How were the Daltons, Youngers and James gangs all related?

Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847 to– April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw and the most famous member of the James-Younger gang which was centered in the state of Missouri. At various times, it included the Younger Brothers (Cole, Jim, John, and Bob), the James Brothers (the infamous Jesse James and his brother Frank), Clell Miller, Arthur McCoy, Charlie Pitts, John Jarrette (who was married to Cole's sister Josie), and Bill Chadwell (alias Bill Stiles). Contrary to frequent report, the James brothers and Younger brothers were not related, at least not by blood.

This group's postwar crimes began in 1866, though it did not truly become the "James-Younger Gang" until 1868 at the earliest, when the authorities first named Cole Younger and both the James brothers as suspects in the robbery of the Nimrod Long bank in Russellville, Kentucky. It dissolved in 1876, after the capture of the Younger brothers in Minnesota after the ill-fated attempt to rob the Northfield First National Bank. Three years later, Jesse James organized a new gang and renewed his criminal career, which came to an end with his death in 1882. During the gang's period of activity, it robbed banks, trains, and stagecoaches in Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and West Virginia.

The Dalton Gang was an infamous outlaw group in the American Old West during 1890-1892, almost 10 years after Jesse James' death. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of the James-Younger Gang.

The Dalton family came from Jackson County, Missouri. Lewis Dalton was a saloon keeper in Kansas City, Kansas, when he married Adeline Younger, the aunt of Cole and Jim Younger. By 1882, the family lived in northeast Oklahoma, then known as the Indian Territory, and by 1886 they had moved to Coffeyville in southeast Kansas. Thirteen of the couple's 15 children survived to maturity.

One son, Frank Dalton, was a deputy United States Marshal who was killed in the line of duty in 1887. Frank had been the most stable of the brothers, well grounded and mature. He had been tracking a horse thief in the Oklahoma Territory. When he located the suspect on November 27, 1887, he confronted him and a shootout erupted, resulting in Dalton being killed. Perhaps hoping to avenge their brother's death, the three younger Dalton boys—Gratton "Grat" Dalton (b. 1861), Bob Dalton (b. 1869), and Emmett Dalton (b. 1871)—became lawmen.

But in 1890, the boys moved to the other side of the law. Bob was always the wildest one. He killed a man for the first time when he was just 19. He was a deputy U.S. Marshal at the time and claimed the killing was in the line of duty. Some suspected, however, that the victim had tried to take away Bob's girlfriend. In March 1890, Bob was charged with introducing liquor into the Indian Territory, but he jumped bail and did not appear for his trial. In September 1890, Grat was arrested for stealing horses— a capital offense—but either the charges were dropped or he was released. Discredited as lawmen, the Daltons soon formed their first gang. On February 6, 1891, after Jack Dalton had joined his brothers in California, a Southern Pacific Railroad passenger train was held up.

The gang could have kept themselves busy with train robberies, but Bob Dalton wanted to make sure his name would long be remembered. He would, he claimed, "beat anything Jesse James ever did—--rob two banks at once, in broad daylight." On October 5, 1892, the Dalton gang attempted this feat when they set out to rob the C.M. Condon & Company's Bank and the First National Bank in Coffeyville, Kansas. Since the locals were aware of what they looked like, they wore fake beards. But they were still identified by one of the townspeople. While the gang was busy trying to hold up the banks, the people armed themselves and prepared for a gun battle. When the gang exited the banks, a shootout began. Grat Dalton, Bob Dalton, Dick Broadwell and Bill Powers were killed. Emmett Dalton received 23 gunshot wounds and survived. He was given a life sentence in the Kansas penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas, of which he served 14 years before being pardoned. He moved to California and became a real estate agent, author and actor, and died in 1937 at age 66.

Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr, better known as Belle Starr (February 5, 1848 –to February 3, 1889), was a famous American female outlaw. She was born Myra Maybelle Shirley (known as May to her family) on her father's farm near Carthage, Missouri. In the 1860s her father sold the farm and moved the family to Carthage buying an inn and livery stable on the town square.

After a Union attack on Carthage in 1864, the Shirleys moved to Scyene, Texas. According to legend, it was at Scyene the Shirleys became associated with a number of Missouri-born criminals, including Jesse James and the Youngers. In fact, she knew the Younger brothers and the James boys because she grew up with them in Missouri, and her brother John Alexander Shirley (known as Bud) served with them in Quantrill's Raiders, alongside another Missouri boy, James C. Reed.

After the war the Reed family also moved to Scyene and she married Jim Reed in 1866. She gave birth to her first child, Rosie Lee (nicknamed Pearl), in 1868. Jim turned to crime and was wanted for murder. He moved his family to California, where their second child, James Edwin (Eddie) was born in 1871. Later returning to Texas, Jim Reed was involved with several criminal gangs. In April 1874, despite a lack of any evidence, a warrant was issued for Reed's wife's arrest for a stage coach robbery by her husband and others. Jim Reed was killed in Paris, Texas, in August of that year.

Allegedly, Belle was briefly married to Bruce Younger in 1878, but this is not substantiated by any evidence.

In 1880 she did marry a Cherokee Indian named Sam Starr and settled with the Starr family in the Indian Territory. In 1883, Belle and Sam were charged with horse theft and tried before "Hanging" Judge Isaac Parker's Federal District Court in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She was found guilty and served six months at the Detroit House of Corrections in Detroit, Michigan. In 1886, she escaped conviction on another theft charge,

To keep her residence on Indian land, she married a relative of Sam Starr. His name was Jim July Starr. In 1889, Belle herself was killed. She was shot from ambush while out riding. There were no witnesses; however, suspects with apparent motive included her new husband and both of her children. A neighbor, Edgar J. Watson killed in 1910, was tried for her murder, but was acquitted. The murder is still considered "unsolved".

One source suggests her son may have been her killer whom she had allegedly beaten for mistreating her horse.

National Police Gazette publisher, Richard K. Fox made her name famous with his novel "Bella Starr, the Bandit Queen, or the Female Jesse James", published in 1889 (the year of her murder)

My grandmother was a Daughterty, and she ended up marrying what was said to be her second cousin, by the last name of Thomason. They had one son named terry Thomason. As this was my grandmothers second marriage where she had two little girls from her first marriage (three actually but the first died as an infant) Terry was my mother's little brother.

It was said that we were related to both Jesse James and the Dalton Brothers. In fact, one Dalton used to go to our family reunion held in springville, ca every memorial weekend. He died around 1986 or something. I think his name was russell. My brother has his name for a middle name.

In quantrills raiders I saw a list of names and there was a Daugherty and a Thomason. Also my grandmothers grandmother was a Walker on her fathers side and an Austin on her mothers side. Her daughter, my great grandmothers sister, just died last summer (2014) at the age of 99 in San Luis obispo Ca.

There is much more to the story, the family history...

Cole Younger Family Tree

Daltons

I am," as my dear departed mother would said ", related to the youngers, and I also had the info that the James and youngers were related,and as far as the other comments went, I remember a saying that go's some thing like this, let those with out sin , cast the first stone. Your not a clean as you think you are! keep checking your tree!

Jesse James Family Tree

Actually, the James Brothers, The Younger's, James Ringo, Belle Starr (who married Bruce Dalton), & The Dalton's ARE all related by marriage. Zerelda James' 1st husband, Robert James also father to Frank & Jesse James, who was ordained Baptist Minister who founded 2 churches in Missouri, & a college all of which are still in existence today, traveled to California to find gold & preach to the miners for 1 year leaving his family in Missouri. It is said that Jesse begged his father not to go, it was a 4 month trip, & Robert died in 1850 just 3 weeks after his arrival to California. It was stated by Zerelda that her sons would have never turned out the way they did had their father never made that trip. Shortly after Robert's death, Zerelda married Bruce Simms who's niece Frances married Coleman Younger, becoming parents of the famous "Younger Gang", & Frances' younger sister, Mary married James Ringo becoming parents to the famous "Jimmy Ringo". Adeline, Coleman Younger's younger half sister married James Lewis Dalton becoming parents to the famous "Dalton gang", all of these distant cousins now formed "The James Gang"! Then to add to it, Bruce Younger brother to Adeline, & half brother to Coleman Younger married Myra Belle (Shirley) Reed, widow of the Outlaw "Jimmy Reed" killed during a bank robbery in California. It's never stated what happened to Bruce but then Myra Belle went on to marry Sam Starr a Cherokee Indian, with her becoming the infamous "Belle Starr"! At least they kept it all in the family! I am a descendent of the Dalton Family, My Great Grandmother was Mary Dalton who married James Cash who were the parents of my true Grandfather, who died unexpectedly of Tuberculosis in 1940 when my mother was 5 years old. My Grandmother wanted nothing to do with the Dalton family, & fled Missouri, & moved to CO. I now know that the Dalton/Cash family tried to find my mother, & her siblings for years, but my Grandmother from what people say thought she was better than they were, I'm not pointing fingers, however, I read this of Abilene Ruth Dalton's family tree, & history. Abilene spent years on this family tree, & am now just finding it, & about our family's history, it's colorful! If anyone has anything on any of this info please let me know.

Sheila

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It looks like the whole batch were doing all the cousins, nieces, nephews. No wonder they were outlaws.

And the same question pops up again

They were all cousins either by blood or marriage.