The Denison Press
Friday, February 24, 1950
pg. 1

EYE WITNESS TELLS OF McLEAN DEATH TRAP SET ON LONELY ROAD
Victim Expires in Arms of Wife; Arrest Is Made

What might have been a twist of fate in his direction could have saved the life of H.L. McLean, owner of Lake Texoma's Hi-Land Lodge, about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.  Had the man who is said to have plotted the death of McLean and set a death trap for his man, repented when the trap was sprung by an innocent passer-by, McLean might be alive today.
But there was no repentance and the plan to take the life of McLean carried through and a young man named William M. Jones is in jail charged with the murder of McLean.
The trap which is said to have been set for McLean was a log placed on the road along which McLean was expected to pass.  Instead of McLean being the first man to passalong the way, another party came first and after alighting from his car, removed the log and went along his way.  Again the death trap was set. Soon the man for whom the trap was laid came along.  He alighted from his maching and was in the act of removing the barricade when Jones is said to have opened fire on his man, while McLean, pleading not to shoot, was felled in the midst of a volley of shots fired from a .22 calibre automatic rifle.

STATEMENT OF EYE WITNESS
The following stagement was given by an eye witness, E.H. (Red) Perrin, driver of a Meadowlake truck, who resides in Sherman.  Perrin was in his family car with his wife and three children and was driving immediately behind the McLean car.
"On seeing McLean setp out of his car, I also saw a man approaching him with a gun leveled on McLean.  I pleaded with him not to shoot the man down.  But instead of paying any attention, he told me to 'get going and do it quick or I'll let you have it.  Don't tell anybody about what you saw.'
"Upon hearing his threat and knowing my family would be in danger there was nothing left for me to do, but to do as he said.  I hated more than one could imagine to leave the man shooting down another, but there was nothing I could do about it.  The man with the gun approached the death car and kept shooting until the party dropped on the road," concluded Mr. Perrin.
Later the arrest of Jones was effected and a charge of murder with malice aforethought was lodged against
him and he was locked up in the Sherman jail.  Jones was arrested by Sheriff M.G. Dicken and Deputy Bruce
Barton.
McLean was rushed to a hospital in Denison, but death ensued before he arrived at the hosptial.  He expired while in the arms of his wife, who had been hurried to the scene of the shooting from the camp not far away.
Sheriff Dicken stated that some months back Jones had been locked up on a charge of pilfering the McLean camp and the shooting was a grudge result, Jones stating at the scene of the shooting just before pumping several shots into the body of McLean that "He  (McLean) told a lie on me."
McLean came to Denison from Dallas and his wife, they were operating Hi-Land Lodge, one of the most expensive pleasure resorts on Lake Texoma.  Following funeral services here Thursday morning, the body of McLean was sent to Dallas where interment was made in Crown Hill cemtery.
Surviving besides his widow are one daughter, Miss Shirlene McLean, a student at the University of Texas, andn two brothers, Joe McLean of Livonia, Louisiana and Fred McLean of Maringuoin, Louisiana.

Dallas Morning News
March 4, 1950

Young Farmer Indicted for McLean Death
Special to The News

Denison, Tex., March 3. - William Morris Jones, 26-year-old Pottsboro farmer, was indicted for murder Friday as the ambush-slayer of R.H. McLean, formerly of Dallas.
McLean was the operator of a Lake Texoma resort.  He was killed February 21 when he got out of his car to investigate a
road block that had been set up on the route to his camp. When McLean left his car, he was killed by rifle shots.
Jones was arrested shortly after the shooting.  Officers believed the shooting grew out of burglary complaints made some time ago by McLean.  Officers said Jones made a half-hearted suicide attempt Thursday night. He was found with his left
arm slashed with a knife. Jones was being held in the county jail at Sherman.


Corsicana Daily Sun
Corsicana, Texas
22 February 1950 Wednesday
pg 4

MAN HELD FOR SLAYING TEXAS RESORT OWNER
Denison, Feb. 33. - (AP) Murder charges were to be filed today against a 26-year old man of Pottsboro, Texas, in the fatal shooting of R. H. McLean, 43, Dallas.
McLean, a retired automobile dealer who owned a resort on Lake Texoma, was shot late yesterday on a road seven miles west of here.
Sheriff Markle Dicken said the Pottsboro resident admitted  the shooting and was being held in jail.
The sheriff said the man apparently was bitter because of one time last year he was questioned in connection with a series of burglaries at Lake Texoma homes.
E. H. Perrin of Sherman told the sheriff that he was following McLean's car when they came to a log barricades across the road. He said McLean got out of his car to move the logs, and a man began to shoot McLean from behind a tree.
Perrin said the man ran off into the woods after he had emptied his rifle at McLean.
Sheriff Dickens aid he and his deputies found the Pottsoboro man barricaded in  a barn near his home.


Valley Morning Star
Harligen, Texas
Feb 23. 1950 Thursday
pg 3

Murder With Malice  
Charged with Slaying
Denison (AP) - William Morris (Frosty) Jones, 26, was charged with murder with malice Wednesday in the slaying Tuesday night of a retired Dallas car dealer.
R. H. McLean, 43, was shot on a road seven miles west of here. He owned a resort on Lake Texoma.
Sheriff Merkle Dicken said Jones, a Pottsboro resident, admitted the shooting after he was found barricaded in a barn near his home.

Dallas Morning News
23 February 1950

Final Rites Planned for R.H. McLean
Masonic graveside rites for R.H. McLean, Lake Texoma resort owner who was slain Tuesday, will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday at Crown Hill Mausoleum.
McLean, a former Dallas resident, was ambushed and slain near his resort, Hi-Land Lodge, Tuesday afternoon.  A suspect arrested in a near-by barn, admitted the slaying, Grayson County Sheriff Merkle Dicken said.
McLean was a native of Louisiana.  He lived in Dallas about twenty years and operated the City Tire & Battery Company on North Akard near McKinney.
He was a past master of the Trinity Valley Masonic Lodge, a Knight Templar, a 32' Mason, a member of Dallas Commandery No. 6 and Hella Temple.  He was a member of the High Noon Club.
Trinity Valley Lodge will be in charge of the Thursday graveside Masonic rites.  The Rev. Kenneth Hay will officiate also.
McLean sold his Dallas business and moved to Lake Texoma about three and a half years ago.
He is survived by his wife and a daughter, Miss Shirlene McLean, who is a student at the University of Texas.


Pampa Daily News
Pampa Texas
March 5, 1950 Sunday
pg 14

Indictment Returned in Texoma Slaying
Denison - (AP) William Morris Jones, 26, of Pottsboro, Texas, has been indicted here on a charge of murder in the Feb. 21 slaying of R. H. McLean, Lake Texoma resort owner.
McLean was shot from ambush.
Jones is being held without bond in Sherman.


The Brownsville Herald
Brownsville, Texas
Mar 5 1950
pg 1

MURDER TRIAL
Sherman (AP) - The trial of William Morris Jones, indicted on charges of murdering R. H. McLean, Texoma resort owner,
has been set for March 13.


Corsicana Daily Sun
Corsicana Texas
Mar 14 1950 Tuesday
pg 9

Evidence Slated In Sherman Trial
Sherman, March 14 (AP) - The murder trial of William Morris Jones, 26, may reach the testimony stage today. Selection of
a jury for the trial was completed Monday night.
Jones is charged with murder in the death of Ramsey H. McLean Feb. 21 near his lodge on Lake Texoma.

The Courier-Gazette
McKinney Texas
Mar 16, 1950    Thursday
pg 6

Morris Trial Is Underway
Sherman, Tex., March 16 (INS) - The murder trial of William Morris Jones continues today after an interruption yesterday afternoon when the defendant began struggling with officers in court.
Jones, a 26-year-old farm laborer, is charged with the fatal shooting of Ramsey H. McLean, former Dallas tire dealer near Lake Texoma last Feb. 21,
The struggle started during a recess while the jury was out of the courtroom.


Lubbock Morning Avalanche
Lubbock Texas
Friday, March 17, 1950
pg 28

Farm Laborer Gets Life Term In Slaying of Dallas Man
Sherman, March 16 (AP) - A jury today convicted William Morris Jones of murdering Raymond H. McLean and gave Jones
a life prison sentence.
Jones is a 26-year-old laborer. McLean was a former Dallas tire dealer.
The jury received the case at 2:40 p.m. and was out an hour. A crowd of about 500 persons heard Judge R. C. Slagle read
the verdict.
While County Attorney Ralph Elliott was making his closing argument to the jury, Jones jumped out of his chair in the district court room and shouted, "Let's get it over with - I'm ready to go."
Elliott asked that Jones be given the death penalty. McLean was shot to death with a rife near Lake Texoma last Feb. 21.
The defendant is pleading insanity.

FELONY
Susan Hawkins
© 2024

If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message.