Gratton Dalton
Encyclopedia
Gratton "Grat" Hanley Dalton (March 30, 1861 – October 5, 1892) was an American outlaw
in the American Old West
. As leader of the Dalton Gang
he died during an ill-fated raid on a bank in Coffeyville, Kansas
.
, a Deputy US Marshal, was by all accounts the strongest of the brothers, and always kept his brothers in line. Grat and his younger brothers idolized Frank, and had often joined him in posse
s. However, Frank Dalton was killed during a shootout with outlaws on November 27, 1887. Grat Dalton was devastated, and became a Deputy US Marshal under Judge
Isaac Parker
to follow in his brothers footsteps. For a short time, Dalton was a good marshal, and had been hired without protest due to his brother Frank having a stellar reputation.
, Charley Pierce
, George "Bittercreek" Newcomb, Charlie "Blackface" Bryant, and Richard "Little Dick" Broadwell. Emmett Dalton
would later join also. Newcomb and Pierce would later be members of the much more successful Doolin Dalton
gang, formed and led by Bill Doolin
and Dalton brother Bill Dalton
.
In February, 1891, the gang robbed a train
in Alila, California, and were pursued by a posse. Their younger brother Bill Dalton, previously a member of the California
Legislature
, assisted in that robbery. During that robbery, they could not get the safe on the train open, and instead robbed the passengers. Pursued by a posse
, Grat and Bill Dalton were captured, while the others escaped. Those who had escaped decided it was best to head into Oklahoma Territory
. Once back in Oklahoma they robbed yet another train, and immediately afterward gang member Charlie Bryant became violently ill.
Bryant was taken to a doctor
in Hennessey, Oklahoma
, then left to return to the gang when he was well. Deputy US Marshal Ed Short saw Bryant brought in, and recognized him. He went into the doctors office, but found that the others had departed. Deputy Marshal Short arrested Bryant, but there being no jail in Hennessey, and Short figuring that the rest of the gang would return, he took Bryant by train to Wichita, Kansas
. While in route, Deputy Marshal Short gave an extra pistol to a railroad employee. While Short was on the train platform to make certain the Dalton Gang were not pursuing, the railroad worker sat his pistol down to drink water. Charlie Bryant grabbed it, and in the ensuing shootout with Deputy Marshal Short, both Bryant and Short were killed. Charlie Bryant became the first member of the gang to die.
Grat Dalton managed to escape from jail in September 1891, and returned to once again lead the gang. By that time, the gang had robbed two trains in his absence. The gang went on a semi-successful train robbing spree that lasted until their last train robbery on July 14, 1892. Grat Dalton had by then decided that train robbery was not producing, therefore he wished to turn the gang to bank robbery
. Grat Dalton devised a plan, for whatever reasons, to rob two banks at the same time, in the same town. Not only did Dalton choose to rob two banks simultaneously, a risky move at best, but he also chose to commit the robberies in the Dalton's hometown of Coffeyville, Kansas
.
was on the trail of the Dalton Gang. His relentless pursuit had pushed them to make one large score, then lie low for a time. Grat Dalton thought Coffeyville would be an excellent opportunity for that score. For reasons unknown, Grat Dalton dismissed gang members "Bittercreek" Newcomb and Charley Pierce, telling them their services were no longer needed. It would prove to be a blessing in disguise for Pierce and Newcomb.
The robbery attempts would be a colossal mistake. On October 5, 1892, the gang entered Coffeyville, simply riding in, then splitting into two teams. The brothers were recognized as soon as they rode into town. They entered the two banks in two separate teams, intent on having only so much time to finish the robberies and flee. By the time they were ready to make their escape, the townspeople had armed themselves and set up to cover all escape routes from the town. A fierce shootout erupted, and by the time it was over, gang members Grat Dalton, Bob Dalton, "Texas Jack" Moore, and Joseph Evans were dead, and Emmett Dalton had been shot 23 times, but would survive. Four townspeople, Town Marshal Charles T. Connelly, bank clerk L.M. Baldwin, cobbler C.J. Brown, and merchant
G.W. Cubine were dead. Bank cashier Thomas G. Ayers was shot in the groin, and did not survive, while townspeople T.A. Reynolds and Louis Dietz were wounded, but not seriously.
The gun-battle ended the Dalton Gang. Their outlaw career would prove to have been short and ultimately non productive. However, the legend of the gang and the notoriety they received due to the Coffeyville shootout made them famous. That fame helped drive their brother Bill Dalton in efforts to become more famous than his brothers, and helped spawn the Doolin Dalton Gang, with Bill Dalton, Bill Doolin, "Bittercreek" Newcomb, and Charley Pierce all having their start with the Dalton Gang.
, then twenty-five, portrayed Gratton Dalton in the 1952 film The Cimarron Kid. Thereafter, in 1954, Fess Parker
played Grat in an episode of Jim Davis
's syndicated
series Stories of the Century
.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
in the American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. As leader of the Dalton Gang
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
he died during an ill-fated raid on a bank in Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
.
Short career as lawman
His older brother Frank DaltonFrank Dalton
Frank Dalton was a Deputy US Marshal of the Old West under Judge Isaac Parker, for Oklahoma Territory, as well as the older brother to the members of the Dalton Gang, in addition to being the brother to William M. Dalton, once a member of California legislature, and later an outlaw and leader of...
, a Deputy US Marshal, was by all accounts the strongest of the brothers, and always kept his brothers in line. Grat and his younger brothers idolized Frank, and had often joined him in posse
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
s. However, Frank Dalton was killed during a shootout with outlaws on November 27, 1887. Grat Dalton was devastated, and became a Deputy US Marshal under Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Isaac Parker
Isaac Parker
Isaac Charles Parker served as a U.S. District Judge presiding over the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas for 21 years and also one-time politician. He served in that capacity during the most dangerous time for law enforcement during the western expansion...
to follow in his brothers footsteps. For a short time, Dalton was a good marshal, and had been hired without protest due to his brother Frank having a stellar reputation.
Organizing the Dalton Gang
It wasn't long, however, before Grat Dalton began looking for an easier way to make a living. He lost his job as a Deputy Marshal in 1890, being suspected for cattle rustling, and formed his gang. Its first members were his brother Bob DaltonBob Dalton (outlaw)
Robert Reddick Dalton , better known as Bob Dalton, was an American outlaw in the American Old West. He led the ill-fated Dalton Gang raid on two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas. Ambushed by town citizens Bob, Bill Power, Grat Dalton and Dick Broadwell were all killed.-Early life:The Dalton family...
, Charley Pierce
Charley Pierce
Charley Pierce was an American outlaw in the American Old West who rode with both the Dalton Gang and the Doolin Dalton Gang during the 1890s. He and "Bittercreek" Newcomb were killed by friends, the Dunn brothers, for bounty money....
, George "Bittercreek" Newcomb, Charlie "Blackface" Bryant, and Richard "Little Dick" Broadwell. Emmett Dalton
Emmett Dalton
Emmett Dalton was an American outlaw, train robber and member of the Dalton Gang in the American Old West. Part of the ill-fated Dalton raid on two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas, he survived despite receiving 23 gunshot wounds...
would later join also. Newcomb and Pierce would later be members of the much more successful Doolin Dalton
Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch, also known as the Doolin–Dalton Gang or the Oklahombres, was a gang of outlaws based in the Indian Territory that terrorized Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Territory during the 1890s—robbing banks and stores, holding up trains, and killing lawmen. They were...
gang, formed and led by Bill Doolin
Bill Doolin
William "Bill" Doolin was an American bandit and founder of the Wild Bunch, an outlaw gang that specialized in robbing banks, trains and stagecoaches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas during the 1890s.- Early life :...
and Dalton brother Bill Dalton
William M. Dalton
William Marion Dalton , called Bill Dalton, was an American outlaw in the American Old West. He was the co-leader of the Wild Bunch gang and he was the brother of the founders of the Dalton Gang, Gratton, Bob and Emmett....
.
In February, 1891, the gang robbed a train
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
in Alila, California, and were pursued by a posse. Their younger brother Bill Dalton, previously a member of the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
, assisted in that robbery. During that robbery, they could not get the safe on the train open, and instead robbed the passengers. Pursued by a posse
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
, Grat and Bill Dalton were captured, while the others escaped. Those who had escaped decided it was best to head into Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
. Once back in Oklahoma they robbed yet another train, and immediately afterward gang member Charlie Bryant became violently ill.
Bryant was taken to a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in Hennessey, Oklahoma
Hennessey, Oklahoma
Hennessey is a town in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,058 at the 2000 census.-History:Hennessey is named after Pat Hennessy, an Irish freighter who was killed at the present townsite in April, 1874...
, then left to return to the gang when he was well. Deputy US Marshal Ed Short saw Bryant brought in, and recognized him. He went into the doctors office, but found that the others had departed. Deputy Marshal Short arrested Bryant, but there being no jail in Hennessey, and Short figuring that the rest of the gang would return, he took Bryant by train to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. While in route, Deputy Marshal Short gave an extra pistol to a railroad employee. While Short was on the train platform to make certain the Dalton Gang were not pursuing, the railroad worker sat his pistol down to drink water. Charlie Bryant grabbed it, and in the ensuing shootout with Deputy Marshal Short, both Bryant and Short were killed. Charlie Bryant became the first member of the gang to die.
Grat Dalton managed to escape from jail in September 1891, and returned to once again lead the gang. By that time, the gang had robbed two trains in his absence. The gang went on a semi-successful train robbing spree that lasted until their last train robbery on July 14, 1892. Grat Dalton had by then decided that train robbery was not producing, therefore he wished to turn the gang to bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
. Grat Dalton devised a plan, for whatever reasons, to rob two banks at the same time, in the same town. Not only did Dalton choose to rob two banks simultaneously, a risky move at best, but he also chose to commit the robberies in the Dalton's hometown of Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
.
Downfall of the gang
By that time, by later accounts from Emmett Dalton, Deputy US Marshal Heck ThomasHeck Thomas
Henry Andrew "Heck" Thomas was a lawman on theAmerican frontier, most notably in Oklahoma.-Biography:Thomas was born in 1850 in Athens, Georgia, the youngest of five children of Lovick Pierce Thomas, I and Martha Fulwood Bedell.At the beginning of the American Civil War, at age 12, he accompanied...
was on the trail of the Dalton Gang. His relentless pursuit had pushed them to make one large score, then lie low for a time. Grat Dalton thought Coffeyville would be an excellent opportunity for that score. For reasons unknown, Grat Dalton dismissed gang members "Bittercreek" Newcomb and Charley Pierce, telling them their services were no longer needed. It would prove to be a blessing in disguise for Pierce and Newcomb.
The robbery attempts would be a colossal mistake. On October 5, 1892, the gang entered Coffeyville, simply riding in, then splitting into two teams. The brothers were recognized as soon as they rode into town. They entered the two banks in two separate teams, intent on having only so much time to finish the robberies and flee. By the time they were ready to make their escape, the townspeople had armed themselves and set up to cover all escape routes from the town. A fierce shootout erupted, and by the time it was over, gang members Grat Dalton, Bob Dalton, "Texas Jack" Moore, and Joseph Evans were dead, and Emmett Dalton had been shot 23 times, but would survive. Four townspeople, Town Marshal Charles T. Connelly, bank clerk L.M. Baldwin, cobbler C.J. Brown, and merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
G.W. Cubine were dead. Bank cashier Thomas G. Ayers was shot in the groin, and did not survive, while townspeople T.A. Reynolds and Louis Dietz were wounded, but not seriously.
The gun-battle ended the Dalton Gang. Their outlaw career would prove to have been short and ultimately non productive. However, the legend of the gang and the notoriety they received due to the Coffeyville shootout made them famous. That fame helped drive their brother Bill Dalton in efforts to become more famous than his brothers, and helped spawn the Doolin Dalton Gang, with Bill Dalton, Bill Doolin, "Bittercreek" Newcomb, and Charley Pierce all having their start with the Dalton Gang.
In popular culture
The western actor Gregg PalmerGregg Palmer
Gregg Palmer, originally Palmer Lee is an American actor, known primarily for his prolific work in television westerns...
, then twenty-five, portrayed Gratton Dalton in the 1952 film The Cimarron Kid. Thereafter, in 1954, Fess Parker
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...
played Grat in an episode of Jim Davis
Jim Davis (actor)
Jim Davis was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap Dallas, a role which he held up until his death in April 1981.-Biography:...
's syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
series Stories of the Century
Stories of the Century
Stories of the Century is a Western television series that ran in syndication through Republic Pictures between January 23, 1954, and March 11, 1955.-Synopsis:...
.