Emmett Dalton | |
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Mugshot from 1907
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Born |
Belton, Missouri, United States |
May 3, 1871
Died | July 13, 1937 Los Angeles, California, United States |
(aged 66)
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Real estate agent, author and actor |
Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
Criminal status | Pardoned after 14 years served |
Allegiance | Dalton Gang |
Conviction(s) | Bank robbery |
Emmett Dalton (May 3, 1871 – July 13, 1937) 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. After serving 14 years in prison for the crime, Dalton capitalized on his notoriety to author books and become an actor in Hollywood.
Dalton was born to Lewis (16 Feb 1826–16 Jul 1890) and Adeline Dalton (15 Sep 1835–24 Jan 1925) and was the youngest of the Dalton brothers. His siblings:
The Dalton Gang's criminal enterprise was ended on October 5, 1892 when they attempted to rob two banks at once in Coffeyville, Kansas. Four of the gang were killed in the ensuing gun fight. Emmett Dalton survived the raid but received 23 gunshot wounds. He was given a life sentence in the penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas and pardoned after fourteen years. He moved to California, where he dabbled in acting before getting involved in real estate, dying at the age of sixty-six. He was married to Julia Johnson Dalton, who survived him. In 1918, he portrayed himself in the movie version of his book Beyond the Law.
In 1931, he published When the Daltons Rode, which was later made into a 1940 movie starring Randolph Scott. Emmett Dalton was portrayed by Frank Albertson.
In 1954, the actor Robert Bray played Emmett Dalton in the episode "The Dalton Gang" of the syndicated western television series, Stories of the Century, starring Jim Davis as fictitious Southwestern Railroad detective Matt Clark.