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"The Day Coffeyville Bled" begins with the demise of the Dalton/Johnson outlaw gang as they are shot to pieces and lie dying in gutters, alleys, and empty fields after spending thirteen minutes longer on this earth than necessary. From the morning of Wednesday, October 5, 1892, through to as late as the year 2005, immediate family members of this gang survived and buried their secrets, but not as well as they would have hoped. Five marriages, five murders, two illegitimate children, multiple questionable real estate transactions, formulation of construction companies, motion picture productions, and newspaper, magazine, and book publications all became part of what legends are made of as the Dalton/Johnson outlaw gang rode out of the nineteenth century straight into the twentieth century, while at least three of their number escape apprehension. Also contained within this book are three never before published photographs, two which depict Roy Dalton and one of the evasive Lucy Ann Johnson. Also, the Bibliography contains 278 informational sources. A Texas native, Mark S. Pannill has a working background in both print and broadcast media. He has spent several years in radio as an announcer and has produced several print publications including a weekly newspaper, historical pamphlets, and an award-winning weekly newspaper column. Mark’s interest in the Dalton/Johnson outlaw gang began in 1977 during his early college years. At that time he was employed as a gunfighter in a theme park in Oklahoma. Although he is not related to either of these outlaw factions, he discovered an undying desire to uncover the other side of their romantic imagery. The result of years of interviews and extended research has culminated in this story about “The Day Coffeyville Bled”. Preview “Never surrender! Die game!” were the words that echoed through the old man’s brain as the engine to his motorcar coughed to a stop. The keys hanging from the ignition switch jiggled and banged on the metal dashboard as the rocking of the vehicle subsided. He reached across the front seat for the wooden cane he used for balance in these last years and grimaced with a slight searing pain in his left elbow caused by that simple stretching motion. The driver’s door would not open easily, but with a hard enough shove, it finally gave way. He stepped from the interior of the vehicle, placing both feet steadily on the pavement. He had parked his car in the pre-designated space, which placed both he and the vehicle at right angles to and in front of the objects of his concern. Today was May 9, 1931. The place was Coffeyville, Kansas, and Emmett Dalton was about to relive all that that had carried him from one end of humanity to the other. Julia Ann Johnson created more than simply another addition to the family for Westley Marion and Martha M. (Sparks) Johnson on March 5, 1870. Her birth in the state of Kentucky was to begin a series of events that would touch upon the lives of countless persons around her as she grew up in a family of four brothers and one sister. Sibling rivalry was the catalyst that was sparked by her coincidental birth being on the same day as that of her father. Because of this happenstance of nature, she was to be reared in a situation where she was probably viewed as the “favorite” child. This impression was held not only by herself but also by her sister, Lucy Ann, as well. Jennie Mae Johnson was born on November 17, 1889. She was thrust into an outlaw environment, even as that element of society was on its way out of existence. She was to have no control over the first few years of her life and was to suffer under the cruel upbringing that lay in store for her. However, as Jennie entered her teenage years, she had discovered a way to escape the perils of living under the same roof as Julia. The concept was not of her planning, yet the result proved to be the same as if she had orchestrated the event. Jennie Mae, at the age of thirteen, became pregnant and found herself soon to become an unwed mother. This was a scandal that could ruin the lives of all persons who were living in the Lewis household at that time. Roy Johnson was brought into the world under the most mysterious and the most unbelievable circumstances of the time. Yet, all of those persons who heard the tale accepted it readily. The saga of his birth was handed down from one generation to another, and with each retelling of the event, the acceptance grew and grew. In the end, the actual moment was lost to legend, and that legend had been created by Julia Ann Johnson. Eugenia Moore has been the subject of great controversy for many years. She has appeared in notations, written ledgers, and as physical sightings. She is known to have ridden as an outlaw in the Dalton Gang, the Lewis Gang, and the Doolin Gang, and even formed a band of outlaws herself. She was on hand for the Coffeyville dual bank robbery attempts by the Daltons. She was there at the Battle of Ingalls. She was eventually shot to death in a running gun battle with law enforcement officers in 1896 in Tombstone, Arizona. Her career spanned adventures with many notable outlaws of the Old West. She slept with many a friend and foe alike to acquire desired necessary information. During her stay, Julia was treated to a small family gathering at the Chapman home, which included a few outside friends of Hazel’s. It was at this time that Julia exhibited her crudeness. At a point in the evening, which has been embedded in the memories of several Johnsons as a dark moment in their social history, she stood to be excused to go to the bathroom and stated, “Come on, Jennie; let’s go upstairs and squeeze our lemons and go to bed!.” For after all is said of the infamous Dalton outlaw gang of the late 1800s, their number was comprised of nothing more than drunken, lice-infested glory seekers. The gang remained on the horizon of mankind long enough to make their presence known and thankfully were squelched in a single moment. A few members of this party suffered from the ills of venereal disease, while others basked in their prowess of bisexual activity. |
