Delta in Delta County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
The Delta Bank Robbery
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The McCarty Legacy
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2025
1. The Delta Bank Robbery
(south side of kiosk)
(south side of kiosk)
The Delta Bank Robbery
On or about August 20, 1893, the McCarty Gang arrived in the Delta area and set up camp in Escalante Canyon. Tom McCarty, his brother Bill, and Bill's 20 year old son, Fred, had probably departed from the safety of Robbers Roost a day or so earlier, having planned the Delta robbery over the weeks before.
With final plans made, and relief horses and provisions in place for their get-a-way, the trio spent the night at the Central House in Delta, using false names, and after breakfast the following morning, wandered over to the Palace Sample Room (saloon) for some liquid courage.
It was Thursday. September 7, 1893. Just before 10:00 a.m., Tom McCarty left the saloon and led the three horses to the alley between Main and Meeker Streets, and up to the rear of the Farmers & Merchants Bank. When the bank opened at 10:00 a.m., Bill and Fred walked casually across the street to the bank and entered, quietly locking the door behind them.
Inside the bank, Cashier Andrew Trew Blachly and his assistant, Harry H. Wolbert, both rose to greet the customers. With guns drawn, Bill and Fred ordered the two to raise their
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Knowing that the shots would alert the town, the two outlaws grabbed any money in sight and ran out the back door of the bank to the waiting horses. In an instant, the three outlaws were galloping north through the alley.
As they crossed Third Street, W. Ray Simpson was just approaching the alley carrying his .40 caliber single-shot Sharps rifle. Having heard the two shots from his hardware store across the street from the bank, Simpson grabbed his rifle and ran across to Third Street, as he had not seen any horses in front of the bank. Tom was in the lead, then Fred, and then Bill. As they rode up the alley, money was flying everywhere.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2025
2. The McCarty Legacy
(north side of kiosk)
(north side of kiosk)
The two dead McCarty's, father and son, were buried the next day in Potter's Field. W. Ray Simpson became a national hero, with accolades from all around the country. Had he killed Tom McCarty, he would have received a handsome reward. In spite of it, the Farmer's & Merchants Bank gave him a $200 reward, and the Delta County Bank a $50 reward.
The McCarty Gang was finished, and Tom McCarty was to fade into history, with no factual evidence of his death, either when or where.
The outlaw's guns and W. Ray Simpson's Sharps rifle are on exhibit in the Delta History Museum, 251 Meeker Street, Delta.
The McCarty Legacy
This marker was dedicated on May 12, 2001 to the memory of an event which placed Delta, Colorado in western history books, forever.
The notorious McCarty Gang had a 12-15 year history of
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2025
3. Delta Bank Robbery Marker
Looking north through Delta Municipal Cemetery.
Some of the more famous robberies attributed to the McCarty Gang are listed below:
Mar 30, 1889 First National Bank - Denver, CO $21,000
Tom McCarty (Jim Clark believed to be an accomplice)Jun 24, 1889 San Miguel National Bank - Telluride, CO $20,570
$2,500 Reward
Tom McCarty, Matt Warner, Butch Cassidy, Bill MaddenOct 8, 1891 The Wallowa National Bank - Enterprise, OR $3,450
$500 Reward
Tom McCarty, Bill McCarty, Matt WarnerNov 3, 1891 Farmers Savings Bank - Summerville, OR $4,800
$500 Reward
Tom McCarty, Bill McCarty, Fred McCartySep 24, 1892 National Bank of Roslyn - Roslyn, OR $3,000
$250 Reward
Tom McCarty, Bill McCarty, George McCarty, Fred McCarty, Matt WarnerSep 7, 1893 Farmers & Merchants Bank - Delta, CO $0
$3,000 Reward
Tom McCarty, Bill McCarty, Fred McCarty
$500 Reward (for Tom)
Erected 2001.
Topics. This historical
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2025
4. The McCarty Legacy Marker
Looking south through Delta Municipal Cemetery. The William A. McCarthy and Fred McCarty combined memorial grave marker is at the middle-left edge of this photo a few steps to the left of this interpretive kiosk.
Location. 38° 44.753′ N, 108° 3.326′ W. Marker is in Delta, Colorado, in Delta County. It can be reached from the intersection of East 3rd Street and Riley Lane, on the left when traveling east. The marker is near the north end of Delta Municipal Cemetery, on the center aisle, about 300 meters north of East 3rd Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Delta CO 81416, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Western Slope. It is also in the American Mountain West and in Colorado Plateau. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Delta County Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Delta Post Office (approx. 0.8 miles away); Leslie J. Savage Big Bell Collection (approx. 0.8 miles away); Robert
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 19, 2025
5. William A. McCarthy and Fred McCarty Memorial Marker
William A. McCarty
born 1852
and his son
Fred McCarty
born 1873
Both died Sept. 7, 1893
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Once Upon a Time in Delta The Sharpshooter Vs The McCarty Gang (High Country Spotlight).
(By Stu Carlson) Excerpt: The calm was broken by a faction of the infamous McCarty Gang, who had chosen to rob the Farmers and Merchants Bank on Main Street that day. Their leader, Tom McCarty, was a former miner and rancher-turned-outlaw who began rustling cattle with his younger brother, Bill, and soon graduated to holding up stages and banks. The two brothers, along with Matt Warner, Bills son Fred, and various other associates, robbed banks in Washington and Oregon before working their way through Utah to Western Colorado. It is widely accepted that Tom introduced the art of the stick-up to Robert Leroy Parker, who would later ride under the alias of Butch Cassidy.(Submitted on January 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
While detailed planning was ever a part of the McCartys jobs, Tom failed to account for the sharpshooting merchant at the local hardware store from Kentucky who, by chance, was polishing his .40 caliber Sharps rifle on the steps of his shop when the chaos broke loose
2. William Alexander Bill McCarty (Find A Grave).
(Delta Cemetery, Delta, Delta County, Colorado, USA) Excerpt: Outlaw Bill McCarty, together with his son Fred and brother Tom McCarty, robbed the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Delta, Colorado on 7 Sep 1893. During the robbery, Fred shot and killed Andrew Blachly, the cashier. As they attempted to escape on horseback, Bill and Fred were both shot and killed by a local hardware merchant, W. Ray Simpson. Tom McCarty made good his escape, but all the money from the robbery was recovered. Bill and Fred were buried together in Potter's Field in an unmarked grave, the location of which has been lost. In 2001, a memorial grave marker and historical sign were placed to commemorate the event and the father-son bank robbers.(Submitted on January 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 31, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 118 times since then and 117 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
