St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-06


came cattle thief, and did thriving
business driving off cattle from the
herds on the Cherokee strip and taking
them across the Indian territory into
Colorado, where he would sell them. He
was Joined soon after he entered the
business by his brother, Grafton Dalton
Their depredations became so frequent
and troublesome that the cattlemen or
ganiZed to drive them from the strip. A
posse of cowboys was formed tor that
purpose, and gave the Daltons 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 robblng. While robbing a stage
there one of the passengers was killed
in the attack. This spurred the officers
on to extraordinary efforts to effect the
capture of the gang, and Graf Dalton
was finally captured. While being taken
to place for safe-keeping he was res
cued by the other members of the gang,
the whole party flnally escaping, after
being chased out of California and
through good part of Arizona.
In the spring of 1889 the gang turned
up again Ill the Indian territory, and
wnen Oklahoma was opened to settle
mert the Dalton boys secured
near Hennessey, where she still
lives, supported by one OF her
sons. At the time of the opening Bob
Dalton was United States deputy
marshal. being selected on account OF
his peculiar fitness to deal with Les-
perate characters. After the opening
hesreturned to his life of Outlawry, aud
he and Graf We're then joined by their
brother Emmet, the youngest of the
brothers There were at that time also
Joined by Texas Jack, and soon gath
cred about them several desperate
characters. IL was then that the most
successful period of the Dalton's ca
reer, from their standpoint. began.
Their attention was first directed to the
robbing of express trains, and perpe-
trated many successful "hOld-upS," the
most noted of Which are the rob berries
of the Santa Fe at Wharton, at Red
Rock, the Missouri Pacific at Adair, and
the Frisco near Vinita.
fhe Wharton robbery was perhaps
the most dramatic of all. The robbers
went to Wharton Oil horseback, and, en-
tering the station there, asked the oper-
atOr if the train was on time. He re-
piled that he would inquire, anu was
about to do so when one of the band,
fearing that the operator had recog-
niZed them, shot him dead upon the spot
without word of warning. When the
train arrived it was held up after the
regulation manner. In the pursuit of
the robbers which followed, Outlaw Ed
Bryant was captured at Enid by Deputy
United States Marshal Ed Short, known
throughout the entire territory as
most brave officer.
Short placed his captive in baggage
car of Santa Fe train to take him to
Guthrie. He had disarlned him, plac-
ing his brace of revolvers upon con-
venlent trunk. and had placed the des-
perado in irons. When the train reached
Adair. Short disembarked to send
telegraphic message. When he re- en-
tered the car Bryant had secured one
of his weapons, and, holding it in his
manacled hands, fired, mOrtaliy wound
ing Short. The officer, however, had
strength to seize his Winchester, aud
pumped four bullets into Bryant'S body,
expiring as he pulled the trigger the
last time.
There were no fatalities attending
the Red Rock robbery, but the Adair
robbery resulted in the deaths of two
men. The express car was guarded on
that occasion, and hot fight took place
between the guards and the robbers.
The place where the train was held up
was in the midst of the town. One stray
bullet passed into the room of a physi-
clan and, striking the physician in tie
head. killed him instantly. Another
physician who. hearing the firing, had
run i'll its direction, was also shot and
killed. The last train robbery by the
gang was that of the Frisco near Vinita.
The amount secured 6y the robbers in
their various raids,wili probably never
be known. 1t was very great, however,
an has been estimated at 100000.
After the Frisco robbery the DaltonS
seem to have diverted their attention to
the robbery of banks. They rode into
FL Reno one day and attacked the only
bank in town. The only person in the
bank at the time was the wife of the
president, who tainted at the first sight
of the ugly revolvers. The bandits
leisurely took all the money in sight.
and, remounting their horses. rode
away. This raid netted them $4,000,
which was such severe loss to the
bank that it was forced into liquidation.
Today's was the next and last raid Of
the gang, and it ended the existence of
band equaled only in the desperate
character of its undertakings by the
James and Younger bands.