Henderson Jordan (Louisiana sheriff)
Encyclopedia
Henderson Jordan as sheriff
of Bienville Parish
in north Louisiana
, was one of six law enforcement officers who on May 23, 1934, ambushed the fugitives Bonnie and Clyde
in a deadly encounter on Louisiana Highway 154 between Gibsland
and Sailes to the south.
, the Bienville Parish seat of government, Jordan served as a Private First Class
in the 83rd Infantry Division during World War I
. He was elected sheriff in 1932 and served two terms, having left the office in 1940, when he was succeeded by his chief deputy, Prentiss Morel Oakley
(1905 – 1957), another participant in the ambush of Barrow and Parker.
As sheriff, Jordan succeeded J. E. Currie, who had served in the position since 1908. In 1936, Jordan was among regional sheriffs who came into Grant Parish
to direct posses in pursuit of Walter Johnson, the assailant of Sheriff Wyatt Luther Nugent of Colfax
and Nugent's deputy, Delmer Lee Brunson. Johnson had fled into a wooded area about Lake Iatt.
, Texas
deputies Robert Alcorn and Ted Hinton
, and former Texas Ranger
s Frank Hamer
and B. M. "Manny" Gault.
In 1934, Jordan told the Associated Press he had been tracking Barrow and Parker for six weeks. In late May, he learned from a tipster that the couple were preparing to rob the First National Bank of Arcadia and would pass through Bienville Parish en route to the northern part of Natchitoches Parish
. He had been in contact with the father of Barrow protégé Henry Methvin and had induced the senior Methvin to betray the two outlaws, who stopped at the ambush site on a country road when they saw Methvin’s truck jacked up as if it were disabled.
The officers opened fire without warning on the fugitives, who were believed to have killed at least fourteen persons, including nine law enforcement personnel. Oakley and Jordan later expressed regret that Bonnie and Clyde were not allowed to surrender before being killed in a blaze of bullets from the officers. An attempt should have been made to take the pair alive, Jordan and Oakley said. Another account, however, quotes Jordan as having said that the posse did briefly attempt to warn Barrow to surrender: "We hollered to Barrow to halt as we wished to give them a chance. They went for their guns, and we let them have it. In the car we found three submachine gun
s, two automatic sawed-off shotgun
s, four .45-caliber
automatic pistols, two .38-caliber
automatic pistols and one .45-caliber revolver, [and] a large quantity of ammunition."
Jordan at first refused to return the bullet-ridden car driven by Clyde Barrow, having argued that the officers deserved the vehicle as a bounty for risking their lives for killing the fugitives. Eventually, a court ordered Jordan to release the vehicle, a 1934 Ford Model 40 Type 730 Fordor Sedan (De Luxe), to its original owner, Ruth Warren of Kansas
, though the car had Arkansas
plates.
. On Friday, June 13, 1958, Jordan, then sixty-one, was traveling west in the eastbound lane on U.S. Highway 80
, near Ruston
, when he struck a car head-on. In the other vehicle was 31-year-old Buford Caldwell, who died an hour later at a hospital. Ronald Webb Fullilove, a 10-year-old in another vehicle, also succumbed within an hour. Several others were injured in the crash.
Jordan and Oakley and their wives are interred at Arcadia Cemetery off Hazel Street in Arcadia. Their heirs, particularly those of Jordan, have continued to serve Bienville Parish as mayor, police juror (known as county commissioner in most other states), hospital board chairman, or banker.
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Bienville Parish
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Bienville Parish is a parish located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Arcadia and as of the 2000 census, the population is 15,752....
in north Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, was one of six law enforcement officers who on May 23, 1934, ambushed the fugitives Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
in a deadly encounter on Louisiana Highway 154 between Gibsland
Gibsland, Louisiana
Gibsland is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. Conveniently near Interstate 20 and less than an hour from both Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana, Gibsland offers small town living with access to urban amenities...
and Sailes to the south.
Background
According to his grave marker in ArcadiaArcadia, Louisiana
Arcadia is a town in and the parish seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,041 at the 2000 census....
, the Bienville Parish seat of government, Jordan served as a Private First Class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
in the 83rd Infantry Division during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was elected sheriff in 1932 and served two terms, having left the office in 1940, when he was succeeded by his chief deputy, Prentiss Morel Oakley
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
(1905 – 1957), another participant in the ambush of Barrow and Parker.
As sheriff, Jordan succeeded J. E. Currie, who had served in the position since 1908. In 1936, Jordan was among regional sheriffs who came into Grant Parish
Grant Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,698 people, 7,073 households, and 5,276 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 8,531 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
to direct posses in pursuit of Walter Johnson, the assailant of Sheriff Wyatt Luther Nugent of Colfax
Colfax, Louisiana
Colfax is a town in and the parish seat of Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town, founded in 1869, is named for the vice president of the United States, Schuyler M. Colfax , who served in the first term of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, for whom the parish is named. Colfax is part of...
and Nugent's deputy, Delmer Lee Brunson. Johnson had fled into a wooded area about Lake Iatt.
In pursuit of Bonnie and Clyde
Along with Jordan and Oakley, the other personnel involved in the capture of Bonnie and Clyde were Dallas CountyDallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
deputies Robert Alcorn and Ted Hinton
Ted Hinton
Ted Hinton was a Dallas County, Texas, Deputy Sheriff, the youngest of the posse that ambushed and killed Bonnie and Clyde near Gibsland, Louisiana, on May 23, 1934.-History:...
, and former Texas Ranger
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
s Frank Hamer
Frank Hamer
Francis Augustus Hamer was a Texas Ranger, known in popular culture for his involvement in tracking down and killing the criminal duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934...
and B. M. "Manny" Gault.
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Natchitoches Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Natchitoches. As of 2000, the population was 39,080. This is the heart of the Cane River Louisiana Creole community...
. He had been in contact with the father of Barrow protégé Henry Methvin and had induced the senior Methvin to betray the two outlaws, who stopped at the ambush site on a country road when they saw Methvin’s truck jacked up as if it were disabled.
The officers opened fire without warning on the fugitives, who were believed to have killed at least fourteen persons, including nine law enforcement personnel. Oakley and Jordan later expressed regret that Bonnie and Clyde were not allowed to surrender before being killed in a blaze of bullets from the officers. An attempt should have been made to take the pair alive, Jordan and Oakley said. Another account, however, quotes Jordan as having said that the posse did briefly attempt to warn Barrow to surrender: "We hollered to Barrow to halt as we wished to give them a chance. They went for their guns, and we let them have it. In the car we found three submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s, two automatic sawed-off shotgun
Sawed-off shotgun
A sawed-off shotgun also called a sawn-off shotgun and a short-barreled shotgun , is a type of shotgun with a shorter gun barrel and often a shorter or absent stock....
s, four .45-caliber
11 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the through caliber range.All measurements are in millimeters .-Pistol cartridges:-Revolver cartridges:-Rifle cartridges:-See also:...
automatic pistols, two .38-caliber
9 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the caliber range. The most prevalent of these rounds is the 9x19mm Parabellum.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge....
automatic pistols and one .45-caliber revolver, [and] a large quantity of ammunition."
Jordan at first refused to return the bullet-ridden car driven by Clyde Barrow, having argued that the officers deserved the vehicle as a bounty for risking their lives for killing the fugitives. Eventually, a court ordered Jordan to release the vehicle, a 1934 Ford Model 40 Type 730 Fordor Sedan (De Luxe), to its original owner, Ruth Warren of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, though the car had Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
plates.
Family and death
Jordan was married to the former Annie L. Gloer (February 10, 1899 – August 29, 1961). The couple had two children, Gloria J. Madden (born 1925), wife of the late Johns "Bub" Madden, and Larry Jordan, both of Arcadia. Oakley died in 1957; less than a year later, Jordan was killed instantly in an automobile accident in Lincoln ParishLincoln Parish, Louisiana
Lincoln Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Ruston. In 2004, its population was estimated to be 42,382...
. On Friday, June 13, 1958, Jordan, then sixty-one, was traveling west in the eastbound lane on U.S. Highway 80
U.S. Route 80
U.S. Route 80 is an east–west United States highway, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the route number indicates, it was originally a cross-country route, from the Atlantic to the Pacific...
, near Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, when he struck a car head-on. In the other vehicle was 31-year-old Buford Caldwell, who died an hour later at a hospital. Ronald Webb Fullilove, a 10-year-old in another vehicle, also succumbed within an hour. Several others were injured in the crash.
Jordan and Oakley and their wives are interred at Arcadia Cemetery off Hazel Street in Arcadia. Their heirs, particularly those of Jordan, have continued to serve Bienville Parish as mayor, police juror (known as county commissioner in most other states), hospital board chairman, or banker.