William Daniel "Deacon" Jones (1916-1974) was a member of the Barrow Gang that terrorized Texas and surrounding states during the early thirties.

The Barrow Gang

---

Jones was an illiterate sixteen year old from Texas when he joined the gang on or about Christmas, 1932. Almost immediately afterwards, he took part in the murder of 26 year old Doyle Johnson, of Temple, Texas. Jones also took part in both the Joplin shootout as well as the shootouts with law enforcement officers in Platte City and Dexter, Iowa where Buck and Blanche were captured. At the time of his eventual arrest, Jones gave a lengthy confession where he claimed he was an unwilling member of the gang, forced to ride with them at gunpoint and was tied to trees at night. Jones was sentenced to six years in prison for his exploits with the gang.

Afterwards

---

Jones, whose head appears from photographs to have been slightly too large for his body, spent the rest of his life as a pill-popping drunk. In 1968, Jones outlined his period with the Barrows in a Playboy magazine article "Riding with Bonnie and Clyde". In August, 1974 Jones, who was attempting to find lodging for a 27 year old female aquintance, was shot three times with a 12 gauge shotgun after a friend refused to house the girl. His last known occupation was that of a truck driver.

1916 births | 1974 deaths | American bank robbers | American murderers | Depression era gangsters | Deaths by firearm | People from Texas