In the early morning hours of October 5, 1892, a sense of grim determination hung in the air as five riders, including a White male named William "Bill" Powers, made their way into the quiet town of Coffeyville, Kansas. Powers, a man who had drifted into the territories from Texas, had thrown in his lot with the notorious Dalton Gang. Their audacious plan was to achieve what no outlaw gang had before: rob two banks at the same time in broad daylight.
The Daltons, some of whom had once worn the badge of the law themselves, were now on a path that would lead to a bloody confrontation in the streets of their former hometown.
The gang, comprised of Bob, Grat, and Emmett Dalton, along with Powers and Dick Broadwell, split into two groups. Grat Dalton, Powers, and Broadwell strode into the Condon Bank, while Bob and Emmett entered the First National Bank. However, their carefully laid plans began to unravel almost immediately. A watchful citizen recognized one of the infamous brothers and raised the alarm. The townspeople, far from being cowed, quickly armed themselves and surrounded the banks, ready to defend their community. A fierce gun battle erupted, turning the dusty streets of Coffeyville into a chaotic scene of flying lead and desperate men.
The ensuing shootout was brief but brutal, lasting only about twelve minutes. When the smoke cleared, the ambitious dreams of the Dalton Gang lay shattered. Bill Powers, along with Bob and Grat Dalton, was killed in an area that would come to be known as "Death Alley". Dick Broadwell managed to escape on horseback but died of his wounds a short distance from town. In the end, four of the five gang members were dead, their bodies later put on public display. The only surviving outlaw was Emmett Dalton, who was severely wounded, captured, and subsequently sentenced to life in prison. No arrests were made for the death of Bill Powers, as he was killed by the armed citizens of Coffeyville during the commission of a violent crime. The townspeople were seen as heroes who had stood up to lawlessness. The bodies of Bill Powers and the Dalton brothers were buried in Coffeyville's Elmwood Cemetery.
