Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1892 — WIPED OFF THE EARTH. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WIPED OFF THE EARTH.

THE NOTORIOUS DALTON GANG EXTERMINATED. Four of Them Drop In Their Track*—Five ClUxene Kilted—Coffeyvllle, Kan., the Soene—A Most Daring Raid—The People Were Ready. Good Work at Great Cost. The Dalton gang has been exterminated, wiped off the face of the earth. Caught like rats in a trap, they were shot down, but not until four citizens of Coffsyvllle, Kan., yielded up their lives In the work of extermination. Six of the gang rode into the town Wednesday morning and robbed the two banks. Their raid had become known to the officers of the law, and when the bandits attempted to escape they were attacked by the Magdhpl’B posse. In the battle which four of the desperadoes were killed outright, and

one was so badly wounded that he has since died. The other escaped, but he Is being hotly pursued. Of the attacking party four were killed, one was fatally and two seriously wounded. The dead are: Boa Dalton, desperado, shot through the head. Gbant Dalton, desperado, shot through the heart. Emmbt Dalton, desperado, shot through the left side. Joseph Evans, desperado, shot through the head. John Moobb, alias “Texas Jack,” desperado, shot through the bead. • T. 0. Connellt, City Marshal, shot through the body. Is. JL Baldwin, bank clerk, shot through the head. G. W. Cubine, merchant, shot through'the head. 0. J. Bbown, shoemaker, shot through the body. Thomas G. Ayers, cashier of the First National Bank, was shot through the groin and cannot live. T. A. Rennolds of the attacking party has a wound in the right breast, but it is not considered necessarily dangerous. Lais Delz, another of the attacking party, wa3 shot in the right side. His wound is a serious one, but is not fatal. It was 9 o’clock when the gang rode Into town, in two squads of three each, passing through unfrequented streets and deserted alleys to the alley in the rear of the First National Bank. They quickly tied their horses, and without losing a moment’s time proceeded to the attack upon tho bank. Robert Dalton, the notorious leader of the gang, and Emmet, his brother went to the First National bank, the other four under the leadership of “ Texas Jack,” or John Moore, going to the private bank of C. M. Congdon <k Co. In the meantime the alarm had already been given. The Dalton boys were born and bred in the vicinity, and were well known to nearly every man, woman and child. Almost before the bandits had entered the bank Marshal Connelly was collecting a posse. He ran first to the livery stable of Jim Spears, a dead shot with a Winchester and a valuable man in any fight. Then he summoned George Cubine, a merchant; Charles Brown, a shoemaker; John Cox, express agent, and other citizens who could be conveniently reached, stationing them about the square, which loth of the banks faced. Robbers Go Through the Hanks. While the marshal was collecting his foroes the bandits, all ignorant of" the' trap that was being laid for them, were proceeding deliberately with their work of robbing the banks. “Texas Jack’s" band had entered Congdon’s bank, and with their Winchesters leveled at Cashier Ball and Teller Carpenter had ordered them to throw up their hands. Then “Texas Jack” searched them for weapons while tho other three desperadoes kept them covered with their rifles. Finding them to be unarmed Cashier Ball was ordered to open the safe. The cashier explained that the safe’s door was controlled by a time look and that it could not by any means short of dynamite be opened before its time was up, which would be 10 o’olook, or in about twenty minutes. “We’ll wait," said the leader, and he sat down at the cashier’s desk. Bob and Emmet Dalton in the meanwhile were having better luck at the First National bank. W’hen they entered the bank they found within Cashier Ayers, his son, Albert Ayers, and Teller W. H. Shepherd. None of them were armed, and with leveled revolvers the brother bandits easily intimidated them. Albert Ayers and Teller Shepherd were kept under the muzzles of Emmet Dalton’s xevolvers while Bob Dalton forced Cashier Ayers to strip the safe vault and cash drawers of all the money contained in them and place it in a sack which had been brought along for that purpose. Bob Dalton Dies In His Boots. Fearing to leave them behind, lest they should give the alarm before the bandits should be able to mount their horses and escape, the desperadoes marched the officers of the bank out of the door with the int ention of keeping them under guard while they made their escape. The party made its appearance at the door of the bank just as Liveryman Spears and his companions of the Marshal’s posse took their positions in the square. When the Dalton brothers saw the armed men in the square they appreciated their peril on the instant, and leaving the bank officers on the steps of the bank building, ran for their horses. As soon as they reached the sidewalk Spears’ rifle quickly came to position. An instant later it spoke and Bob Dalton, the notorious leader of the notorious gang, fell in his tracks, dead. There was not a quiver of a muscle after he fell. The bullet had struck him in the right temple and ploughed through his brain and passed out just above the left eye. Emmet 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” and his men in Congdon’s bank, where they were patiently waiting for the timelock of the safe to be sprung 1 with the hour of 10. Running to the windows of the bank they saw their leader prostrate on the ground. Raising their rifles to their shoulders they fired one Tolley out of the windows. Cashier Ayers fell on the steps of his bank, shot through the

groin, Shosmaker Brown 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. Speer*’ Rifle Afkln Speak*. The firing attracted the attention of Marshal Connelly, who, collecting more men >for his posse and with the few that he had already gathered, ran hurriedly to the scene of the conflict After firing their volley from the windows of the bank the bandits, appreciating that their only safety lay in flight attempted to escape. They ran from the door of the bank, firing as they fled. The Marshal’s po3ee in the square, without organization of any kind, fired at the fleeing bandits, each man for himself. Spears’ 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 fusillade Grant E. Dalton, one of the two surviving members of “Texas Jack’s” squad, Marshal Connelly, D. M. Baldwin, and George Cubine were mortally wounded and died on 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 Indian Territory. Emmet Dalton, who had escaped from the First National Bank, had already reached the alley in safety, but he had some trouble in getting mounted, and Allie Ogee had already made his escape before Emmet got fairly started. Several of the posse, anticipating that horses would be required, were already mounted, and quickly pursued the escaping bandits. Emmet Dalton’s horse was no match for the fresher animals of his pursuers. As the pursuers closed on him, he turned suddenly in his saddle, and fired upon his would-be captors. The latter answered with a volley and Emmet toppled from his horse hard hit. He was brought back to town, and died later. He made an ante-mortem statement, confessing to the 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. After the battle was over search was made for the money which the bandits had secured from the two banks. It was found in tho 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 he was 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. .

THE DALTON BROTHERS.

THE LAY OF THE LAND.