Page 14 - Gary's Book - Final Copy 7.9.2017_Active

school teacher named Laura Waters at age 15 and read it from cover to cover. He
spent much time seeking a church but never found one to meet his needs or beliefs.

Dad seemed to have no fear of death and did not really settle down until he was 39
years old. He spent much time with his grandfather Dalton, his mother’s dad. Dad
told many war stories and family tales - always giving his views of the world.

My family, unfortunately, was a combination of a bunch of gangsters - the
Daltons, the Jameses, the Allens, the Torys, and the Youngers. The Dalton Gang
members were blood kin – all related to my dad’s mother, Ida Lee Dalton. They

were highly known to be bank robbers, but they were mostly horse thieves. In
those days, being a horse thief actually demanded a higher penalty than robbing a
bank. The James boys (Jesse and Frank), the Allens, and the Youngers were all
Dad’s cousins and were known as the Highway Men. They were bandits running
from town to town, stealing everything and raping women. They were out all the
time doing corrupt, immoral things. The Torys were men who chose not to fight

for the North or the South; they just stole from everyone during the war.

Great Grandfather Dalton was a plantation owner who had 35 Negro slaves. He
treated them kindly, and after the Civil War, some remained or worked on other
nearby plantations.

It was unusual in the early 1900’s to travel much, but Dad was in North Carolina,
Georgia, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana,
Florida, Arkansas, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Illinois – all between the ages of seven and

twenty-five.
During his boyhood years, Dad was cold and hungry much of the time. He was

very proud of his bloodline and commented that no one on his side of the family
was crippled, suicidal, diseased or insane. However, he “forgot” to mention the
level of cruelty, meanness and physical abuse that existed.

Dad had a distinct pleasure of beating on people - at home and at work. He
intimidated everyone and was not bluffing when he did so. When he beat Mom (or
threw her over the second-floor staircase bannister), she sometimes required
medical attention. Dr. Runn, our family doctor, would come to the house only

when Dad was not there. Several times Mom had to be hospitalized. Since Dad’s

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