In this, one of my ‘dead or alive‘ posts, the question isn’t whether Jesse James is still alive or not.
He’s quite obviously dead, having been born 162 years ago, in 1847.
There were, however, some big question marks over whether he actually died when the history books said he did.
A treasure seeker in Lawton, Joe Hunter, had long suspected that Jesse James had not died in 1882.
COULD FRANK DALTON HAVE BEEN JESSE JAMES?
Whilst discovering some of the James gang’s hidden loot he eventually tracked down a man called Frank Dalton who then admitted to being the famous outlaw.
The year was 1948 and Dalton claimed to be a hundred years old.
It had long been believed that Jesse James had been killed by Robert Ford but Dalton convinced Robert Turilli, an expert on James, that he was indeed the man himself.
Dalton claimed that Ford had actually killed another outlaw, Charlie Bigelow, a claim which was given some level of credence by the fact that when James’ mother was initially shown the body of the man that Ford had shot, she exclaimed that, ‘No, gentlemen, that is not my son.’
Dalton went on to say that immediately after the shooting he had informed his wife and had instructed her to identify the body as being his so that they could start a new life.
Furthermore Dalton,a.k.a. Jesse James, claimed that he attended his own funeral and even acted as a pallbearer!
Public opinion of Dalton’s claims was mixed with perhaps a slight majority believing that he really was Jesse James.
When Frank Dalton died in 1951 a post mortem was undertaken and it revealed that he had 27 bullet wounds.
DOES DNA EVIDENCE OFFER PROOF OF JESSE JAMES’ DEATH?
In 1995 the body buried in Jesse James’ grave was exhumed and was DNA tested, revealing that he at least belonged to the James family.
Curiously, the body of Dalton was also DNA tested which revealed that he wasn’t a member of the Dalton family.
Is it possible that Dalton was Jesse James and that another family member was placed into the outlaw’s grave?
I don’t think so but what do you think?
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I do think Jesse James faked his death, but exactly who J. Frank Dalton was remains to be seen.
I think this for various reasons. one being that there are no records to prove Jesse James married Zee Mimms or that Frank married Annie Ralston.
There is no record to prove there was an offical post mortem was done either [Oh, I know what all the books say] try getting a record of it.
For the “mysterious stranger” that no one seemed to know, see “Jesse James Was My Father, by Jesse Edward James. He joined the Cortege, served as a pallbearer. Who woulkd know better that Jesse’s son?
There is much, much more to prove Jesse James very likely faked it again, the first time being in 1879 when George Sheppard and Marshall Liggett said they killed him. A casket actually arrived in Clay Co. The Sheriff said he gave his body to friends.
Jesse had to do it again because someone was robbing and openly saying “I’m Jesse James”.
Jewelry taken in a Kentucky robbery was planted with Zee Mimms to prove it was Jesse. Even though the Miss Roundtree whom that Jewelry belonged to and was on that stage was given the Jewelry back. It was left at an old Hotel on the way out of the area as Frank and Jesse left.
I might add that the day before the robbery, Frank , Jesse and Miss Roundtree spent the day together touring a cave.
Further research reveals she was related to Frank and Jesse as well.
Thanks for such a comprehensive piece Lou, I’d love to hear more about the detailed research you seem to have put in on Jesse James and the associated stories/rumours.
Didn’t Frank Dalton also claim that Lincoln’s killer had survived too? I’m not sure he was too credible.
Yeah I think that was one of many other claims he made.