It started out as a quiet afternoon on the streets of Longview, Texas. It was May 23, 1894, a sunny and windy day, with the normal street activity of horses and dusty riders.

Across the street from the bank Judge Gordon Russell was presiding over the usual court cases. Down the street the children of Longview were going about their daily lessons at school.

Four riders stopped in front of the First National Bank, located in a building in the center of business houses just a block north of the city square. The quiet, sleepy town of Longview was in for a shock. The Bill Dalton gang had come to rob the bank.

Bill Dalton was a heavy set man who had come to town with a purpose. His side kick, Jim Jones, had his Winchester rifle ready for action. Jim's brother Bill was to be their lookout man stationed in the alley. Bennett stationed himself in a vacant space facing the courthouse. Bill and Jim were greeted by Joe Clemens, bank president, as they entered the bank. Jones handed Clemens a note. "This will introduce you to Mr. Jim Jones, who has come for money and is going to have it. Signed, B & F", the note read.

About that time a Mr. Bartholamew entered the bank and Jones covered him with his rifle, holding
him at bay in the lobby. Tom Clemens, a cashier with a hearing problem, could not figure out what
was happening and left his desk to investigate. Dalton poked a six shooter into his stomach to stop him. Tom Clemens grabbed Dalton's gun and put his thumb between the hammer and firing pin.
"Turn it loose," Dalton demanded.

"I will if you promise not to shoot anyone," Tom Clemens replied. As if by mutual agreement Clemens turned loose.

Intent on doing his daily banking, John Welborne, a nearby business owner, walked unaware into the banks lobby. He took one look around and left the bank screaming " bank robbers!"

The street of Longview immediately took on another air. People scurried for cover, wanting to be out of the way of stray bullets. George Buckingham heard the warning as he sat at Jerry Munden's saloon. He grabbed up his pistol and went up the alley and onto the street that is now known as Bank Street. Bill Jones opened fire. Buckingham lay sprawled in the street fatally wounded.  Bill Jones scanned the street for anyone else that might be a problem. He fired on a Negro man that was sitting on a box in front of the saloon. The bullet seared through the mans hair, through the saloon wall and shot off the finger of a farmer who was sitting with a drink.

Back inside the bank, Dalton and Jones grabbed the money and ran out. About that time the city marshall, Muckelroy, came running down the front steps of the courthouse. Bennett fired a shot at Muckelroy. Legend says that the marshall had some silver coins in his pocket which the bullet struck, then cut a streak across the marshall's abdomen. The lawman fell wounded. About this time Charlie Learn, a mill hand, came out on the courthouse steps to see what all the commotion was about. Bennett fired off another shot and Learn was fatally wounded. He died 2 days later.

A man who owned the hardware store south of the depot had stood by and watched as long as he could. He grapped up his six shooter and headed for the bank. He ran down the sidewalk and into the grocery store adjacent to the bank. As he watched out the window, he noticed that Jim Jones and Dalton had Joe Clemens, Tom Clemens & Bartholamew as hostages in the alley. As Bennett turned facing the window, the hardware store owner fired a shot which killed the outlaw.

"Bennett's dead", Dalton said. "We better get out of here.

The men disappeared behind a board fence that went behind the bank. Bill Jones, who had shot Buckingham and another man, Walter McQueen, ran up the alley firing at everything in sight. He shot 2 rounds at the hardware man in the grocery window. One of the shots broke the glass above the man's head and went into the Magnolia Hotel 3 blocks away. The other shot lodged into the masonry of the building.

The 3 outlaws made the 2 Clemens and Bartholamew straddle behind them on their horses and rode out of town. A half-hearted chase followed the bank robbers but never caught the men. One of the possee commented: "They could shoot too good and my little old pistol wouldn't do no good. Nobody wanted to catch those Dalton boys between here and Oklahoma."

On down the road the robbers freed the hostages and made a clean get away.  It was determined that they had gotten away with about $2,100. They were later hunted down by the law in various parts of the region and about $1,700 was recovered.

Mr. P. P. Boyd remembers the day the Dalton gang robbed the bank in Longview. One of the gang took a shot at him as they were leaving. The bank robbers left behind a horse which Mr. Boyd gave to the widow of one of the citizens slain by the Daltons.

Here is another account of the bank robbery.

The Bank Robbery
By Bob Bowman