Lot 1342

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Description:

BOB DALTON
(1868 - 1892) American outlaw who, with brothers Grattan, Emmett and William staged spectacular hold-ups of trains and banks in California and the Midwest. The Dalton Brothers' first train hold-up was in Alila, Ca. in 1891 and ended in failure. They soon gathered a group of gunmen and thieves to form the Dalton Gang and embarked on a murderous train-robbing rampage, evading hundreds of lawmen using their dozens of informers and hideouts. Finally, the gang sought to rob two banks at once in their old home town of Coffeyville, Kansas. Emmett and Bob went into the First National Bank while Grattan Dalton, Bill Powers and Dick Bradwell dealt with the Condon Bank. The men were spotted by a passerby who quickly alerted other members of the town. The men of Coffeyville armed themselves with rifles and waited for the Dalton gang to leave the banks. In the shoot-out that followed, four members of the gang, Bob Dalton, Grattan Dalton, Bill Powers and Dick Broadwell were killed, along with four civilians. Exceeding rare D.S. signed twice "Robert Dalton", 2pp. legal folio, [n.p.], May 6, 1890, in which Dalton attests that he has served six days as a member of a posse comitatus under U.S. Deputy Marshal FLOYD WILSON (who also signs) and travelled 336 miles to arrest "Bill Rogers...Jesse Cochran", then hiding out in Creek Nation territory. Dalton bills the U.S. Government $24.00 for his services, signing the attestation at bottom and again on verso where he acknowledges receipt of payment, and where Wilson certifies that Dalton had performed the service. Very good to fine. Dalton brothers Frank, Emmett, Bob and Grat all worked as either possemen or deputy marshals well into 1890, but only months after he signed this document, Robert and his brothers would start dealing in stolen horses. Floyd Wilson (d. 1892), was killed on Dec. 14, 1892 by part-Cherokee Henry Starr, a noted robber and desperado, sixteen miles south of Coffeyville, Kansas, Wilson tried to serve him with a warrant of arrest for larceny and selling whiskey. When Wilson's gun jammed, Starr shot him ten times, then proceeded to dance on his body while gobbling like a turkey. He was sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter, and walked after serving but two. ABPC shows only a single (damaged) Bob Dalton document sold in the past 25 years, hammered at $7,000 in 2000.

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January 21, 2010 10:00 AM EST
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 + $1,000