Bob Dalton was born in 1868 to parents Lewis Dalton, a horse trader and saloon keeper and mother Adeline Younger-Dalton (aunt to Bob, Cole, and James Younger) and was one of fifteen children born to the couple. Lewis Dalton died and left the raising of the younger children to Adeline. Bob Dalton grew up in a bad time in history where Kansas was torn apart with feuds over slavery and under the shadow of raids by killers like Quantrill.
It’s ironic that before Bob Dalton crossed the line and entered a life of crime as a murderous rogues he along with several other Dalton Brothers dabbled in law enforcement as keepers of the peace protecting others from outlaws and Indians and were thought of as respectable citizens.
Dalton Family as Kansas Lawmen
Although ultimately known as an outlaw and train robber, Bob Dalton and several brothers started out as lawmen helping to tame the Indian territory. In fact, Frank Dalton was shot and killed in the line of duty in a gun battle in 1887 while serving as a Deputy Marshal for the federal court in Fort Smith.
Grat Dalton was wounded in action serving as a Deputy Marshal and in 1889 was commissioned a marshal for the Muskogee court. Bob served as Deputy Marshal in Wichita, Kansas keeping the peace in the Osage Nation and rode several times on brother Frank’s posses.
The Dalton Gang
In 1890 things changed dramatically, both Bob and Emmett Dalton were accused of selling whiskey to Indians of the Osage Nation (a serious offence) they both abandoned their lawful ways and skipped bail for the New Mexico Territory where they formed “The Dalton Gang“.
With Bob as the recognized leader, they recruited several rough characters whom Emmett had met during his time working on local ranches, including Bill Power, Bill Doolin, Charlie Pierce, Dick Broadwell and a few others whom they would be closely associated with.
For the next two years Bob Dalton and his brothers along with various associates began their campaign of larceny and theft by robbing banks and trains and killing anyone who opposed them or stood in their way including a Southern Pacific Railroad engineer named George Radcliffe in a botched train robbery attempt in California where Grat and Bill Dalton were arrested.
Bob and Emmett returned home to the Indian territory where they proceeded to rob trains at Wharton, Wagoner, and held up the MK&T train and escaped with $2500 dollars, which was lots of money in 1891. They robbed another train in 1892 at Red Rock in the Oklahoma Territory.
Bank Robbery at Coffeyville Kansas
In October 1892 Bob, Emmett, Grat (who had escaped from custody) Dick Broadwell, and Bill Power planned a daring double bank robbery in the town of Coffeyville. Probably not the wisest location due to the fact the Dalton’s were locals and were widely known and easily recognized.
The double bank heist was a deadly disaster because even though they wore disguises they were notorious and their images had been plastered all over the territory in the way of wanted posters. An alarm went up when the gang was spotted and townspeople filled their hands with deadly firearms and led by town Marshal Charles Connelly (who lost his life in the shootout) a firefight erupted.
Fifteen minutes later, Bob, Grat, Broadwell, Power, along with four townsman lay dead in the streets of Coffeyville. Emmett was severely wounded but miraculously survived his wounds and received a life sentence but was pardoned in 1906.
Bob Dalton followed in the footsteps of his cousins, the Younger’s, and met a bad end just like so many others like Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and other wild men of his era who chose the outlaw life over productive citizenry. He decided to live by the gun and just like so many others he died by the gun.
Learn about Tombstone outlaw CURLY BILL BROCIUS here!
Sources;
For more see Coffeyville History. com
Also visit Gunslinger.com
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