Emmett Dalton

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.

Biography

Early life

Dalton 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:

* Charles Benjamin "Ben" Dalton (1852–1936)
* Henry Coleman Dalton (1853–1920)
* Littleton "Lit" Lee Dalton (1857–1942)
* Franklin "Frank" Dalton (1859–1887)
* Gratton Hanley "Grat" Dalton (1861–1892)
* William Marion "Bill" Dalton (1863–1894)

* Eva May Dalton (1867–1939)
* Robert Rennick "Bob" Dalton (1869–1892)
* Leona Randolph Dalton (1875–1964)
* Nancy May Dalton (1876–1901)
* Simon Noel "Si" Dalton (1878–1928)

Outlaw years

Emmett'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.

Prison

In March 1893, Dalton pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in the penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas. In June 1907, he was paroled in order to receive treatment to his right arm, which had been injured in Coffeyville. He returned to prison after treatment, then was pardoned by in November 1907 by Edward W. Hoch, the Governor of Kansas.

After prison

Dalton moved to Southern California after leaving prison, and married Julia Johnson the following year, 1908. Later, he sold real estate, 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. The serial was made into a like-named movie in which Dalton portrayed himself. 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.

Dalton died in July 1937 at the age of 66. His widow died in 1943, aged 73. They are buried in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.

Bibliography

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In popular culture

*In 1954, the actor Robert Bray played Emmett Dalton in the episode "The Dalton Gang" of the syndicated western television series, '' Stories of the Century'', starring Jim Davis as fictitious Southwestern Railroad detective Matt Clark.

*In the 1954 film ''Jesse James v. the Daltons'', Emmett Dalton is played by William Tannen.

*A caricature of Dalton appeared in the Lucky Luke album '' Hors-la-loi'' (1954), in which he is depicted as the tallest of the Dalton brothers. In the album the double bank robbery of Coffeyville, Kansas is depicted. But, unlike the factual history, Emmett Dalton is portrayed as killed along with his brothers, including Bill Dalton, who did not even take part in the raid. Emmet's grave is pictured in the final panel of the story, alongside his brothers and a sign that says "The Daltons died with their boots on".

* Tyler MacDuff portrayed Emmett Dalton in the 1957 episode of the CBS documentary drama series '' You Are There,'' entitled "The End of the Dalton Gang (October 5, 1892)."

*In 1959, Harry Harvey, Jr portrayed Dalton in an episode of the TV series ''Tales of Wells Fargo,'' entitled "The Daltons."

*The actor Tom Skerritt played a youthful Emmett Dalton in the 1963 episode "Three Minutes to Eternity" of the syndicated western series, ''Death Valley Days.'' This dramatized the attempted double robberies in Coffeyville.

*In 1975, Emmett Dalton was played by the actor Tim Matheson in the TV movie western ''The Last Day''.

* Ron Hansen's 1979 novel ''Desperadoes'' is about the Dalton gang, as told by Emmett.

*In 1979, Emmett Dalton was played by Larry Wilcox in the movie "Last Ride of The Dalton Gang".

*In a mid-1980s interview with '' Spirou Magazine'', author Maurice De Bevere, also known as Morris, said that reading Emmett's book, ''When the Daltons Rode,'' inspired him to create a comic book version of the Dalton Brothers.

See also

* Dalton Gang Hideout and Museum, listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places

References

Further reading

Emmett Dalton: His Life After the Coffeyville Raid
at kayempea.net
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External links

''The Man of the Desert''
on YouTube
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalton, Emmett
1871 births
1937 deaths
People from Belton, Missouri
Dalton Gang
Outlaws of the American Old West
American bank robbers
American shooting survivors
Recipients of American gubernatorial pardons
American male film actors
20th-century American male actors
American memoirists