John Jones (Coch Bach y Bala)

A habitual criminal, Jones spent over half his life in prison from which he made repeated attempts (some successful) to escape.

Six days later while being tracked on land near Llanelidan he was shot in the leg by Reginald Jones-Bateman and bled to death from the wound.

Because of his exploits in escaping he was held in some regard by the local population and his funeral was well attended.

John Jones … effected his escape from Ruthin Prison on Tuesday morning, in a sensational manner, and at the time of writing is still at large.

He gained his liberty as the result of indomitable pluck, great astuteness, and wonderful agility … ‘Coch Bach’ is regarded by some as a hero; his performance is certainly a daring piece of work.