Transcript

4.3.26 · History Hour

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Speaker 1: Hello and welcome. This is a radioized history show and
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I'm your reader and host, Joseph Bolt, happy to be
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with you for this time. And as always, before we begin,
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we need to remind you that Radio I is listener driven,
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so that means you your listeners out there. If you
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have comments or suggestions about anything we do in our programming,
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and especially this particular show, would be my interest. If
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you have any thoughts at all about what I'm doing,
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or suggestions about some history topics that you want me
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to cover, I'll be happy to look at them. Call
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five nine four two to six three nine zero and
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let us know what you are thinking. RADIOI is a
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reating service intended for people who are blind or have
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other disabilities to make it difficult to read printed material.
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I'll cite the sources as we go along today. So
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today I thought we would focus on some American history,
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particularly out west Midwest a bunch of boys called the Daltons.
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So let's talk about the Dalton of the Dalton Gang
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and see what they were up to. The Dalton Gang
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was a group of outlaws who primarily operated in Oklahoma
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and Kansas between the years of eighteen ninety and ninety two.
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They were also known as the Dalton Brothers because three
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of their members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank
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and train robberies. The Dalton Brothers were once on the
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side of the law, but turned outlaws in the eighteen nineties.
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Some met their end in Coffeeville, Kansas during a daring
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double bank robbery, which we'll talk about here in a
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little while. The Dalton Brothers were part of a large
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family headed by parents Adeline Younger Dalton and James Lewis Dalton.
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Lewis Dalton came west from Kentucky to Missouri during the
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late eighteen forties. In the eighteen fifties, he was trading
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horses and running a saloon in Westport, Missouri now Kansas City,
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when he married Adelaine. Adelaine's brother was the father of
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Bob Younger, Coal Younger, and James Younger. Most of their
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fifteen children were born in Missouri before the family migrated
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to Indian Territory, which would have been Oklahoma back in
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eighteen eighty two. In eighteen eighty six, they moved again
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to a place near Coffeeville, Kansas. In this rough and
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wild area, the Daltin brothers inherited a tradition of violence
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on the bloody ground of the Missouri Kansas border, where
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Quantrelle's Raiders and other guerrilla bands operated before and during
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the Civil War. When the Oklahoma Territory opened for settlement
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in eighteen eighty nine, the family headed south again. However,
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Lewis died along the way, leaving Adelaine to raise the
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younger children alone. Adeline continued, placing a claim on the
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banks of Kingfisher Creek in Indian Territory, where initially she
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and the family lived in a dugout. By this time,
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the older Dalton brothers were on their own, so for
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a short time, the brother served on the side of
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the law, working as US deputy marshals. Their older brother,
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Frank Dalton, was commissioned as a deputy marshal for the
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Federal Court in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Bob Dalton served
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on several of his posses. On November twenty seventh, eighteen
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eighty seven, in a gun battle with the Smith Dixon gang,
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Frank Dalton was shot and killed in the line of duty.
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Grat Dalton followed in Frank's footsteps, first taking his place
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as a Deputy Marshal in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and two
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years later as a Deputy Marshal for the Muskegee Court
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in Indian Territory in eighteen eighty nine. That same year,
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he received a bullet in his arm while attempting to
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arrest a suspect. Bob Dalton was also commissioned as a
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Deputy Marshal for the Federal Court in Wichital, Kansas. Working
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in the Osage Nation in eighteen eighty nine, Bob Dalton,
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who would later become the leader of the Dalton Gang,
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was the wildest of the bunch. When he was just nineteen,
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he killed a man, claiming it was in the line
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of duty. Nevertheless, some suspected that the victim had tried
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to take away Bob's girl. While Emmitt Dalton worked as
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a member of some of his brothers posses, he made
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his living as a cowboy on the bar x Bar
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Ranch near the Pawnee Agency in the present day o
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Sage Nation. While working at the ranch, Emmett met two
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men who would later become members of the gang. Bill
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Doolan and William Saint Power alias Bill Power. Power also
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known as Tom Evans, had drifted into the area from
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Texas with a trail heard from the Pecos. Emmett also
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made the acquaintance of several other cowboys working on nearby
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ranches who would later become part of the gang. These
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included people like Charlie Pearce, George Bittercreek Newcombe, Bill Eklaney,
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Charlie Bryant, and Richard Dick Broadwell alias Texas Jack and
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John Moore. Charlie Pearce was from the Blue River Country
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in Missouri, but headed to Indian Territory to avoid serving
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jail time for whiskey peddley. Dick Broadwell was from a
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prominent family near Hutcheson, Kansas, and at the opening of
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Oklahoma Territory, he staked the claim to a homestead in
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the Cowboy Flats area. There, he met a young lady
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who owned the homestead next to his and asked her
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to marry him. After their marriage, she persuaded him to
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sell both claims and move with her to Fort Worth, Texas,
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where she disappeared with the money. The Bitter Broadwell returned
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to Indian Territory, that is, and started work on the ranches.
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George Newcomb, also known as Bitter Creek Newcomb, was originally
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from Fort Scott, Kansas. At the age of twelve, he
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started his career as a cowboy and working for C. C.
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Slaughter on the long S Ranch in Texas before drifting
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into Indian territory. Charlie Bryant came from Wise County, Texas.
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A gunpowder burn on his cheek earned him the nickname
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Blackfaced Charlie. For a short time, the Dalton brother served
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with distinction on the side of the law. However, a
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narrow margin separated the lawless from the law enforcers during
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those rough times, slipping from one side to the other.
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Bob Dalton, along with his brother Emmett, were charged with
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selling whiskey on the Osage Nation. On March twenty first,
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eighteen ninety jumping bail, Bob and Emmett headed to New Mexico,
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forming their first gang. Bob recruited George Bittercreek, Newcomb, Bill Elslaney,
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and Blackface Charlie Bryant to ride with him. The Dalphin
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Gang committed their first robbery at a gambling house in
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Silver City, New Mexico. After riding into the mining camp,
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the crew sat down at a game where they lost
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heavily convinced the game was crooked, they pulled their guns,
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taking back what they had lost and then some. Bob
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and Emmett then fled to California, where their younger brother,
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Bill was a successful farmer and rancher. In September of
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eighteen ninety, Grat was arrested for stealing horses, but was
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later released for a lack of evidence. Gratt lost his
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job as a deputy marshal for conduct unbecoming of an officer,
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but he still worked as a posse man for other
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deputy marshals in the area for a time. Later, he
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too left Indian Territory and joined his brothers in California.
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Before Bob, Emmett and Grat arrived at Bill's ranch in California,
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Bill had married, lived a respectable life, and became involved
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in politics as part of the Populist Party. During this time,
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Bill became embroiled in a populous fight with the railroad
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backed political machine, referring to the railroad as the s
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P Robber Bearons. The political fight was based on battles
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between the Southern Pacific Railroad and local farmers over land.
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Bill's anger with the railroad is thought to be maybe
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one of the reasons, the brothers decided to rob a
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Southern Pacific train headed to Los Angeles on February sixth,
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eighteen ninety one. Prior to this robber, Bill had not
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been in trouble with the law at all. Bill, along
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with Bob, Grat, and Emmett, attempted to hold up the
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train at Juliah, California, but this first attempt at train
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robbery was a fiasco. While Bill kept the passengers from
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interfering by shooting over their heads, the others forced the
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engineer to show them the location of the cash carry
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an express car. When the engineer, a man by the
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name of George Radcliffe, tried to slip away, he was
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shot and killed. Finding the express car on their own,
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the guard refused to open the heavy door and began
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firing at them. Thwarted, the brothers finally gave up and
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rode away. Bob and Emmett then fled California with a
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posse on their tail. However, Gratt and Bill were arrested.
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Bob and Emmett made their way back to Indian Territory
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and hooked up with Emmett's old ranching buddies, Charlie Bryant,
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and Bitter Creek, Newcombe. In May of eighteen ninety one,
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the four robbed the train at Wharton, Indian Territory, making
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off with one thousand, seven hundred and forty five dollars. Meanwhile,
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in California, Dalton was found guilty of the train robbery
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on July third, eighteen ninety one, and was sentenced to
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twenty years in prison. Three months after the Wharton robbery,
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in August of eighteen ninety one, Charlie Bryant became ill
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and was taken to a doctor in Hennessy, Oklahoma. While there,
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Deputy Marshal Ed Short arrested Bryant while he was recovering
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from his illness at a local hotel. There being no
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jail in Hennessy, the Marshall loaded Bryant on a train
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and headed to the federal jail in Wichita. En route,
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Bryan somehow obtained a gun and attempted to escape. In
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the ensuing shootout between Bryant and Short, both men were
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killed by shots from the other. The Dalton Gang's next
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robbery was the Missouri Kansas Texas Railway at Leledia near
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Wagoner in Indian Territory, with Bob and Emmett were Bittercreek, Newcombe,
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Bill Power, Dick Broadwell, Charlie Pearce, and Bill Doolin. On
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the night of September fifteenth, eighteen ninety one, they stopped
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and boarded the train robbed the express of twenty five
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hundred dollars. Back in California on September eighteenth, Grat escaped
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while on the train, which was transferring him to prison.
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According to one account, Grat was handcuffed to one of
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the two deputies who accompanied him. While one of the
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deputies was asleep and the other was busy talking to
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other passengers, Grat stole the key to the handcuffs and
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jumped from the window of the moving train, landing in
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the San Joaquin River. Ratt made his way back to
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Oklahoma and quickly joined back up with the gang, where
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his brother Bill was still in California awaiting trial. In
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the end, Bill Dalton was acquitted on October tenth, eighteen
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ninety one, and of the train robbery, for which Gratt
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had been sentenced to twenty years. The winter of eighteen
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ninety one found the Dalton brothers relatively quiet, but as
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soon as spring arrived they teamed up with Pierced Newcombe, Power, Broadwell,
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and Doolan to plan another train hold up. Waiting for
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the train at the station on June first, eighteen ninety
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two at Red Rock, Oklahoma, they sensed danger when the
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train arrived without any lights shining from its coach windows. Quickly,
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they abandoned their plan plans and allowed the train to
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pass without incident. However, within a short time time, a
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second train came along and they boarded this one. Charlie
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Bryant and Dick Broadwell held the engineer and firemen in
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the locomotive, while Bob Emmett and Bill Power walked through
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the passenger cars taking jewelry and cash. Bill Dolan and
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Grant Doltin took on the express car. Throwing the safe
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out of the train loot in hand. The bandits rode away,
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only to discover that they had gathered little for their effort,
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as the safe only contained about fifty dollars. Later, they
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found out their suspicions were correct regarding the train that
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they had allowed to pass, as it had been full
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of armed guards protecting seventy thousand dollars of the Sack
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and Fox annuity. Obviously not happy with their take. In June,
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they planned another train raine heist on July fourteenth, eighteen
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ninety two, at Pryor Creek in Indian Territory. Arriving at
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the train station, they first took what they could or
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what they could find rather from the express and baggage rooms,
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then calmly sat down waiting for the train to arrive
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with their shotguns over their knees. Once again, the train
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was loaded with deputies, but for some reason, they were
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all on the back of the train. The gang backed
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a wagon up to the express car and unloaded all
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of the contents, quickly subduing the only armed guard in
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the express car. When the marshals finally discovered the robbery,
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a fierce gun battle broke out, where two guards were
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killed as well as an innocent bystander, and another was wounded.
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The gang escaped unharmed, making off with seventeen thousand dollars
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in cash. After this train robbery, a prize of five
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thousand dollars was placed on each of the Dalton's heads.
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With the law hot on their tails, the Dalton gang
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split up for a short time, but it wasn't long
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before they began to plan another robbery, This one to
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be their biggest yet. According to the National Park Service,
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Bob Dalton wanted to leave his mark on the Wild West.
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He declared that the gang would beat anything Jesse James
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had ever done, robbing two banks at once in broad daylight.
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In early October of eighteen ninety two, brothers Bob Gratt
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and Emmitt Dalton, along with Bill Power and Dick Broadwell,
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set out toward Coffeeville, Kansas, the Dalton's hometown, arriving on
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the evening of October four at the P. L. Davis Farm,
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four miles west of Coffeeville. They made camp for the
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night and prepared for the next day. Early on the
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morning of October five, eighteen ninety two, the five outlaws
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rode into Coffeeville shortly after nine a m. To find
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the city's streets filled with people tying their horses in
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an alley across from the banks. They dismounted and marched
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down the alley, three in front and two in the rear.
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The outlaws, disguised with false beards, divided into two groups,
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with Grat, Power and Broadwell entering the Siam Condon and
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Company Bank, and Bob and Emmett crossing the plaza to
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enter the First National Bank, the Skies or No. When
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they left the alley, they passed within five feet of
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a man by the name of Alec McKenna, who recognized
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one of them as a member of the Dalton family.
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He watched the men as they entered the bank, and
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when he saw a gun pointed at the cashier's counter
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in the Condon Bank, he called out, the bank is
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being robbed. The cry was taken up and quickly passed
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to everyone around the square. Wasting no time. The local
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townsmen quickly armed themselves with weapons from the hardware store
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and took up positions to defend the town. Inside the
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Condon Bank were ct Carpenter, one of the owners, Tom C. Babb, bookkeeper,
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and Charles M. Ball, cashier. They were quickly taken hostage
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by the outlaws in order to surrender the money. A
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quick thinking cashier Ball told them there was a time
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lock on the vault and that it could not be
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opened for another ten minutes. Grat Power and Broadwell were
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fooled in the waiting, which gave the townspeople additional time
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to get themselves armed. Meanwhile, at the First National Bank,
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Bob and Emmett captured Thomas g Ayres cashier, W. H.
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Shepherd and bs Ayers bookkeeper, whom they forced to collect
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the money. At first, the two dolphins others tried to
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escape out the front door, using the three bankers as
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a shield, but when the townsmen shot at them anyway,
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they decided to use the rear door. While waiting at
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the Condon Bank, bullets began to punch through the bank windows,
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and Grat broad Well in Power charged out of the
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bank into the plaza. All three were hit as they
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ran toward the alley. Bob and Emmett ran around the block,
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pausing long enough to kill two citizens, and entered the
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alley at about the same time that Grat and the
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others got there. Finding cover behind an oil tank, Grat
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fired several wild shots as John J. Klure, Carrie Seaman,
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and Marshall Connolly followed them into the alley. Grat shot
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and killed Marshall Conley. Someone hit Bob Dalton, who sat down,
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fired several aimless shots, slumped over and died. John Klure
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put the wounded Grat down for good with a bullet
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in the neck. Power died in the dust about ten
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feet away. Already mortally wounded, Broadwell got to his horse
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and rode half a mile toward safety before he pitched
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out of the saddle and died on the road. Emmett,
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who was carrying the money bag, tried to mount his
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horse but was hit in the right arm, left hip
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and groaning. He then rode back for his brother Bob.
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As he had reached down for him, Carrie Seaman unloaded
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both barrels of his shotgun into Emmittt's back and Emmett
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dropped to the alley. Emmett then held up his uninjured
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hand and surrendered. He was taken to doctor Wells's office
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with twenty bullets, and the doctor said he would be
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dead before nightfall. However, twenty one year old Emmett survived.
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The entire gun battle lasted less than fifteen minutes after
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the robbers had entered the banks. Eight men were dead
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and three were wounded. In addition to the four outlaws
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who were killed, four local men were killed, including Marshall,
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Charles Connolly, Lucius Baldwin, George Coubine, and Charles Brown. Emmittt
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stood trial and was sentenced to life in prison. However,
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due in part to his friends on the right side
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of the law who thought he was not beyond redemption.
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Emmett was pardoned in nineteen oh seven. On September one,
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nineteen oh eight, Emmittt married Julia Johnson Gilstrap Lewis in Oklahoma,
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where they lived for a couple of years before moving
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to California. In California, Emmett worked as a building contractor
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and later wrote a book about the exploits of the
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Dalton Gang entitled When the Dalton's Road, written in collaboration
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with Jack Young Meyer, a Los Angeles newspaper man, The
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book was published in nineteen thirty one. In May of
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thirty one, Emmitt and Julia returned to Coffeeville for a visit,
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where they were treated like celebrities. Emmett died at home
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in Long Beach, California, on July thirteenth, nineteen thirty seven,
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at the age of sixty six. In nineteen forty, shortly
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after Emmett's death, the book was made into a Western
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movie starring Randolph Scott, Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, and Kay Francis.
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Julia Dalton was associated with the filming as a technical advisor. Later,
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she went on to Coffeeville, Kansas for the premiere. Coffinville
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was not the end of the Dalton Gang. Three members
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of the old gang remained at large, Bill Doolin, Bittercreek Newcomb,
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and Charlie Pearce. In fact, Bill Doolan is thought by
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many historians to be the sixth member of the gang
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that hit Coffeeville holding the horses in the isley, and
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the only member to have escaped. Bill Dalton also joined
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the former members of the gang and they would terrorize
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the territories for several years as the infamous Doolin Dalton Gang,
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also known as the Wild Bunch. Sources for today's show
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came from Legends of America dot com. The Deadly Dalton
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Gang written by Kathy Alexander May of twenty twenty five,
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and from All That's Interesting dot com, The Rise and
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Follow the Dalton Gang The Wild West Outlaws who tried
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to rob two banks at once, written by Kendrick Foster,
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edited by John Kuroski in November of twenty twenty five. Well,
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that does it again for a chapter of a Radio
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I history. I'm your host, Joseph Bolt, and I'll be
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back next time with another chapter of history from Radio
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I until then, Happy trails to you.