October 5, 1892 heist: The Dalton Gang tried to rob two banks at once in broad daylight, but a cashier stalled them, townspeople grabbed guns and the daring heist ended in a deadly shootout

Five men rode into Coffeyville, Kansas, on horseback on a bright October morning in 1892. They had come to do something no other gang had managed before: rob two banks at exactly the same time.The plan sounded almost absurdly confident. Bob and Emmett Dalton would enter the First National Bank. Grat Dalton, Dick Broadwell and Bill Powers would hit the Condon Bank across the street. The men knew Coffeyville well. The Dalton brothers had lived there before becoming outlaws.They also believed they could get in, take the money and disappear before anyone understood what had happened. Instead, within minutes, the town was armed.And by the time the shooting stopped, four members of the gang were dead, four local men had also been killed, and the fifth Dalton brother involved in the robbery, Emmett, was badly wounded.The plan was bigger than a normal bank robberyThe Dalton Gang had already built a reputation across the American West.For about a year and a half, according to History.com, the gang had been involved in train robberies and other crimes. The website notes that the group had managed to avoid capture despite efforts by law officers.But the Daltons apparently wanted one final spectacular score.History.com describes their October 5 attempt as a “daring daylight robbery” of two Coffeyville banks at the same time.The choice of Coffeyville was not random. It was familiar territory for the Dalton brothers. They knew the town and its streets, and they knew where the two banks stood.Their plan depended on speed. They would split into two groups, enter the banks simultaneously, take the money and get back to their horses.But there was a problem they could not control. People noticed them.One mistake gave the town time to reactThe gang rode into town and left their horses in an alley near the banks. They then split up. Bob and Emmett went into the First National Bank. Grat, Broadwell and Powers entered the Condon Bank.The robbery initially appeared to be going according to plan. Then someone recognised one of the men. The warning began spreading through Coffeyville. And ordinary townspeople started reaching for guns.While Bob and Emmett were putting money into a grain sack, “the townspeople ran for their guns” and surrounded the banks. That detail changes the entire picture of the robbery.The Daltons had imagined themselves controlling the situation because they were armed and had planned the attack carefully. However, the people outside were waiting.Inside the other bank, a cashier bought precious minutesThe most unusual part of the story happened at the Condon Bank. Grat Dalton, Broadwell and Powers demanded access to the vault. The cashier, Charles Ballard, knew that giving them the money immediately could put everyone in greater danger. So he stalled.He told the robbers that the vault was on a time lock and could not be opened yet.According to the Coffeyville Historical Society, the men arrived at around 9:20 a.m., and the cashier's claim bought the town valuable time while people armed themselves.Then the shooting startedWhen the Dalton brothers came out of the First National Bank, gunfire erupted. They were forced back inside. They tried to escape through the rear, but townspeople were waiting there too. Across the street, Broadwell, Powers and Grat Dalton also found themselves trapped. The situation quickly became a gun battle between the gang and armed Coffeyville residents.The town's defenders weren't professional soldiers. They were shopkeepers, workers and other local men who had decided they weren't going to let the robbery happen without a fight.Four gang members diedBob Dalton was killed. So were his brother Grat, Bill Powers and Dick Broadwell. Emmett Dalton was shot more than 20 times but survived.Four Coffeyville defenders were killed: Marshal Charles T. Connelly, Lucius Baldwin, George Cubine and Charles Brown. Several others were wounded.So although the story is often remembered as a spectacular failure by a gang of outlaws, it was also a deadly confrontation that left families in the town grieving.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ testGet the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.