The Dalton Gang - Historical Text

Coffeyville Raid Historic Text - Page 2

Emmett Dalton had the start of his brother, and before Spears could draw a bead on him he had dodged behind the corner of the bank, and was making time in the direction of the alley where the bandits had tied their horses.

The shot which dropped Bob Dalton aroused Texas Jack's band in Congdon's [Condon's] bank, who were patiently waiting for the time lock of the safe to be sprung with the hour of 10. Running to the windows of the bank they saw their leader prostrate on the ground. Raising the rifles to their shoulders, they fired one volley out of the windows. Two men fell at the volley. Cashier Ayers fell on the steps of his bank shot through the groin. Shoemaker Crown [sic] of the attacking party in the square was shot through the body. He was quickly removed to his shop, but died just as he was carried within.

The firing attracted the attention of Marshal Connelly, who was collecting more men for his posse, and with a few whom he had already gathered, he ran hurriedly to the scene of the conflict.

Emmett Dalton was the only member of the Dalton Gang to survive.

This image is available for photographic prints HERE

After firing a volley from the windows of the bank the bandits, knowing their only safety lay in flight, attempted to escape. They ran from the bank, firing as they fled. The marshal's posse on the square, without organization of any kind, fired at the fleeing bandits, each man for himself. Spears's trusty Winchester spoke twice more in quick succession before the others of the posse could take aim, and Joseph Evans and Texas Jack fell dead, both shot through the head, making three dead bandits to his credit.

In the general fusilade which followed Grant [Grat] Dalton, one of the surviving members of Texas Jack's squad, Marshal Connelly, George Cubine and L. M. Baldwin, one of Congdon's clerks, who was out collecting when the attack was made, were mortally hit and died in the field.

Allie Ogee, the only survivor of the band, succeeded in escaping to the alley where the horses were tied and, mounting the swiftest horse of the lot, fled south in the direction of the Indian Territory.

Emmett Dalton, who had escaped from the First National Bank, had already reached the alley and safety, but had some trouble in getting mounted, and Allie Ogee had already made his escape before Emmett got fairly started.

Several of the posse, anticipating that horses would be required, were already mounted and quickly pursued the escaping bandits. Emmett Dalton's horse was no match for the fresher animals of his pursuers. As the pursuers closed on him he turned suddenly in the saddle and fired upon his would-be captors. The latter answered with a volley and Emmett toppled from his horse, hard hit. He was brought back to the town and died late this afternoon. He made an anti-mortem statement, confessing to various crimes committed by the gang of which he was a member.

Allie Ogee had about ten minutes' start of his pursuers, and was mounted on a swift horse. At 5 o'clock this evening he had not been captured. [Incorrectly reported. Whether there was actually a sixth robber who escaped has been widely disputed. If there was, it was not Allie Ogee, who later wrote an indignant letter to the editor of the Coffeyville Journal stating that he was employed at a meatpacking plant in Wichita at the time of the ill-fated raid.]

After the battle was over search was made for the money which the bandits had secured. It was found in the sacks where it had been placed by the robbers. One sack was found under the body of Bob Dalton, who had fallen dead upon it while escaping from the First National Bank. The other was found tightly clinched in Texas Jack's hand. The money was restored to its rightful owners.

Condon Bank showing bullet holes in windows, 1892

The bodies of those of the attacking party who were killed were removed to their respective homes, while the bodies of the dead bandits were allowed to remain where they had fallen until the arrival of the coroner from Independence, who ordered them removed to the courthouse. There he held an inquest, the jury returning a verdict in accordance with the facts. The inquest over the bodies of the dead citizens will be postponed until the result of the pursuit of Allie Ogee is known.

During the time the bodies remained in the square they were viewed by hundreds of people of this and surrounding towns, who, having heard of the tragedy, came in swarms to inspect the scene. The excitement was of the most intense character, and the fate of Allie Ogee, should he be captured, was determined by universal consent. He will be hanged.

Other topics which attracted universal comment were the fulfillment of a prophesy that the Daltons would "die with their boots on," the peculiar fate which had decreed that they should die by the hands of their old friends in the vicinity of the place of their birth, and the excellent marksmanship of Liveryman Spears, who with three shots sent death to as many bandits.

The Outlaw Brothers

The Daltons were a numerous family. There were five boys and three girls. Of the boys, two are engaged in farming, one in Oklahoma, where the mother of the family lives, and one near Coffeyville, where the three brothers met their death to-day. The Daltons were second cousins of the noted James boys, who defied the law in Missouri for so many years, and through them were related to the Youngers, who are now serving life terms of imprisonment in the penitentiary of Minnesota. Bob Dalton was the first of the boys to enter upon a career of crime. While scarcely more than a boy he became a cattle thief and did a thriving business driving off cattle from herds on the Cherokee strip and taking them across the Indian Territory into Colorado, where he would sell them.

Bob and Grat Dalton after having been shot in the Coffeyville raid.

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

He was joined soon by his brother, Grant [Grat] Dalton. Their depredations became so frequent and troublesome that the cattlemen organized to drive them from the strip. A posse of cowboys formed for that purpose gave the Daltons a hard chase, finally losing them in the wilds of New Mexico. The next heard of the Daltons was in California, where they took to train and stage robbing. While robbing a stage there one of the passengers was killed in the attack. This spurred the officers to extraordinary efforts to effect the capture of the Dalton Gang, and Grant [Grat] Dalton was finally captured. While being taken to a place for safe keeping he was rescued by the other members of the gang, and the whole party finally escaping after being chased all over California and through part of Arizona.

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