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Comanche's outlaw festival goes literary

By TUMBLEWEED SMITH
JOHN WESLEY HARDIN, the famous outlaw gunslinger, spent sometime in Comanche. In fact, he killed one of his 30 or so victims there. The deceased was a deputy sheriff from Brown County named Charles Webb. Lawmen from Texas chased Hardin all over the south, finally finding him in Florida and bringing him back to Comanche for trial in 1878. He got 25 years. But jail was good for Hardin. He got religion. Hardin was the son of a Methodist minister and apparently in prison he had time to think about things and write his memoirs. He headed up the prison Sunday School and read theological books. He also studied law and when he was pardoned in 1894, he was admitted to the Texas bar. He was in El Paso representing a relative when he was shot to death by constable John Selman.

For years, Comanche staged a “John Wesley Hardin Days” celebration. The usual small town events took place: booths on the court house square, musical entertainment, arts and crafts, food, even mock gunfights.

Apparently some of the citizens of Comanche grew weary of honoring one of the state’s most notorious outlaws, so this year, to celebrate the founding of Comanche 150 years ago, they tried something different. They changed the name to “Western Tales and Trails” and invited writers and storytellers to sell books and spin yarns on the Comanche courthouse square.

THEY EVEN invited me to be a part of the event. I was in good company. Other writers there were Elmer Kelton, Charles Chupp and Barbra Clack. Most everybody has heard of Elmer. He has written some 50 books and got better at his craft with each one. He has won numerous literary awards. He re-wrote one of his books, The Time It Never Rained, three times.

Charles Chupp of De Leon is one of the funniest guys you’ll ever meet. He is such a good writer he subbed for George Dolan, front-page columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram when George took a few days off. One of Chupp’s latest books is about dogs he has had during his lifetime. Chupp has served as mayor of De Leon.

BARBRA CLACK is an elementary teacher in Albany who has her students start each day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the US flag. She told me that one day a little girl came up to her and asked, “What is liver tea?” Barbara told the little girl that when she was reciting the pledge, instead of saying “liver tea” she should say “liberty.” That got Barbra to thinking about the students saying the pledge by rote and not realizing what it was all about. So she wrote a book called The Pledge of Allegiance to help kids understand things like freedom.

A lot of people bought books in Comanche, an extremely literate community. Part of the credit for the informed citizenry goes to Margaret Waring, the librarian. She runs one of the best libraries in the state.