Emmett Dalton (May 3, 1871 – July 13, 1937) was an American outlaw, train robber and member of the Dalton Gang in the American Old West. Part of a gang that attempted to rob two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas, on October 5, 1892, he was the only member of five to survive, despite receiving 23 gunshot wounds. Two of his brothers were killed. After serving 14 years in prison for the crime, Dalton was pardoned. He later capitalized on his notoriety, both as a writer and as an actor. His 1918 serial story Beyond the Law was adapted as a like-named silent film in which he played himself. His 1931 book When the Daltons Rode was adapted after his death as a 1940 film of the same name.
Emmett Dalton | |
|---|---|
 Booking photo between 1892 and 1893 | |
| Born | May 3, 1871[1] Belton, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | July 13, 1937 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Kingfisher, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations |
|
| Criminal status | Pardoned after 14 years served |
| Allegiance | Dalton Gang |
| Conviction(s) | Second-degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
Biography
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2020) |
Early life
editDalton was born in 1871 in Missouri to Lewis (1826–1890) and Adeline (née Younger) Dalton (1835–1925). Adeline Younger was a half-sibling of Henry Washington Younger, father of four brothers with the James–Younger Gang.
Emmett was the eighth born of nine brothers; they had three sisters. His siblings were:[2]
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Outlaw years
editEmmett's older brothers Bob and Grat briefly worked as US deputy marshals in Indian Territory, sharing a position held by their older brother Frank Dalton after he was killed in the line of duty. They hired Emmett to serve as a guard at the jail at Fort Smith, in present-day Arkansas. The elder two started working for the Osage Nation to help them set up a police force, but fled after being pursued for stealing horses.
They began to conduct robberies of banks, stagecoaches, and trains. Emmett joined them, along with two other men. Their venture ended on October 5, 1892, when they attempted to rob two banks the same day in Coffeyville, Kansas. They had hoped to make enough money to flee the country. Four of the gang were killed in a gun fight with law enforcement and townsmen. Emmett Dalton was severely wounded, receiving 23 gunshot wounds, but survived. He later asserted that he never fired a shot during the Coffeyville bank robbery.[3]
Prison
editIn March 1893, Dalton pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in the penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas.[4] In June 1907, he was paroled in order to receive treatment to his right arm, which had been injured in Coffeyville.[5] He returned to prison after treatment,[5] then was pardoned in November 1907 by Edward W. Hoch, the Governor of Kansas.[6]
After prison
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Dalton moved to Southern California after leaving prison, and married Julia Johnson the following year, 1908.[5] Later, he sold real estate,[citation needed] as Southern California was developing rapidly with migrants from across the country.
Dalton's account of his exploits with his brothers, titled Beyond the Law, was published in 1918 as serial story in The Wide World Magazine, a London monthly.[7] The serial was made into a like-named movie in which Dalton portrayed himself.[8] In 1931, he published When the Daltons Rode, co-written with Jack Jungmeyer Sr., a Los Angeles journalist. It was adapted as a 1940 movie of the same name, starring Randolph Scott, Kay Francis and Brian Donlevy—Emmett Dalton was portrayed by Frank Albertson. He also appeared in The Man on the Desert.[9]
Dalton died in July 1937 at the age of 66.[10] His widow died in 1943, aged 73.[11] They are buried in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.[12]
Bibliography
edit- Dalton, Emmett (1918). Beyond the Law. OCLC 779023614.
- Dalton, Emmett; Jungmeyer, Jack. When the Daltons Rode. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. OCLC 558748021.
- Dalton, Emmett; Jungmeyer, Jack. West of 96. Butterick Publishing Company. OCLC 11723701.
- Dalton, Emmett. Prison delivery. Grafton, Massachusetts: R.F. Cummings. OCLC 461740841.
See also
edit- Dalton Gang Hideout and Museum, listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
References
edit- ^ "The Dalton Gang". robinsonlibrary.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2017 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Old West Kansas: Dalton Family History – Dalton Gang". kansasheritage.org. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2017 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Back to Prison". The Evening Star. Independence, Kansas. November 1, 1907. p. 4. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sentenced to Life Imprisonment". Lawrence Daily Journal. Lawrence, Kansas. March 8, 1893. p. 1. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Emmet Dalton Married". The Sun. Chanute, Kansas. September 2, 1908. p. 6. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Emmet Dalton Pardoned". Chanute Weekly Tribune. Chanute, Kansas. November 8, 1907. p. 6. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Notice". The Wilmington Dispatch. Wilmington, North Carolina. March 12, 1918. p. 3. Retrieved June 20, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ideal Theater (advert)". The Gastonia Gazette. Gastonia, North Carolina. February 24, 1919. p. 2. Retrieved June 20, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Gerra, Laurent; Pessis, Jacques (20 May 2021). Lucky Luke - The Dalton Uncles. Vol. 78. Cinebook. ISBN 9781800449619.
- ^ "Emmet Dalton, Reformed Bank Robber, is Dead". Iola Register. Iola, Kansas. AP. July 14, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mrs. Emmett Dalton Dies". The Parsons Sun. Parsons, Kansas. AP. May 22, 1943. p. 10. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Daltons Buried in Kingfisher". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City. February 16, 1969. p. 15. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
Further reading
edit- Emmett Dalton: His Life After the Coffeyville Raid at kayempea.net
- Latta, Frank Forrest (1976). Dalton Gang Days. Santa Cruz, California: Bear State Books. ISBN 9780686267010.
External links
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