The Dalton Gang


Left to Right: Bill Powers, Bob Dalton, Grat Dalton, Dick Broadwell

     The Dalton Gang which made there run between May of 1891 to October of 1892, were made up of three brothers. Bob Dalton the leader, Grat the oldest and Emmett the youngest. Other member were Charley Bryant, George "Bittercreek" Newcomb, Bill Powers, Dick Broadwell, Charlie Pierce, and Bill Doolin. There criminal career consisted of four train robberies in the Territory before they tried the two bank at Coffeyville, Kansas on Oct. 5th 1892. The surviving gang members, Newcomb, Pierce and Doolin would later start another gang called the "Wild Bunch", or "The Doolin Gang".

     

Crimes of the Dalton Gang

     May, 8, 1891, Wharton (Perry), Oklahoma T. Robbery of the Santa Fe Railroad, Texas Express. Emmett Dalton said that about nine thousand dollars was the haul. A report from the Topeka headquarters of the Santa Fe gave the amount as $1,500, while Well Fargo tallied the loss at $1,745. Emmett maintained the express and railroad officials minimized it. Apparently, the divvy amounted to a little more than $400 per man. Members present were, Bob, Emmett, Charley Bryant, and George Newcomb. Not until sometime later did they learn that the Guthrie bank money was had been hidden inside a stove.

     September 15, 1891, Leliaetta, Robbery of the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas (Katy) Railroad. Emmett Dalton stated there take was $9,400 and eighty pounds of silver. But actually, the Lehigh payroll in the through safe was not molested, and the express company loss was $2,500 in silver- making each outlaw's divvy more then $300, less then the take at Wharton. Members present were Bob, Emmett, Grat, Bill Doolin, George Newcomb, Bill Powers, Charlie Pierce, and Dick Broadwell.

     June 1, 1892, Red Rock Station, Santa Fe, located on the Ote Indian Reservation, forty miles south of Arkansas City, Kansas. Their was two trains that appeared that night and Bob Dalton stopped his men from robbing the first train that arrived for it didn't look right, the light in the passengers cars and others were off. After that train left the station another soon arrived. The first reports from Arkansas City stated the Daltons had escaped with $70,000, Sac and Fox annuity. However, the money had gone through on the first train, guarded by an armed posse of marshals and Wells Fargo detectives. Emmett Dalton set the take at 7 to 11 thousands. But really they didn't get more then $2,000 for there trouble, four the railroad only claim a few hundred dollars. Members present were Bob, Grat, Emmett, Dick Broadwell, George Newcomb, Charlie pierce, Bill Doolin and Bill Powers.

     July 14, 1892, Adair Station, The Katy Railroad, A pleasant little farm town in eastern Oklahoma. When the train came into the station it was carrying eight guards. Among them were J.J. Kinney, special detective of the railroad company, Capt. Charley Le Flore, Alf McCay and Bud Kell of the Indian Police and Sid Johnson, a deputy Marshal. The officers step out on the opposite side of the depot and a gun battle with the outlaws took place. In the melee, Kinney received a bullet in the right shoulder and Johnson suffered a slight flesh wound, while Charlie Le Fole had the stock of his gun struck with a shot and the silvers driven into his hand. When the gang was retiring from the scene, two doctors, W.L. Goff and T.S. Youngblood were on a porch of a local drugstore, some sixty-five yards from the tracks were struck by gunfire in both there legs. Goff wound was in the knee and the only hope was amputation. A operation was performed but Dr. Goff died the next day from loss of to much blood. Dr. Youndblood wound was on his right foot and also amputated at the instep. The members present were Bob, Grat, Emmett, Bill Doolin, George Newcomb, Charley Pierce, Bill Powers and Dick Broadwell. The amount of loot in the robbery was not learned. Emmett Dalton said the spoils were $17,000 dollars, but the express folks said very little about the raid and stated that not shipment of value was taken.

     October 5th 1892, Coffeyville, Kansas, Condon and First National Bank, Robbery ended with the death of Bob and Grat Dalton, Bill Powers and Dick Broadwell, Emmett Dalton was wounded. Four defenders died, with three wounded.