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N0KFQ > TODAY 05.10.11 21:39l 61 Lines 2922 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Oct 5
Path: IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<JH4XSY<JE7YGF<N9PMO<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 111005/1914Z 12510@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.0.4
Oct 5, 1892:
The Dalton Gang is wiped out in Coffeyville, Kansas
On this day in 1892, the famous Dalton Gang attempts the daring
daylight robbery of two Coffeyville, Kansas, banks at the same
time. But if the gang members believed the sheer audacity of
their plan would bring them success, they were sadly mistaken.
Instead, they were nearly all killed by quick-acting townspeople.
For a year and a half, the Dalton Gang had terrorized the state
of Oklahoma, mostly concentrating on train holdups. Though the
gang had more murders than loot to their credit, they had managed
to successfully evade the best efforts of Oklahoma law officers
to bring them to justice. Perhaps success bred overconfidence,
but whatever their reasons, the gang members decided to try their
hand at robbing not just one bank, but at robbing the First
National and Condon Banks in their old hometown of Coffeyville at
the same time.
After riding quietly into town, the men tied their horses to a
fence in an alley near the two banks and split up. Two of the
Dalton brothers-Bob and Emmett-headed for the First National,
while Grat Dalton led Dick Broadwell and Bill Powers in to the
Condon Bank. Unfortunately for the Daltons, someone recognized
one of the gang members and began quietly spreading the word that
the town banks were being robbed. Thus, while Bob and Emmett were
stuffing money into a grain sack, the townspeople ran for their
guns and quickly surrounded the two banks. When the Dalton
brothers walked out of the bank, a hail of bullets forced them
back into the building. Regrouping, they tried to flee out the
back door of the bank, but the townspeople were waiting for them
there as well.
Meanwhile, in the Condon Bank a brave cashier had managed to
delay Grat Dalton, Powers, and Broadwell with the classic claim
that the vault was on a time lock and couldn't be opened. That
gave the townspeople enough time to gather force, and suddenly a
bullet smashed through the bank window and hit Broadwell in the
arm. Quickly scooping up $1,500 in loose cash, the three men
bolted out the door and fled down a back alley. But like their
friends next door, they were immediately shot and killed, this
time by a local livery stable owner and a barber.
When the gun battle was over, the people of Coffeyville had
destroyed the Dalton Gang, killing every member except for Emmett
Dalton. But their victory was not without a price: the Dalton's
took four townspeople to their graves with them. After recovering
from serious wounds, Emmett was tried and sentenced to life in
prison. After 14 years he won parole, and he eventually leveraged
his cachet as a former Wild West bandit into a position as a
screenwriter in Hollywood. Several years after moving to
California, he died at the age of 66 in 1937.
73, K.O. n0kfq
Another old retired guy
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
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