John Thomas Bullock was born on January 24, 1899, in Laurens, South Carolina, to Mary J. Bullock. He married Willie Austin on April 8, 1917, and settled in Greenville, South Carolina. By 1920, the couple had two sons—Arthur and Jack H.—and lived with John’s mother. John worked as a chauffeur for a private family.
By 1930, the family had moved to Port Henry, Essex County, New York, where John worked as a laborer in the iron ore mines. He and Willie had several children, including Arthur, Jesse, John Jr., Murray, and Anna May.
In 1933, John was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of William Shelton following a long-standing feud. He was sentenced to 20 years to life and imprisoned at Clinton Prison. At the time of his sentencing, John was 6’3″, weighed 178 pounds, had five years of education, and supported seven children.
He registered for the WWII draft in 1943, listing his address as 52 Elizabeth Street, Port Henry. By 1950, he was living alone, separated from his wife, and working as an iron ore driller.
John passed away on September 21, 1961, and was buried at Moriah Union Cemetery in Essex County, New York.