Stella James & Rudy Turilli

[Rufus]

archive.org/details/manyfacesofjesse0000stee/page/93/mode/1up

law.justia.com/cases/missouri/court-of-appeals/1971/33962-0.html

www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Jesse-James/dp/B003HEZT0C

www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2921

From my understanding from different sources, including the book "Legends and Lies: Great Mysteries of the American West" by Dale Walker (1998) who briefly covers J. Frank Dalton in association to Brushy Bill Roberts, Rudy Turilli got involved in the business of promoting J. Frank Dalton as Jesse James after seeing the interest and publicity Orvus Howk and newspaper writer Robert Ruark was getting claiming the old man was Jesse James.

When they returned from NYC after appearing on the CBS program "We the People," Turilli convinced the trio to come to Miromack Caverns (that Turilli owned/operated) to have Dalton's birthday party. Turilli also "found" some other individuals who claimed to be in the James Gang or knew Dalton to be Jesse James to be apart of the festivities. All of these people at the event were not who they claimed to be.

Prior to all of this, however, when Dalton first appeared claiming to be Jesse James he was cross examined by James historian Homer Croyle and failed miserably under questioning. However that did not deter Ruark or Howk or Dalton from arranging parades, doing interviews, etc to keep pushing the claim.

The first encounter/exchange between Stella and Dalton occured in February 1950 when Dalton tried to legally change his name to Jesse Woodson James. Her husband Jesse E. James and herself petitioned against this to the courts, and the name change was delayed and later denied.

In the aftermath of the birthday party, Stella James traveled to the Caverns as Dalton stayed there for some time. She brought along with her her father-in-law's boots and many questions. Apparently under her questioning he failed to know who "Buck" was, the nickname Jesse gave his brother Frank James.

Furthermore the old man might've had a missing fingertip as Jesse James was supposed to have, but it was the wrong fingertip. The death blow was the boots. Dalton's feet were too big. Jesse James wore a size 7 boot. Feeling satisfied she proved him a fraud she went home.

However in 1967, years after the death J. Frank Dalton his old ally Rudy Turilli wrote a book in 1966 claiming Dalton was Jesse James and stated in the book he had $10,000 to anyone who could prove Dalton wasn't Jesse James. He appeared on The Joe Pyne television show, a kind of precursor to "trash television" like The Morton Downey Jr Show, and reiterated the $10,000 challenge.

Either Stella James saw the program or was made aware of the program and so she compiled several affidavits from elderly family members and friends of her father-in-law stating that they were at the funeral, saw the body, and confirmed it was indeed Jesse James in the coffin. She then brought the lawsuit to Missouri in order to not only collect but to put an end to the claim Dalton was Jesse James.

The court ruled in her favor because the jury said it was clear that Turilli's challenge was to convince the average person that Dalton wasn't Jesse James and the affidavits were sufficient enough evidence considering the individuals on the affidavits were either related to Jesse James or personally knew Jesse James.

Turilli tried to appeal in 1971 arguing that his definition of "prove" was different than what the court ruled, and that his challenge wasnt necessarily to anyone but to the host and the audience, etc. The argument failed to reverse the original decision. The reasons why can be read for yourseld on the link provided.

Turilli never paid up as he died in 1972.

Jesus Christ Almighty God bless you all

[nmjames]

Thanks Rufus. I have all this information and more on Dalton and Brushy. I researched Dalon before I started looking into Brushy some years ago. Most of my information is packed away in boxes. What started me looking into Dalton was an old picture found in a cabin near Bottomless Lakes near Roswell in the 40s (If I remember correctly). It is the same picture Dalton is holding in one of the newspaper articles that shows him, Frank and their mother. That picture is said to have been make from three different pictures. There is a lot more on all of this but has nothing to do with Brushy. I believe that Cline stated that Brushy was living in Carlsbad and Dalton was living in Lovington. If Dalton was living near Roswell, I feel Brushy and him may have met. I feel Dalton helped Brushy make up some of his stories.

I was wondering if any of the trial between Stella and Turilli had second and even third source information?


Thanks again.
nmjames

[Rufus]

Sept 5, 2024 1:45:26 GMT -5 nmjames said:

Thanks Rufus. I have all this information and more on Dalton and Brushy. I researched Dalon before I started looking into Brushy some years ago. Most of my information is packed away in boxes. What started me looking into Dalton was an old picture found in a cabin near Bottomless Lakes near Roswell in the 40s (If I remember correctly). It is the same picture Dalton is holding in one of the newspaper articles that shows him, Frank and their mother. That picture is said to have been make from three different pictures. There is a lot more on all of this but has nothing to do with Brushy. I believe that Cline stated that Brushy was living in Carlsbad and Dalton was living in Lovington. If Dalton was living near Roswell, I feel Brushy and him may have met. I feel Dalton helped Brushy make up some of his stories.

I was wondering if any of the trial between Stella and Turilli had second and even third source information?


Thanks again.
nmjames

Dalton and Brushy knew each other for at the very least 20-30 years, because during the Texas oil boom Dalton resided in Gladewater (or was it Longview?) and was friends with DeWitt Travis and when Dalton had gotten injured he actually resided in Brushy’s home for a time.

I believe one of Brushy’s sister's or nieces lived in New Mexico, and of course Brushy had a sister in Carlsbad. Dalton and Howk both resided in New Mexico, as did Ola Everhard. Once a year basically all of these historical reenactors and claimants would meet up for a few days or a week in around Roswell (I think) and among them were Dalton, Brushy, Robert E. Lee, Uncle Kit Carson, Ozark Jack Berlin, and several others.

From my understanding "Joe Hines" alias William Campbell had told Morrison that a whole bunch of outlaws were still alive in around New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. He was referring to this group of individuals. Morrison then tracked down J. Frank Dalton and it was Dalton, not Hines/Campbell, who told him where to find Brushy Bill Roberts.

Lovington was where Ola Everhard lived.

I would like to see any pictures you may have of Dalton that perhaps most people haven't seen. I know Cline referenced a political pin in one of Dalton's pictures and said it looked like the exact same pin Brushy Bill Roberts wore in a photograph when he was younger.

Jesus Christ Almighty God bless you all

[nmjames]

Rufus.

Dalton and Brushy did know each other in Gladewater, Texas in the 1930s and until Brushy's death in 1950.

Brushy's niece Ruby M. Adams Ballard lived in Carlsbad for several years. Her husband retired from the potash mines in 1949. He and Ruby had lived in Carlsbad for 29 years. Her husband passed away in 1972 in Carlsbad but was buried in Oklahoma. Ruby died in 1993. I think Ruby moved back to Oklahoma after her husband died. She is buried in the same cemetery with her mother and husband. I don't know if Cordelia ever lived in Carlsbad even though Cline said she did, and another researcher said she did. Cordelia may have visited with Ruby for awhile but I don't know.

As for Ola Mae Everhard, she and her husband moved to Lovington in 1980. She met J. Frank Dalton in Austin in 1947. You can find this information in the Carlsbad Current-Argus, July 30, 1985, Page 10. She died in Lovington in 1988 and is buried there. I was just at her grave last Friday. A good friend of our family passed away in Lovington and I was there for her service. I knew Mrs. Everhard's niece. She had met Dalton several times. He gave her a picture that I wanted a copy of, but they would not let the picture out. The picture was said to be Billy, Rudabaugh, and I think Steve Stevens. It was said to have been taken near Las Vegas New Mexico. The last time I visited with her and her husband, she was going to let me take a picture of it, but I wouldn't do it because if it got out, they would think I did it. They were going to give it to a museum but don't know if they ever did. I was given Mrs. Everhard's copy of a VHS tape from when Tunstill did his interview with her. I have seen it on the internet but I don't know who put it out.

As for Joe Hines / Campbell, that is another story that I have information on. I don't want to discuss it here though.
Do you think the Hines story is true? In one of Morrison's letters that I have, he said it was Campbell. I have information that William Campbell was hanged in Arizona way before Morrison ever met whom ever he talked to. If the Campbell from Arizona was our William Campbell, I have a picture of him. I knew that Morrison got the information from J. Frank Dalton. The Cameron Herald, Cameron, Texas had an article on Dalton. Oct. 28, 1943. It stated Dalton was born in Goliad Texas, March 8, 1848. It also list his fathers name if any of it is true.

Thanks
nmjames

[nmjames]

Rufus. I forgot to tell you that the picture found near Roswell is the same one Dalton is holding of him, Frank and his mother. You can find it on the internet. Look up J. Frank Dalton's pictures and you will see him beside a bed holding the picture. I think is has a label under the picture. Let me know if you find it.

nmjames