Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-11-04
4OF ASHLEY GANG
SLAIN IN EFFORT
TIooESCAPE GORDON
Desperadoes Spread Terror
On East Coast by Piracy,
Murder and Banditry

MIAMI, Fla, Nov. 2.-The noto-
rious Ashley Mobley gang of des-
-peradoes, which has spread terror
along the east Florida coast for
years, has been wiped out by squao
of deputy sheriffs from Palm Beach
county.
Four members of the outlaw band,
including John Ashley and Hans
ford Mobley, the leaders, were shot
and killed by the Palm Beach depu-
ties Saturday night in a sensational
gun battle on the fringe of the Flor
ida everglades, according to Wofd
brought here today.
The battle took place near the III
tie town of Sebastian, where the deS-
Deradoes were encountered In an au-
tomobile seeking to escape from the
Gordon Of officers which had been
steadily closing in on them Tor sew
eral weeks.
The gang had been trailed con
stantly since September T. When
the Bank of Pompano, at Pompaho'
Fla, was robbed Of approximately
$1,000.
Surprised by the tofficers who
drew their guns first, \the tour OUT
laws were dropped in their seats IN
the car. The dead, besides Ashley
and Mobley, are Ray Lynn and
John Middleton. The bandits return
ed the fire, but none of the SIX OIL
GERS were wounded.
The Ashley band has enjoyed a
long career Of banditry and piracy.
They are charged with list or ron
berries and murders covering perlod
of fifteen years.
Their operations stretched along
the east coast of Florida from st.
Lucie county to the Florida keys
below Miami, and across the gull
stream in the Bahamas.
Ashley and Mobley have figured IN
a number of sensational Jall-breaks.
Mobley and two other members OIL
the band were jailed at Fort Lauder
dale two years ago after robDlnS d
bank at Stuart, Fla. Mobley ana
one companion escaped. On another
occasion. in the Palm Beach county
iail. Ashley had one of his eyes
shot out while breaking away from
the Palm Beach county jail.
Recently a force of deputies from
Palm Beach county invaded ASH
ley's moonshine camp in the ever
glades. A deputy sheriff was killed
and several members of the band
arrested, but Ashley, Mobley, and his
lieutenants escaped.
The gang is also accused OF RAID
ing liquor stores near the Banana
Islands, and has been sought for
years by the British government for
piracy on the high seas.
ASHLEY WAS KNOWN AS
JESSE JAMES OF SOUTH
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla, Nov.
ASHLEY, known as the Jesse
James Of the south, had for years
cleverly eluded officers who sought
him for robbing the Pompano bank
September Is, for taking part in a
battle in which his father and a
deputy sheriff were killed near here
last January, for robbing the Stuart
bank in May, 1922, and for piracy on
the high seas i'll connection with the
looting Of the Port of West End,
Grand Bahama.
For years the sheriffs of six south
Florida counties had sought the
bandit, who invariably took refuge in
the Everglades when pursued.
After forces numbering hundreds
had unsuccessfully pursued Ashley,
Sheriff r. c.. Baker, of this county,
learned from agents yesterday after
noon that the force would attempt
to escape northward over the Dixie
highway. Instantly he dispatched
y five deputies to bar south Florida s
main exit to the north.