Bootlegging With the Ashley Gang.
The Ashley Gang in the 1910s to the mid 1920s were the most wanted outlaws in the Florida Everglades. Before Bonnie and Clyde in the 1930s.
John Hopkins Ashley was born in Fort Myers, Florida in 1888. John Ashley and family ran their criminal operation out of the Everglades with the crimes of bootlegging, bank robbery and a little piracy on illegal whiskey during the prohibition.
$45000 was robbed from the Bank of Stuart in 1914 by the Ashley Gang. Unfortunately, John had a recruit named Kid Lowe who was shooting his gun in the bank like a crazy person and shot Ashley in the jaw where he lost an eye. Pretty sure Kid Lowe was fired. Because of this John Ashley was famous for his glass eye.
Between 1915 to 1924 the Ashley Gang robbed 40 banks and accumulated about One Million Dollars. They also robbed the Rum Runners and hijacked the illegal whiskey boats. First time in 100 years that American Pirates attacked the British Crown Colony.
The Ashley Gang also had moonshine stills that did not produce 10 or so gallons of moonshine. Oh no! 100 gallons or more of great Florida whiskey was produced during the U.S. alcohol prohibition.
John’s wing girl Laura Upthegrave earned the name “Queen of the Everglades” which matched one of Ashley’s labels of “King of the Everglades”. Laura drove the getaway car, robbed and loved John Ashley. Which gave them the Bonnie and Clyde moniker.
The Ashley Gang became folk heroes because in that era the banks were foreclosing on farms, businesses and politicians were arguing when everything was heading towards the Great Depression.
A 13 year feud with Palm Beach County Sheriff George Baker ended the John Ashley and gang crime spree. John Hopkins Ashley and 3 gang members who apparently were arrested and in shackles were killed by the sheriff’s deputies on November 1, 1924 on the Sabastian Bridge. Purposely or not. The jury is still out.
The Ashley Gang were famous like the Robin Hood troop in that era.