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In the early decades of the 20th century, Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was one of the most notorious criminals in the United States. With his rugged good looks and reputation as a modern-day Robin Hood, Floyd carved out a legendary, albeit violent, career robbing banks and evading law enforcement across the Midwest. His bloody demise in a shootout in 1934 only added to the Floyd mythology.
Early Life and Crimes
Charles Arthur Floyd was born in rural Georgia in 1904. His family relocated to Oklahoma when Floyd was a young boy. As a teenager, he had various run-ins with the law, including arrests for stealing chickens and robbing a local post office [1].
In the 1920s, Floyd graduated from petty theft to more serious crimes. He committed his first documented bank robbery in St. Louis in 1921, when he was just 17 years old [2]. After a 3-year prison sentence, Floyd emerged with a new nickname, "Pretty Boy," for his good looks, dapper clothes, and slick straw hat [3]. He lived up to the moniker, committing bank robberies with confidence and panache.
Over the next several years, the former farm boy crisscrossed the Midwest, robbing banks from Ohio to Oklahoma. Floyd favored small town banks and was said to burn mortgage documents during robberies to ingratiate himself with struggling locals [4]. His crimes grew more violent, as he began kidnapping bank employees and shooting police officers. In 1929, Floyd and his associates gunned down two officers in Missouri [5]. The following year, he killed an officer during an escape, earning him the title of "Public Enemy Number One" [6].
Manhunt and Demise
The Federal Bureau of Investigation made capturing Pretty Boy Floyd its top priority. After a payroll robbery in 1933, Floyd narrowly dodged arrest by fleeing through back alleys in Kansas City [7]. The FBI distributed 1,000 wanted posters and conducted a massive manhunt. A $23,000 bounty was offered for his capture [8].
Floyd laid low for several months. In October 1934, FBI agents tracked him to a farm in East Liverpool, Ohio. Accounts differ on Floyd's reaction, but he was shot multiple times in the ensuing gun battle [9]. Some witnesses stated Floyd fired first after being confronted, while others claimed he was killed while trying to flee. Regardless, Floyd was struck twice in the back and died at the scene at just 30 years old [10].
Legacy as an Outlaw Hero
While considered a murderer by authorities, Pretty Boy Floyd was idealized by some as a present-day Robin Hood. In the context of the Great Depression, he was seen as a hero fighting a corrupt system and helping struggling farmers [11]. Books and songs later romanticized his bank robberies and clashes with lawmen.
However, most dismiss the heroic depiction of Floyd. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover called his death "a culminating victory over notorious criminals" [12]. Though the violent shootout brought an end to Floyd's outlaw career, his larger-than-life gangster persona lives on in popular culture and imagination. Eighty years since his death, the Midwest's flamboyant bandit "Pretty Boy" Floyd remains one of America's most captivating rogues.
Sources:
[1] Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charles Arthur Floyd
[2] Tim Madigan, The Man Who Outgrew His Hometown
[3] Michael Wallis, Pretty Boy Floyd
[4] William A. Hall, Pretty Boy Floyd
[5] Tim Madigan, The Man Who Outgrew His Hometown
[6] Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charles Arthur Floyd
[7] Michael Wallis, Pretty Boy Floyd
[8] Erin Blakemore, The Story of Depression-Era Outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd
[9] Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charles Arthur Floyd
[10] Erin Blakemore, The Story of Depression-Era Outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd
[11] William A. Hall, Pretty Boy Floyd
[12] Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charles Arthur Floyd
Summery:
Early Life: Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was born in Georgia in 1904. His family moved to Oklahoma when he was a young boy. As a teenager, he got in trouble for petty crimes like stealing chickens.
Bank Robberies: In the 1920s, Floyd started robbing banks throughout the Midwest. He earned the nickname "Pretty Boy" for his good looks and neat appearance. He was first arrested in 1925 but escaped. Over the next several years he continued robbing banks, often taking hostages and shooting police officers.
Public Enemy Number One: In 1930, Floyd killed a police officer while escaping from a robbery. This led to him being named Public Enemy Number One by the FBI. There was a massive manhunt to capture him.
Death: On October 22, 1934, FBI agents and local police tracked Floyd to a farm in Ohio. When confronted, Floyd pulled out his gun and was shot multiple times. He died at the scene at age 30.
Legacy: Floyd's death was controversial because some claimed he was shot without provocation. The FBI called it a justified kill of a dangerous criminal. Floyd became a folk hero to some as a Robin Hood type figure. Books and songs would later mythologize him as a noble criminal who stood up to corrupt law enforcement.
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