W. D. Jones
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William Daniel "Deacon" Jones (1916-1974) was a member of the Barrow Gang that terrorized Texas and surrounding states during the early thirties.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Afterwards
Jones, whose head appears from photographs to have been slightly too large for his body, spent the rest of his life as an alcoholic and drug addict. In 1968, Jones outlined his period with the Barrows in a Playboy magazine article "Riding with Bonnie and Clyde". Also in 1968, Jones filed a lawsuit against Warner Brothers pictures claiming the film Bonnie and Clyde "maligned" him and damaged his character. He lost the suit. In August, 1974, Jones, who was attempting to find lodging for a 27 year old female acquaintance, 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.
