Sheriff Richard Henry Jones, Sr.

Richard Henry Jones, Sr.

Sheriff Richard Jones was shot and killed in Randolph, Alabama, while transporting a prisoner to Centreville, Alabama.

The man was wanted for murder, 20 years earlier, in Alabama and had been arrested by Sheriff Jones in Jackson Parish. The man waived extradition and Sheriff Jones arranged to return him to Bibb County, Alabama, for trial. They disembarked the train at Randolph and were walking to a hotel when a man opened fire on Sheriff Jones, killing him.

During the commotion the prisoner escaped. The man who shot Sheriff Jones, along with other men, located the prisoner and abducted him. The group then tortured and killed the prisoner. On June 9, 1891, two men who were accomplices in the murder of Sheriff Jones, were apprehended at six mile swamp, near Brierfield, Alabama. Sheriff Jones' murderer, 47, was apprehended and sentenced to life on December 29, 1892. On November 11, 1893, he and three other murderers escaped form the Bibb County, Alabama, Jail, where he was awaiting the outcome of his appeal. On October 20, 1895, he was captured in Natcitoches Parrish.

Sheriff Jones was survived by his wife.