Emmett Dalton ALS "When the Daltons Rode...Would Make a Better Title"

1p, 8.5” x 11” Single Page TLS Emmett Dalton, Hollywood, CA, Dated Dec 2, 1933. Signed “Emmett Dalton" and addressed to John Tackett, who owned a photography studio in Coffeyville. Tackett would also collaborate with Emmett Dalton to write, film, produce and distribute a movie about the famous Coffeyville raid. Dalton references the negotiation of a contract, and the process of how he came up with the name of his book “When the Daltons Rode”.

Signature dark and bold. Expected folds.

Dalton writes, with numerous spelling and punctuation errors:

“MR JOHN TACKETT
COFFEYVILLE, KANASAS

DEAR JOHN:

I WROTE YOU TWO LETTERS YESTERDAY BUT SISCE HAVE JUST THOUGHT OUT HOW THE CONTRACT WAS HANDLED.
FIRST, I RAN THE STORY “WEST OF 96” IN THE “ADVENTURE” MAGAZINE THEN, LET “DOUBLEDAY, DORAN” HAVE IT TO PUT INTO THE BOOK, THEY NOR I DID NOT LIKE THE TITLE “FOR A BOOK” “WEST OF 96” SO, WE CHANGED IT TO “WHEN THE DALTONS RODE” WHICH WE THOUGHT WOULD MAKE A BETTER BOOK TITLE.
THATS HOW “WEST OF 96” CAME INTO THE STORY. I AM SENDING THIS LETTER BY “AIR MALE” SO IT WILL BEAT MY OTHER LETTERS THERE.
LET ME HEAR FROM YOU REASONABLE SOON. REGARDS TO MRS. TACKETT.

RESPECTFULLY YOURS,

Emmett Dalton

P.S. WHEN DO DOU FOLKS EXPECT TO COME OUT HERE?”

The letter is accompanied by the original envelope which is postmarked “Los Angeles Nov 22 1936”, with a cancelled stamp and the printed address, with the return address listed as “Emmett Dalton Hollywood, Calif.”

Emmett Dalton (b. 1871) was an American outlaw, train robber and member of the Dalton Gang in the American Old 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.

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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