J. Frank Dalton

J. Frank Dalton - The mysterious man widely known as "J. Frank Dalton" is generally believed to have been born on March 8, 1848 at Goliad, Goliad County, Texas, and he is generally believed to have died on August 15, 1951 at Granbury, Hood County, Texas.

J. Frank Dalton has become a famous figure in American history primarily for two reasons:

(1) He came forward publicly in April-May 1948 at Lawton, Oklahoma and claimed he was the famous outlaw Jesse Woodson James ( 1847-1882 ) [Jesse Woodson James ( Sept. 5, 1847 - April 3, 1882 )] ( see "The Lawton Constitution" newspaper, issue of Wednesday, May 19, 1948 ). However, due largely to various public statements Dalton had made about himself previously which strongly contradict this claim ( for example, statements he made in "The Crittenden Memoirs," 1936, and in his application for a Confederate Veteran Pension filed in Texas in 1947 ), most historians and researchers have not given much ( if any ) credibility to his claim of being Jesse Woodson James. Additionally, previous to his public "emergence" as Jesse Woodson James at Lawton, Oklahoma in April-May 1948, Dalton had claimed he was Frank Dalton ( 1859-1887 ), [Franklin "Frank" Dalton ( June 8, 1859 - Nov. 27, 1887 )] Deputy U. S. Marshal for the Oklahoma Territory under Judge Isaac Charles Parker ( 1838-1896 ) and the eldest brother of the Dalton brothers who formed the Dalton Gang.

(2) He is reputed to have been Comptroller, and eventually Supreme Head, of the KGC ( Knights of the Golden Circle ), a pro-Confederate paramilitary secret society which first became known to the public about 1854, but which had operated clandestinely under other names ( such as the Order of the Lone Star of the West ) since about 1834. For more information on J. Frank Dalton as Comptroller ( and eventually Supreme Head ) of the KGC, see "Jesse James Was One of His Names" ( 1975 ) by Del Schrader and Jesse James III ( Orvus Lee Howk ).

For detailed information on the KGC ( Knights of the Golden Circle ) see the following works ( under External Links, below ):

[A] "An Authentic Exposition" "of the "K. G. C." "Knights of the Golden Circle;" or, A History of Secession from" "1834 to 1861"

[B] "K. G. C.: An Authentic Exposition of the Origin, Objects and Secret Work of the Organization Known as the Knights of the Golden Circle"

[C] "K. G. C. A Full Exposure of the Southern Traitors; the Knights of the Golden Circle. Their Startling Schemes Frustrated. From Original Documents Never Before Published."

[D] "Treason History of the Order of Sons of Liberty, Formerly Circle of Honor, Succeeded by Knights of the Golden Circle, Afterward Order of American Knights. The Most Gigantic Treasonable Conspiracy the World has Ever Known. 1864." ( Edited by Felix Grundy Stidger ) [Felix Grundy Stidger ( Aug. 5, 1836 - 1908 )]

[E] "The Great Northwestern Conspiracy in All its Startling Details: The People's Union Book - The Plot to Plunder and Burn Chicago - Release of All Rebel Prisoners - Seizure of Arsenals - Raids from Canada - Plot to Burn New York - Piracy on the Lakes - Parts for the Sons of Liberty - Trial of Chicago Conspiracy - Inside Views of the Temples of the Sons of Liberty - Names of Prominent Members" ( by I. Winslow Ayer, M. D. ) [Isaiah Winslow Ayer ( February 1826 - April 29, 1909 )( aka I. Windslow Ayer, J. Winslow Ayer, Colonel I. Winslow Ayer, and Dr. I. Winslow Ayer )]

The Knights of the Golden Circle supposedly were given custody of the Confederate Treasury after the Civil War. It is believed that the KGC buried the Confederate Treasury ( consisting of gold, silver, and other valuables worth several billion dollars ) in secret caches all across the United States in order to prevent its confiscation so it would be available if needed to help finance a second Civil War. J. Frank Dalton was reputed to have a copy of the Master Key or Master Plan to the location of the KGC treasure caches, plus detailed maps and/or blueprints of most of the individual caches. About 1930 Orvus Lee Howk ( 1905-1984 ) [Orvus Lee Howk ( April 27, 1905 - July 26, 1984 )( aka Jesse Lee James, Jesse James III, and "the Hawk" )] ( later known variously as Jesse Lee James, Jesse James III, and "the Hawk" ) became intrigued by stories of the KGC and their fabled treasure caches and began a search for Dalton in the hope of obtaining authentic, first-hand information on the subject. It is believed the two men finally met and became friends about 1938. Between 1938-1951 Dalton confided a lot of information about the KGC and the KGC treasure caches to Howk, which Del Schrader [Delos Wayne "Del" Schrader ( Jan. 17, 1917 - March 8, 1982 )] and Howk ( as Jesse James III ) recorded in their famous book about the life of Dalton titled "Jesse James Was One of His Names" ( 1975 ). There is also a great deal of information on these subjects in the book by Warren T. Getler and Bob Brewer titled "Shadow of the Sentinel - One Man's Quest to Find the Hidden Treasure of the Confederacy" ( 2003 ).

J. Frank Dalton's Famous Affidavit of April 24, 1948

The following affidavit ( signed by J. Frank Dalton in the presence of Reece L. Russell, notary public, in Lawton, Oklahoma on April 24, 1948 ) appeared in full on the front page of "The Lawton Constitution" newspaper, issue of Wednesday, May 19, 1948:

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That I, J. Frank Dalton, being of sound mind and body, wish to state that I am the son of Robert James, a Baptist minister, and Zerelda Cole, and that I was born at Centerville, Missouri, on September 5th, 1847. The town of Centerville was later changed to Kearney, Missouri, same being located and situated in the present County of Clay, the State of Missouri. I have used many different names and aliases over many years, but my real name is and always has been JESSE WOODSON JAMES. My full brother was ALEXANDER FRANK JAMES, four years older than myself. We were members of QUANTRILL'S MISSOURI IRREGULARS that fought through the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy, later we became outlaws or bandits who operated over a wide area of several states.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and seal this the 24th day of April, 1948.

( Signed ) J. Frank Dalton

Myths and Rumors

Though history states that Jesse Woodson James was assassinated by fellow gang members Bob Ford ( 1862-1892 ) [Robert Newton "Bob" Ford ( Jan. 31, 1862 - June 8, 1892 )] and his brother Charles Ford ( 1857-1884 ) [Charles Wilson Ford ( July 9, 1857 - May 4, 1884 )] on April 3, 1882, that was not the last the American people would hear of him. Rumors have persisted that it was not Jesse James whom the Fords shot but rather another man - - - Charles Bigelow, a Jesse James imposter and look-alike who had been a member of the James Gang briefly and who supposedly was living with Jesse James' wife ( under the alias John Davis "Dave" Howard ) at 1318 Lafayette Street ( St. Joseph, Missouri ) which was reportedly where the murder was committed on April 3, 1882. Other reports claim that the murder victim wasn't Charles Bigelow but a man whose surname was either Lynch or Tracy. However, it's also possible that the name Charles Bigelow itself was an alias and that "Bigelow's" real surname was either Lynch or Tracy.

Dalton's Self-Contradictory Tales

J. Frank Dalton stated in his application for a Confederate Veteran Pension ( filed in Texas in 1947 ) that he had been born at Goliad, Texas and had served as a Confederate irregular with William Clarke Quantrill ( 1837-1865 ). [William Clarke Quantrill ( July 31, 1837 - June 6, 1865 )] But he also previously had claimed that he was the famous Deputy U. S. Marshal Frank Dalton ( 1859-1887 ) who had been killed in a gunfight with many witnesses in 1887. However, as Deputy U. S. Marshal Frank Dalton was too young to have fought in the Civil War ( 1861-1865 ), obviously J. Frank Dalton could not have fought in the Civil War under Quantrill and also have been Deputy U. S. Marshal Frank Dalton. Then, only a few months after filing his Confederate Veteran Pension application ( in which he stated that he was born at Goliad, Texas ) Dalton began claiming that he was really the noted outlaw Jesse Woodson James ( who most historians believe had been born at Kearney, Clay County, Missouri ). It appears that J. Frank Dalton himself even believed that Jesse Woodson James had been born at Kearney, Missouri ( not at Goliad, Texas ): See Dalton's affidavit of April 24, 1948 !!!

Beginning in 1949, J. Frank Dalton's story was promoted and encouraged by Lester Benton Dill ( 1898-1980 ) [Lester Benton Dill ( Nov. 28, 1898 - Aug. 13, 1980 )] and his son-in-law Rudy Turilli ( 1919-1972 ), [Rudolph Oswald "Rudy" Turilli ( March 17, 1919 - July 19, 1972 )] the proprietors of Meramec Caverns ( "Jesse James' Hideout" ) near Stanton, Missouri. Henry James Walker ( 1908-1970 ) [Henry James Walker ( April 5, 1908 - April 5, 1970 )] conducted 3 lengthy interviews with Dalton ( dated Aug. 9, 1949, Sept. 5, 1949, and Aug. 7, 1950 ) while Dalton was living in a cabin on the grounds of Meramec Caverns. On the basis of these interviews and much additional research Walker later published a book supporting some of Dalton's claims titled "Jesse James "THE OUTLAW" " ( 1961 ).

However, no professional, credentialed historian to date has ever taken J. Frank Dalton's claims seriously, and his knowledge of details the real Jesse would have been aware of was notably lacking. Also, Dalton's claims were often intertwined with almost unbelievable tales of vast quantities of buried Confederate gold and other treasure and a secret KGC plot to revive the Confederate States of America in the years after the Civil War. American author and screenwriter Homer Croy ( 1883-1965 ), [Homer Croy ( March 11, 1883 - May 24, 1965 )] who knew the James family and had interviewed members of Jesse's gang, ridiculed Dalton in his book "Jesse James Was My Neighbor" ( NY: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1949, xii + 313 p. ). Croy wrote that he once asked Jesse James, Jr. ( Jesse Edwards James, 1875-1951 ) [Jesse Edwards James ( aka Jesse James, Jr. ) ( Aug. 31, 1875 - March 26, 1951 )] if any of his alleged fathers had ever returned to visit them. Jesse Jr., who sometimes played a cowboy in silent films, smiled and replied, "Not a one".

In an attempt to put an end to these various and seemingly interminable disputes, the body buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery ( at Kearney, Clay County, Missouri ) as Jesse James was exhumed on July 17-19, 1995 by a forensic team led by Prof. James Edward Starrs ( born 1930 ) of George Washington University ( Washington, D. C. ). In an article ["Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of the Presumptive Remains of Jesse James," by Anne C. Stone, Ph.D., James E. Starrs, L.L.M., and Mark Stoneking, Ph.D., "Journal of Forensic Sciences", 2001; 46 (1), pp. 173-176 - This paper was originally presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences held in Nashville, Tennessee on Feb. 19-24, 1996 ( See under External Links, below )] on the DNA test results of the 1995 exhumation which was published in the "Journal of Forensic Sciences" ( 2001 ), Starrs and his coworkers put forth the claim that the DNA analysis yielded a 99.7% probability that the remains exhumed from the Mt. Olivet Cemetery site were indeed those of Jesse Woodson James. Unwilling to accept this conclusion for several reasons, Bud Hardcastle [Ellis Eugene "Bud" Hardcastle ( born about 1939 )] ( an amateur historian and used car salesman from Purcell, Oklahoma ) was granted an exhumation order on February 17, 2000 by Hood County ( Texas ) Judge Linda Steen to exhume J. Frank Dalton's body from its resting place in Granbury Cemetery ( Granbury, Hood County, Texas ) and perform DNA testing on it, to hopefully solve the mystery "once and for all." The Granbury Cemetery exhumation was conducted on May 30, 2000, but unfortunately the wrong body ( the body of William Henry Holland, 1882-1927 ) was exhumed. Consequently, most researchers believe that J. Frank Dalton's remains have yet to be exhumed and tested, but there have been rumors circulating that his remains were exhumed secretly after the failed public exhumation and were subjected to DNA testing, but that the DNA test results were never made public for some reason.

Major Sources on J. Frank Dalton

(1) The Crittenden Memoirs ( NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1936, xv + 17-542 p. ) - Compiled by Henry Huston Crittenden ( 1855-1943 ) [Henry Huston Crittenden ( Nov. 23, 1855 - March 4, 1943 ) is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Jackson County, Missouri.]

(2) Jesse James Rides Again ( booklet ) ( LaHoma Publishing Company, P. O. Box 57, Lawton, Oklahoma - 1948, 48 pages ) - by Frank Owen Hall ( 1911-1978 ) [Frank Owen Hall ( Sept. 12, 1911 - Oct. 9, 1978 )] and Lindsey H. Whitten ( 1911-1990 ). [Lindsey H. Whitten ( April 7, 1911 - Oct. 29, 1990 )] Mrs. Lindsey H. Whitten ( 1912-2007 ) [ Ruth E. ( Coryell ) Whitten ( Mrs. Lindsey H. Whitten ) ( Dec. 24, 1912 - Sept. 22, 2007 )] donated Lindsey H. Whitten's papers to the Jesse James Museum located at Cement, Oklahoma.

(3) The Truth About Jesse James - A Post Mortem Presentation of Little-Known Facts About a Famous American ( Sullivan, Missouri: L. B. Dill and R. Turilli, 1953, 28 pages - 1955 edition, 31 pages - 1963 edition, 32 pages ) - by Phyllis Argall ( born 1909 ).

(4) The Complete and Authentic Life of Jesse James ( New York: Frederick Fell, 1954, Copyright 1953, 287 pages - reprinted by Collier Books, New York, 1962 - New Edition, 1973 ) - by Carl William Breihan, Sr. ( 1916-1998 ) [Carl William Breihan, Sr. ( Feb. 3, 1916 - March 3, 1998 )]

(5) Jesse James "THE OUTLAW" ( Des Moines, Iowa: Wallace-Homestead Co., January 1961, 283 pages ) - by Henry James Walker ( 1908-1970 ).

(6) Jesse James and the Lost Cause ( NY: Pageant Press, Inc., 101 Fifth Avenue, New York 3, NY, First Edition, 1961, 183 pages ) - by Jesse Lee James. Jesse Lee James ( aka Jesse James III ) was the pen-name and/or adopted name of Orvus Lee Howk ( 1905-1984 ), who claimed to be a grandson of J. Frank Dalton. One of the clearest and most detailed accounts ever published of Howk's claim of familial connection to J. Frank Dalton is found in the "Statement of Timothy James" on pp. 177-183 of this book.

(7) I Knew Jesse James ( booklet ) ( Stanton, Missouri: Self-Published by the Author, 1966, Copyright 1967 - reprinted 1981 - Copyright renewed and booklet reprinted by Francena Turilli, [Francena Bernice Turilli ( maiden name: Francena Bernice Dill ) ( June 12, 1922 - April 28, 2003 ) was Lester Benton Dill's ( 1898-1980 ) daughter and Rudy Turilli's wife.] 1997 ) - by Rudy Turilli ( 1919-1972 ).

(8) This Was Frank James ( Philadelphia, PA: Dorrance & Company, 1969, xx + 180 pages ) - by Columbus Vaughn, Sarah Elizabeth Snow, and Lester Snow. This book is based on the claims of Joe Vaughn ( 1844-1926 ) [Joe Vaughn ( July 1844 - Feb. 14, 1926 )] of Wayton, Newton County, Arkansas, who stated he was Frank James ( brother of the famous outlaw Jesse Woodson James ) in his posthumously published autobiography titled "The Only True History of the Life of Frank James, Written by Himself" ( Pine Bluff, Arkansas: Norton Printing Company, Copyright 1926 - 134 pages ). Columbus Vaughn ( 1914-1984 ) [Columbus Vaughn ( Nov. 25, 1914 - June 16, 1984 )] was a son of William Nelson Vaughn ( 1891-1971 ), [William Nelson Vaughn ( April 19, 1891 - March 23, 1971 )] who in turn was a son of Joe Vaughn ( 1844-1926 ). Sarah Elizabeth Snow ( 1888-1979 ), [Sarah Elizabeth Snow ( maiden name: Sarah Elizabeth Vaughn ) ( Oct. 17, 1888 - Feb. 26, 1979 )] wife of James Wiley Snow ( 1886-1970 ), [James Wiley Snow ( Jan. 27, 1886 - May 9, 1970 )] was a daughter of Joe Vaughn, and Lester Snow ( 1910-1996 ) [Lester Snow ( Jan. 18, 1910 - Feb. 13, 1996 )] was her son. The interaction of the co-authors of "This Was Frank James" with J. Frank Dalton is discussed on pp. v-xvi of the book.

(9) Jesse James Was One of His Names - The Greatest Cover Up in History by the Famous Outlaw Who Lived 73 Incredible Lives ( Santa Anita Press, P. O. Box 902, Arcadia, California 91006 - First Printing, 1975, ii + 296 pages + 6-page Index ) - by Del Schrader ( 1917-1982 ) with Jesse James III ( Orvus Lee Howk ) ( 1905-1984 ).

(10) Ola Everhard ( 1916-1988 ) [Ola Mae ( May ) Everhard ( March 7, 1916 - Nov. 27, 1988 )] - Unpublished manuscript on J. Frank Dalton ( 340 pages, completed in 1987 ). After Ola's death her manuscript was placed in the custody of Bud Hardcastle of Purcell, Oklahoma ( for the purpose of eventual publication ) by her husband Aubrey M. Everhard ( 1907-1991 ). [Aubrey M. Everhard ( April 21, 1907 - July 29, 1991 )] Ola and Aubrey Everhard are both buried in Lovington Cemetery, Lovington, Lea County, New Mexico.

(11) My Jesse James Story ( booklet ) ( Washington, Missouri: The Missourian Publishing Co., Inc., 1989, 30 pages, reprinted from "The Washington Missourian" ) - by Joe Wood ( 1914-1996 ) [Joe Wood ( Joseph S. Wood ) ( Feb. 10, 1914 - Dec. 3, 1996 )]

(12) The Many Faces of Jesse James ( Pelican Publishing Company, Inc., P. O. Box 3110, Gretna, Louisiana 70054-3110, 1995, 128 pages ) - by Phillip W. Steele ( 1934-2007 ) [Phillip Wayne Steele ( July 20, 1934 - Nov. 8, 2007 )] with George Lester Warfel, Jr. ( born March 1918 ). For information on J. Frank Dalton see Chapter 4 ( Jesse James Imposters, pp. 85-98 ).

(13) Frank and Jesse James - The Story Behind the Legend ( Cumberland House Publishing, Inc., 431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37211 - Copyright 2000 - 480 pages ) - by Ted P. Yeatman [Trezevant ( Ted ) Player Yeatman, III ( born 1951 )] ( born 1951 ). For information on J. Frank Dalton see Chapter 16 ( The Resurrection of Jesse James, pp. 323-340 ).

(14) Shadow of the Sentinel - One Man's Quest to Find the Hidden Treasure of the Confederacy ( Simon & Schuster, Rockefeller Center, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 - Copyright 2003 - xvi + 304 pages ) - by Warren T. Getler ( born April 1961 ) and Bob Brewer ( Robert E. Brewer ) ( born 1940 ). For information on J. Frank Dalton see Chapter 7 ( Jesse James, KGC Field Commander, pp. 96-114 ). This book was published in paperback format on Dec. 21, 2004 under the title Rebel Gold: One Man's Quest to Crack the Code Behind the Secret Treasure of the Confederacy ( Simon & Schuster, 320 pages ).

(15) Chasing Rivers, Trains and Jesse James - A Man Called J. Frank Dalton, the Civil War, and the Knights of the Golden Circle - A Historic Novel, that follows a new path provided by real life stories regarding the controversial life of a man called "Jesse James" ( Self-Published by the Author - Copyright 2000 - Limited Edition, 2004 - xii + 11-236 pages ) - by Reggie Anne Walker-Wyatt ( born 1942 ), edited by Lydia Anne Wyatt ( born October 1967 ).

(16) Jesse James: United States Senator ( Publius Press, 3100 South Philamena Place, Tucson, AZ 85730 - Published on Dec. 15, 2005 - 283 pages ) - by Ralph A. Epperson [Ralph A. Epperson is the pen-name of Anthony Ralph Epperson ( born November 1937 )]

Footnotes, References, etc.

External Links

* [http://www.theoutlaws.com/outlaws6c.htm Critical evaluation of Dalton's claim to be Jesse James]

* [http://www.eva.mpg.de/genetics/pdf/Stone.JFS.2001.pdf "Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of the Presumptive Remains of Jesse James," by Anne C. Stone, Ph.D., James E. Starrs, L.L.M., and Mark Stoneking, Ph.D., "Journal of Forensic Sciences," 2001; 46 (1), pp. 173-176]

* [http://digital.library.schreiner.edu/sldl/pdfs/SelBib0324.pdf Selected Bibliography for Knights of the Golden Circle through 3/31/2006]

* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/scd0001.00019716727 An Authentic Exposition of the "K. G. C." "Knights of the Golden Circle;" or, A History of Secession from 1834 to 1861 ( Indianapolis, Indiana: Charles O. Perrine, Publisher, 1861 - iv + 5-80 pages ) ( 1st Reference )]

* [http://www.archive.org/stream/authenticexposit00perr An Authentic Exposition of the "K. G. C." "Knights of the Golden Circle;" or, A History of Secession from 1834 to 1861 ( Indianapolis, Indiana: Charles O. Perrine, Publisher, 1861 - iv + 5-80 pages ) ( 2nd Reference )]

* [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;rgn=full%20text;idno=ANY1772.0001.001;didno=ANY1772.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000001 K. G. C.: An Authentic Exposition of the Origin, Objects and Secret Work of the Organization Known as the Knights of the Golden Circle ( Louisville, Kentucky? - Published by the U. S. National U. C., February 20, 1862 - 16 pages )]

* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/scd0001.20021015001kg.2 K. G. C. A Full Exposure of the Southern Traitors; the Knights of the Golden Circle. Their Startling Schemes Frustrated. From Original Documents Never Before Published ( Boston: E. H. Bullard & Co., 1861 - 8 pages )]

* [http://www.archive.org/stream/sonsofliberty00stidrich Treason History of the Order of Sons of Liberty, Formerly Circle of Honor, Succeeded by Knights of the Golden Circle, Afterward Order of American Knoghts. The Most Gigantic Treasonable Conspiracy the World has Ever Known. 1864. ( Chicago, Illinois: Published by the Author, 1903 - 246 + 30 pages ) - Edited by Felix Grundy Stidger ( 1836-1908 ) ( 1st Reference )]

* [http://www.archive.org/details/sonsofliberty00stidrich Treason History of the Order of Sons of Liberty, Formerly Circle of Honor, Succeeded by Knights of the Golden Circle, Afterward Order of American Knights. The Most Gigantic Treasonable Conspiracy the World has Ever Known. 1864. ( Chicago, Illinois: Published by the Author, 1903 - 246 + 30 pages ) - Edited by Felix Grundy Stidger ( 1836-1908 ) ( 2nd Reference )]

* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/scd0001.00120289214 The Great Northwestern Conspiracy in All its Startling Details: The People's Union Book - The Plot to Plunder and Burn Chicago - Release of All Rebel Prisoners - Seizure of Arsenals - Raids from Canada - Plot to Burn New York - Piracy on the Lakes - Parts for the Sons of Liberty - Trial of Chicago Conspiracy - Inside Views of the Temples of the Sons of Liberty - Names of Prominent Members ( Chicago: Rounds & James, Book and Job Printers, Electrotypers and Binders, 3rd Edition, 1865, iv + 5-112 pages ) - by I. Winslow Ayer, M. D. ( 1826-1909 )] - Ayer republished this book 30 years later in a revised form under the title: The Great Treason Plot in the North During the War: Most Dangerous, Perfidious, Extensive, and Startling Plot Ever Devised; Imminent Hidden Perils of the Republic; Astounding Development Never Before Published ( Chicago: U. S. Publishing Co., 1895, xix + 20-453 pages)