alias Tom Chelson, was a prominent outlaw and gunfighter. After rustling cattle in Texas, he became Jesse Evans’ right-hand man and was implicated in the murder of John Tunstall, which ignited the Lincoln County War. Hill was killed on March 13, 1878, while robbing a sheep camp.
The James Gang Connection
Clarence Browler Hite (1862-1883), a first cousin to the legendary Frank and Jesse James, followed his infamous relatives into a life of crime as a member of the James Gang. He participated in daring train robberies, notably at Blue Cut and Winston, Missouri. Arrested in 1882, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison but died of tuberculosis shortly after his release, a less violent but equally tragic end. Also a first cousin to Frank and Jesse James, Robert Woodson Hite (1848-1881) had a deeper involvement in the Civil War era, riding for the notorious “Bloody Bill” Anderson. Later, he joined the infamous James Gang, participating in their daring robberies. His end came infamously, not at the hands of lawmen, but by one of his own. In 1881, Robert Woodson Hite was killed by Robert Ford, who would later achieve infamy for assassinating Jesse James himself. This internal conflict within the gang highlighted the atmosphere of distrust and betrayal that often permeated such groups.
Lady Outlaws and Unique Figures
Breaking gender norms on the dangerous frontier, Pearl Hart (1871-19??) carved a unique niche as one of the American West’s few female stagecoach robbers. In 1899, operating with her accomplice Joe Boot in Arizona, she gained notoriety for her bold heists. Her sensationalized story made her a symbol of female defiance in a male-dominated criminal underworld. Despite her capture and imprisonment, Pearl Hart’s legend persisted, adding a distinctive chapter to the diverse narrative of Old West outlaws.
Charles A. “Jack” Harris presented a facade of respectability as a saloon keeper while secretly operating as a highwayman, robbing stagecoaches in Nevada. His dual life underscores the hidden dangers and opportunistic criminality that often thrived beneath the surface of frontier towns. L. B. Hasbrouck (18??-1874) was a horse thief active in Kansas. He, along with two other horse thieves, was captured near Caldwell. However, a furious lynch mob stormed the Caldwell jail on July 29, 1874, and summarily executed the trio. C.B. Hawley (18??-1882), an outlaw, confessed to a stagecoach robbery near Globe, Arizona, in 1882. His confession, however, did not save him, and he was subsequently lynched.
Conclusion
The “H” names in the history of the American Old West represent a broad spectrum of individuals who chose or were forced into a life of crime. From the calculated brutality of John Wesley Hardin and the Harpe Brothers to the daring exploits of Pearl Hart and the desperate struggles of gang members like the Hite cousins, these figures embodied the challenges, dangers, and volatile spirit of a bygone era. Their tales, filled with violence, rebellion, and often tragic ends, form an indelible part of the frontier narrative, serving as potent reminders of a time when law and order were tenuous, and individual choices often held life-or-death consequences. The legacy of these Old West outlaws continues to shape our understanding of a period that remains perpetually fascinating and uniquely American.
