William M. 'Bill' Dalton, a 29-year-old male, met his end on a summer morning, June 8, 1894, near Ardmore in what was then Indian Territory. A former member of the California legislature, he had turned to a life of crime, joining his brothers in the notorious Dalton Gang and later co-leading the Wild Bunch. His final days were spent as a wanted man, with a significant bounty on his head following a bank robbery in Longview, Texas.
On that fateful day, a posse of U.S. Deputy Marshals tracked Dalton to a cabin near Elk, about twenty miles from Ardmore, where he was hiding out with his family. The lawmen surrounded the dwelling in the early hours. Alerted to their presence, Dalton attempted to flee. Armed with a pistol, he jumped from a window and charged toward the posse, ignoring their commands to halt. The deputies opened fire, and Dalton was killed in the ensuing shootout.
Inside the cabin, the posse found Dalton's distraught children. A search of the premises uncovered letters that confirmed his identity and a substantial amount of money, including a bank bag from the Longview robbery containing $1,700. Following his death, Dalton's wife identified his body, which was then sent back to California for burial.
In a surprising turn of events, in June of 1896, nine of the deputy U.S. marshals who participated in the shooting were indicted for the murder of Bill Dalton by a federal court in Ardmore. However, despite the indictment, none of the lawmen were ever brought to trial.
