Changes

Born in  [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], Batton was the older of two sons of James Bryant Batton (1880-1939) and Nolie K. Batton (1881-1971). Batton graduated in 1929 from [[Minden (Louisiana) High School|Minden High School]] and for a year thereafter attended Tyler Commercial College in [[Tyler, Texas|Tyler]], [[Texas]].<ref name=candidacystatement>"J. D. Batton Issues Statement Giving Candidacy", ''Minden Herald'', October 24, 1947, pp. 1, 5.</ref>​

Born in  [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], Batton was the older of two sons of James Bryant Batton (1880-1939) and Nolie K. Batton (1881-1971). Batton graduated in 1929 from [[Minden (Louisiana) High School|Minden High School]] and for a year thereafter attended Tyler Commercial College in [[Tyler, Texas|Tyler]], [[Texas]].<ref name=candidacystatement>"J. D. Batton Issues Statement Giving Candidacy", ''Minden Herald'', October 24, 1947, pp. 1, 5.</ref>​

Batton's father, J. B. Batton, a native of [[rural]] Dubberly in south Webster Parish,<ref name=jbbgrave>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122605540|title=James Bryant Batton|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=September 12, 2014}}</ref> was a former Webster Parish deputy sheriff, a two-term Minden police chief,<ref name="Minden Herald 1947, p. 1">''Minden Herald'', October 24, 1947, p. 1.</ref> and an unsuccessful candidate for sheriff in an all-Democratic [[special election]] conducted on June 6, 1933. Held barely a month after a devastating [[tornado]] struck the city on May 1, the election was required to replace Sheriff Arthur Montgomery Hough (1873-1933), who died on May 7 of [[influenza]].<ref>"Parish Pays Final Tribute to Sheriff Hough Monday", ''Minden Signal-Tribune'', May 9, 1933, p. 1.</ref>​

Batton's father, J. B. Batton, a native of [[rural]] Dubberly in south Webster Parish,<ref name=jbbgrave>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122605540|title=James Bryant Batton|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=September 12, 2014}}</ref> was a former Webster Parish deputy sheriff, a two-term Minden police chief,<ref name="Minden Herald 1947, p. 1">''Minden Herald'', October 24, 1947, p. 1.</ref> and an unsuccessful candidate for sheriff in an all-Democratic [[special election]] conducted on June 6, 1933. Held barely a month after a devastating [[tornado]] struck the city on May 1, the election was required to replace Sheriff Arthur Montgomery Hough (1873-1933), who died on May 7 of [[influenza]].<ref>"Parish Pays Final Tribute to Sheriff Hough Monday", ''Minden Signal-Tribune,'' May 9, 1933, p. 1.</ref>​

As the chief deputy under Sheriff Hough, the senior O. H. Haynes won the special election in which 80 percent of registered voters cast ballots. His bare majority, 50.8 percent of the vote, negated the need for a runoff election. The runner-up in the race, with 22.2 percent, was Louie A. Jones (1900-1965),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Jones&GSfn=L&GSmn=A&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1965&GSdyrel=in&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=118634849&df=all&|title=Louie A. Jones (1900-1965)|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=September 12, 2014}}</ref> the assistant superintendent of the Louisiana State Police and personal bodyguard of [[Governor]] [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]], and subsequently the warden of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola in West Feliciana Parish. Another candidate, J. D. Huckaby, was the president of the Webster Parish Police Jury. J. Bryant Batton finished last in the race with 7.8 percent of the ballots cast; he won a plurality only in Dubberly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mindenmemories.org/government.htm|title=Echoes of the Past: Sheriff's Race 1933|publisher=''Minden Press-Herald''|author=John A. Agan|accessdate=September 12, 2014}}</ref> Haynes, Sr., held the sheriff's position for nineteen years.<ref name=mindenandperseverance>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grfQzpojKc4C&pg=PT216&lpg=PT216&dq=J.+D.+Batton&source=bl&ots=4nHeyHMBdu&sig=ff5fMvEbDjxTuYeEMoQGFDR3ADg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=U94EVOecIcjf8AGK3IDgBA&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=J.%20D.%20Batton&f=false|title=Minden: Perseverance and Pride|author=[[John Agan]]|date=2002|publisher=Arcadia Publishing Company|location=Mount Pleasant,[[South Carolina]]|isbn=9781439630532|accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref>

As the chief deputy under Sheriff Hough, the senior O. H. Haynes won the special election in which 80 percent of registered voters cast ballots. His bare majority, 50.8 percent of the vote, negated the need for a runoff election. The runner-up in the race, with 22.2 percent, was Louie A. Jones (1900-1965),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Jones&GSfn=L&GSmn=A&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1965&GSdyrel=in&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=118634849&df=all&|title=Louie A. Jones (1900-1965)|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=September 12, 2014}}</ref> the assistant superintendent of the Louisiana State Police and personal bodyguard of [[Governor]] [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]], and subsequently the warden of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola in West Feliciana Parish. Another candidate, J. D. Huckaby, was the president of the Webster Parish Police Jury. J. Bryant Batton finished last in the race with 7.8 percent of the ballots cast; he won a plurality only in Dubberly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mindenmemories.org/government.htm|title=Echoes of the Past: Sheriff's Race 1933|publisher=''Minden Press-Herald''|author=[[John Agan]]|accessdate=September 12, 2014}}</ref> Haynes, Sr., held the sheriff's position for nineteen years.<ref name=mindenandperseverance>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grfQzpojKc4C&pg=PT216&lpg=PT216&dq=J.+D.+Batton&source=bl&ots=4nHeyHMBdu&sig=ff5fMvEbDjxTuYeEMoQGFDR3ADg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=U94EVOecIcjf8AGK3IDgBA&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=J.%20D.%20Batton&f=false|title=Minden: Perseverance and Pride|author=John Agan|date=2002|publisher=Arcadia Publishing Company|location=Mount Pleasant,[[South Carolina]]|isbn=9781439630532|accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref>

==Law enforcement career==

==Law enforcement career==