South Florida at the turn of the 20th century was a frontier region with its share of outlaws. Long before Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger, the notorious Ashley Gang robbed and terrorized the east coast of Florida. Many local sheriffs and chiefs of police tried to capture and hold these criminals between 1911 and 1924. It would be finally Stuart Chief of Police Oren 'O.B.' Padgett who would be an important member of the posse that would stop the Ashley Gang forever. The life and times of Padgett, a native of Florida, is fascinating all by itself. His many experiences, good and bad, are covered in this book ""O. B. Padgett - A Florida Son."" Most of the material is from the 'lost' writings he did of his life before his death in 1980.