Roy Daugherty, also known as Arkansas Tom Jones, (1870 – August 16, 1924) was an American outlaw of the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

, and a member of the

Wild Bunch The Wild Bunch, also known as the Doolin–Dalton Gang, or the Oklahombres, were a gang of American outlaws based in the Indian Territory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were active in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Terr ...

gang, led by

Bill Doolin Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

. He was the longest-lived, as well as the last surviving member of the gang. Born into a staunchly religious family in

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, his two brothers became preachers. However, Daugherty rebelled and left Missouri for Oklahoma Territory at only 14 years of age. He called himself "Arkansas Tom Jones", claiming to have been from there. For several years, he worked as a cowboy, which was how he met Bill Doolin. He joined Doolin's gang around 1892. He was involved in several

robberies Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

, but was one of the first of the gang to fall, being captured after the Battle of Ingalls, in

Ingalls, Oklahoma Ingalls is a census-designated place (CDP) in eastern Payne County, Oklahoma, about east of Stillwater. The town was settled as a result of the "Unassigned Lands" land run in 1889, and had a post office from January 22, 1890, until October 31, ...

on September 1, 1893. He killed Deputy Marshal Thomas Hueston during that shootout, and was captured after Deputy Marshal

Jim Masterson James Patrick "Jim" Masterson (September 18, 1855 – March 31, 1895), was a lawman of the American West and a younger brother of gunfighters and lawmen Bat Masterson and Ed Masterson. Early life After working on the western frontier as a ...

threw dynamite into where Jones was making his stand, stunning him. Deputy Marshal Hueston, whom Jones killed, along with

Ford County, Kansas Ford County (county code FO) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 34,287. Its county seat and most populous city is Dodge City. The county is named in honor of Colonel James Hobart Ford. G ...

Sheriff

Chalkey Beeson Chalkley McArtor "Chalk" Beeson (April 24, 1848 – August 9, 1912) was a well-known businessman, lawman, cattleman and musician but was best known for his ownership of the famous Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas. Biography Originally ...

had killed Wild Bunch gang member Oliver Yantis the year before. Daugherty was sentenced to fifty years in

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

, but due to his two preacher brothers campaigning on his behalf, he was

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

d in 1910. For two years he ran a restaurant in

Drumright, Oklahoma Drumright is a city in Creek and Payne counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It began as an oil boom town. However, the population has declined as oil production has waned in the area. The population was 2,907 at the 2010 census, a figure alm ...

, but became bored and moved to

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, hoping to act in

western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

s. However, that did not work out, and he committed a

bank robbery Bank robbery is the criminal act of stealing from a bank, specifically while bank employees and customers are subjected to force, violence, or a threat of violence. This refers to robbery of a bank branch or teller, as opposed to other bank- ...

in 1917 in

Neosho, Missouri Neosho (; originally or ) is the most populous city in Newton County, Missouri, United States, which it serves as the county seat. With a population of 12,590 as of the 2020 census, the city is a part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Stat ...

, and was again captured. Released in 1921, he robbed another bank in Asbury, Missouri that same year. He remained on the run from law enforcement until tracked to

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper and Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. Joplin is the largest city located within both Jas ...

and killed during a gunfight by Joplin Police Detective Leonard H. "Len" Vandeventer on August 16, 1924.

References

External links

"Arkansas Tom Jones"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daugherty, Roy 1870 births 1924 deaths American bank robbers Cowboys Fugitives Deaths by firearm in Missouri Outlaws of the American Old West People of Indian Territory People shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States

See also

References

External links