The Last of the Dalton's, Emmett's Last Letter. PSA/DNA Mint 9 Slabbed and Graded

1p, 8.5” x 11”, encapsulated to 9.75" x 13.25", Single Page TLS, Hollywood, CA, Dated June 29, 1937. Signed “Emmett Dalton”, and addressed to journalist and raconteur Bertrand “Frisco Bert” Couch. Dalton writes to Couch exactly 2 weeks before his death to ask him if he would come to see him as there is "Much to talk over with you whe(n) you come down". The letter suddenly ends, as Dalton is sick at the time with him saying "Excuse the shortness of this letter but I will try and do better next time." Unfortunately, there was no "Next Time" as this is the last correspondence between Dalton and Couch effectively ending the era of the Wild West. PSA/DNA has encapsulated and graded this TLS a Mint 9.

Emmett Dalton (1871-1937) American outlaw, train robber and member of the Dalton Gang in America's "Wild West". Emmett's older brothers briefly worked as US deputy marshals in Indian Territory and shared a position held by their older brother Frank Dalton after he was killed in the line of duty. They hired Emmett to serve as a guard at the jail at Fort Smith, in present-day Arkansas. The elder two started working for the Osage Nation to help them set up a police force but fled after being pursued for stealing horses. Shortly after, they began to conduct robberies of banks, stagecoaches, and trains. Emmett would later join them forming The Dalton Gang.

The Dalton Gang ended on October 5, 1892, when the crew attempted to rob two banks on the same day in Coffeyville, Kansas with the hope of making enough money to flee the country. Four of the gang were killed in a gunfight with law enforcement and townsmen. Emmett Dalton survived but was severely wounded. It is said that he had the chance to escape, but upon seeing his brother Bob hurt, he turned back to help him on his horse. It was then that he was injured, receiving more than 23 gunshot wounds. Upon capture, Emmett was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in Lansing. Dalton, considered a model prisoner, was pardoned by the state governor and released after 14 years.

He would later move to Oklahoma and write two books including “When The Dalton’s Rode”, which would later be adapted into a movie of the same name directed by George Marshall and starring Randolph Scott, Kay Francis and Brian Donlevy. Universal announced the project in March 1940, nearly three years after the death of Dalton, and began filming in May 1940. The script was written by Stuart Anthony and Lester Cole.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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