Details
DALTON, EMMET H., Member of Dalton brothers gang. Autograph letter signed twice ("Emmet H. Dalton") to William H. Frank, Charlotte, N.C., 1 March 1918. 4 pages, large 8vo, written in pencil on rectos only of four sheets hotel stationery, original postmarked envelope addressed by Dalton.
A strange letter describing the care and feeding of alligators. "At last I am about to be released of a very great burden -- this D____ al[l]igator. The Mrs. says she will start him via Southern Express next Monday...and that he should arrive there Tuesday....Be on the lookout for him....The enclosed are the official instructions for raising a baby al[l]igator, By Mrs. Emmet Dalton. Feed him a little each day either Hamburger or fish preferably fish about thre bites the size of a pea....Keep him in a shoebox, with air holes and above all keep him where it is warm....If it refuses to eat force its mouth open and shove the grub down its throat with a toothpick. Its perfectly harmless, has no teeth and could not bite, if it wanted to. Your job is to take it to Church every Sunday morning, preferably the Colored Baptis[t] Church....When it reaches the age of 5 years feed it a stick of dinamite or take it out in the back yard and cut its head off...."
A strange letter describing the care and feeding of alligators. "At last I am about to be released of a very great burden -- this D____ al[l]igator. The Mrs. says she will start him via Southern Express next Monday...and that he should arrive there Tuesday....Be on the lookout for him....The enclosed are the official instructions for raising a baby al[l]igator, By Mrs. Emmet Dalton. Feed him a little each day either Hamburger or fish preferably fish about thre bites the size of a pea....Keep him in a shoebox, with air holes and above all keep him where it is warm....If it refuses to eat force its mouth open and shove the grub down its throat with a toothpick. Its perfectly harmless, has no teeth and could not bite, if it wanted to. Your job is to take it to Church every Sunday morning, preferably the Colored Baptis[t] Church....When it reaches the age of 5 years feed it a stick of dinamite or take it out in the back yard and cut its head off...."