John Riley Flowers 1863 AR-1916 TX, told family members that he was the original "Kid Jackson" of the Bass gang. While research shows he probably was NOT Frank Jackson, John DID serve time in Rusk Pen, Cherokee Co., TX from ca 1896 -ca 1905 for something. I am still trying to find out what it was.
In Denton Co., TX (Sam Bass H.Q.), there was a Flowers family. The widow Mary (Unknown) [Harris] Flowers, widow of Wyatt Flowers of Franklin Co., AR (who had a treason charge leveled against him in Fort Smith AR, but never served any time as far as I can tell). They did have a son named John Flowers born around the same time frame as John Riley Flowers, but I need further proof that their John is my John Flowers.
John Riley Flowers is listed on both the 1900 Comanche Co., TX Federal Census (with his family with a note in margin of "In Penitentiary"), birthplace AR x 3, and on the 1900 Cherokee Co., TX census, incarcerated, but listing his birthplace as OH x 3. Interesting, huh?
All the family knows is that our John Riley Flowers had a sister named Kate (Wyatt Flowers aso had a daughter named Catharine whom they called Katie, but had several other children who would be full siblings to John, as well as several half-siblings to John).
John Riley Flowers also told the family that when he was going to marry Mary Ann Cowden, daughter of James Cowden and Matilda Henry of Benton & Washington Cos., TX., that his mama sat him down, told him he was born a BUSTLE/BUSSEL and that he had a choice of names.