The Dalton Gang seized approximately $21,500 from two Coffeyville banks on October 5, 1892, but you’d find none of it ever left town. Bob and Emmett Dalton grabbed around $20,000 from First National Bank while their accomplices hit Condon Bank simultaneously. However, armed citizens killed four gang members in a fierce shootout, and authorities recovered all stolen funds at the scene near the bodies. Emmett Dalton, the sole survivor with 23 wounds, was captured empty-handed as every dollar returned intact to the banks—though there’s more to this doomed heist’s story.
Key Takeaways
- The Dalton Gang stole approximately $21,500 from two Coffeyville banks during their simultaneous robbery on October 5, 1892.
- Bob and Emmett Dalton seized around $20,000 from First National Bank, forcing employees to fill sacks at gunpoint.
- None of the stolen money escaped Coffeyville; all funds were recovered at the robbery scene after the shootout.
- Stolen money was found in sacks near deceased gang members’ bodies displayed in the town square.
- All recovered funds were returned intact to both banking institutions following the failed robbery attempt.
The Ambitious Plan to Rob Two Banks Simultaneously
Driven by pressure from Deputy US Marshal Heck Thomas and an ambition to surpass the legendary Jesse James, Bob Dalton orchestrated what he believed would become the most audacious bank robbery in outlaw history.
You’ll find the gang dynamics centered on familial bonds—three Dalton brothers alongside Dick Broadwell and Bill Powers—targeting their hometown of Coffeyville, Kansas, on October 5, 1892.
The robbery logistics required simultaneous strikes on C.M. Condon & Company’s Bank and First National Bank, positioned across the street from each other. Bob and Emmett would hit First National while Grat, Powers, and Broadwell targeted Condon Bank.
The Dalton brothers had been inspired by the exploits of their famous cousins, Cole and Jim Younger of the James–Younger Gang, making this raid a continuation of their family’s outlaw legacy. The plan encountered its first setback when the intended hitching post for their horses had been removed, forcing the gang to relocate their mounts farther from the banks.
After securing the loot, they’d rendezvous in the plaza before escaping through an alley—a calculated plan for financial freedom that would soon unravel catastrophically.
Cash and Gold Seized From First National Bank
Bob and Emmett Dalton burst into First National Bank around 9:30 AM on October 5, 1892, brandishing weapons and forcing employees to empty the vault into grain sacks at gunpoint.
The brothers successfully accessed First National’s vault contents, extracting approximately $20,000 in their audacious daylight raid.
You’ll find the operation’s execution was swift and violent:
- Employees were compelled at gunpoint to fill sacks with vault contents
- The robbers used bank workers as human shields during their attempted escape
- Townspeople’s defensive gunfire forced them back inside, disrupting their getaway
Historical records show the cash amount seized was substantial, yet the raid’s conclusion proved catastrophic for the gang.
Post-raid audits revealed First National recorded a curious $1.98 surplus, while most seized funds were recovered from abandoned sacks scattered throughout Death Alley during the twelve-minute gun battle.
The entire conflict lasted less than fifteen minutes, claiming the lives of four townspeople and four gang members in what became one of the deadliest bank robberies in American history. Bob Dalton’s renowned marksmanship proved deadly during the shootout, contributing to the high casualty count on both sides.
The Time-Lock Deception at Condon Bank
While Bob and Emmett Dalton ransacked First National Bank, Grat Dalton encountered a calculated deception at Condon Bank that would doom the entire operation.
Bank employees fabricated a time-lock story, claiming vault accessibility wouldn’t occur for another 10-45 minutes—despite no such mechanism existing.
The bank’s phantom time-lock became the gang’s undoing—a fiction that bought precious minutes for armed citizens to mobilize against them.
You’ll notice the temporal inconsistencies: a teller reported 9:20 a.m., yet the wall clock showed 9:45 a.m., and the bank’s official opening wasn’t until 10:00 a.m.
These deception tactics forced Grat to wait inside, abandoning operational urgency. He never verified the vault’s actual status.
This delay proved catastrophic—Aleck McKenna recognized the gang and alerted townspeople, who armed themselves with rifles.
What should’ve been a swift robbery transformed into entrapment, exposing fundamental planning weaknesses in their simultaneous-strike strategy. The gang’s ambitious goal was to outdo Jesse James by robbing both banks at once, a feat never before attempted. The gang had hitched their horses to a fence in the town plaza, a location that would become their fatal extraction point.
What the Gang Lost in the Deadly Shootout
When the smoke cleared after twelve minutes of sustained gunfire, the Dalton Gang‘s audacious double-bank robbery had transformed from a calculated heist into a catastrophic defeat that claimed four of five outlaws.
The gang member losses were devastating:
- Grat Dalton died in Death Alley from a throat shot by citizen John Kloehr.
- Bob Dalton fell instantly from head and chest wounds delivered by hardware store defenders.
- Bill Powers and Dick Broadwell both bled out from multiple gunshot wounds.
The civilian casualties extracted an equally grim toll—Marshal Charles Connelly, George Cubine, Charles Brown, and Lucian Baldwin perished defending their town, while clerk Thomas Ayres suffered permanent paralysis.
Only Emmett Dalton survived 23 gunshot wounds, trading his freedom for life imprisonment. Following his eventual pardon, he spent fifteen years in prison before gaining his release. After leaving the Kansas State Penitentiary, Emmett relocated to Hollywood where he pursued real estate ventures and acting opportunities.
Two hundred shots fired in twelve minutes had shattered any notion that armed citizens wouldn’t resist tyranny.
The Fate of the Stolen Money After the Failed Heist
Despite the Dalton Gang‘s successful extraction of approximately $21,500 from Coffeyville’s two banks—roughly $20,000 from First National and $1,500 from Condon Bank—none of the stolen money ever left the blood-soaked streets where the outlaws fell.
The recovered loot was discovered in two locations: one sack lay beneath Bob Dalton’s body near First National Bank, while Texas Jack clutched the second tightly in his hand.
The gang’s demise came so swiftly that members never reached their horses tied in Death Alley. Emmett Dalton, the sole survivor, was captured severely wounded with no proceeds in his possession. The bodies of the dead bandits remained in the town square until the coroner arrived to conduct the official inquest. After serving 14 years in prison, Emmett became a writer, speaker, and actor, leading a productive life far removed from his outlaw past.
Town authorities verified all funds and returned them intact to both banking institutions, ensuring the audacious double robbery yielded the outlaws nothing but death and imprisonment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Money Did the Dalton Gang Steal in Previous Robberies?
The Dalton gang’s robbery history shows you they stole approximately $37,550 from documented heists: $19,000 at Lelietta, $18,000 at Adair, $50 at Red Rock, and $2,500 at Lillietta, demonstrating their escalating criminal enterprise across Oklahoma Territory.
What Was the Total Value of Loot the Gang Expected From Both Banks?
You won’t find documented figures for the total loot or robbery expectations the Dalton Gang anticipated from Coffeyville’s banks. Sources confirm they planned a dual-bank hit for major proceeds, but specific value projections weren’t recorded historically.
Did Any Gang Members Hide Money Before the Coffeyville Robbery?
No evidence suggests you’ll find hidden treasures from pre-Coffeyville activities. The gang’s strategies focused on immediate spending rather than saving. Historical records show they operated without documented caches, living as outlaws without secured wealth.
Were There Other Dalton Gang Robberies Planned After Coffeyville?
No evidence suggests the Dalton Gang planned future heists after Coffeyville. You’ll find gang dynamics were irreversibly shattered—four members died, Emmett served fourteen years imprisoned, and historical records confirm the organization dissolved completely on October 5, 1892.
How Did the Dalton Gang’s Total Loot Compare to Jesse James’s Hauls?
You can’t make direct Dalton comparisons to Jesse James’s hauls—the sources don’t provide James’s specific totals. However, the Daltons aimed to surpass prior gang legacies but failed, netting minimal loot after Coffeyville’s recovered funds.
References
- https://battlefieldtravels.com/dalton-gang-raid-on-coffeyville-2/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalton_Gang
- https://allthatsinteresting.com/dalton-gang
- https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=DA006
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dalton-Brothers
- https://pizzabomber.com/history-of-heists-excerpt/
- https://www.coffeyville.com/514/The-Dalton-Raid-Story
- https://www.wonderfulmuseums.com/museum/dalton-museum-coffeyville/
- https://www.daltondatabank.org/Chronicles/Dalton_Gang.htm
- http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/daltons.htm
