ALCATRAZ HISTORY - Prisoners: Robert Stroud - The Birdman of Alcatraz (AZ #594)
©2002 RJ BestALCATRAZ HISTORY
Robert Stroud (AZ #594)
The 17-year Alcatraz inmate never kept any birds but is forever
known as "The Birdman of Alcatraz." Contrary to the mild-mannered
Burt Lancaster image associated with him in the famous movie about
him, Robert Stroud began his prison career when he was convicted
of manslaughter in 1909. While serving his prison sentence at the
U.S. Penitentiary (USP) on McNeil Island in the state of Washington,
old habits resurfaced and he viciously attacked another inmate.
The attack got him transferred to USP Leavenworth in Kansas, where
he was convicted of first-degree murder for killing a guard in 1916.
When he received the death sentence, his mother pleaded for his
life so effectively that President Woodrow Wilson commuted the death
sentence to life imprisonment.
Stroud remained at Leavenworth for 30 years. It was during that
incarceration that he developed his legendary interest in birds.
He even wrote two books about canaries and their diseases (a book
which is not only still in circulation but is relied upon by many
avian professionals). Prison officials reluctantly encouraged this
interest, believing it to be a constructive use of his time, but
contraband items were often found hidden in the bird cages. Some
of the equipment Stroud requested for his supposedly scientific
studies was actually put to use in the construction of an alcohol
still so Stroud could concoct some home brew. Officials promptly
cut off his access to all aviary pursuits after this discovery.
In 1942, Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz, where he was never
allowed to keep any birds whatsoever. Though he spent his first
90 days in the general prison population on The Rock, he was sent
to "D Block" for the next six years because he was a danger
to inmates and officers. For the other 11 years, Stroud was kept
in the prison hospital. A political move, rather than illness, precipitated
the move to the hospital. A new warden was appointed on Alcatraz
in 1948 (Ed Swope) and he decided that a private room in the hospital
ward was the best way to keep Stroud away from others. In 1959,
the prisoner actually did take ill, but rather than treat him, he
was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal prisoners in Springfield,
Missouri, where he died on November 21, 1963 of natural causes.
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Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday Evenings
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CITY TOUR: Your three hour City Tour tour will include three or four scheduled stops of 10-25 minutes each at selected landmarks. Enjoy ample time for photos and exploration at the Golden Gate Bridge and panoramic views from Twin Peaks. This is the most popular tour in San Francisco and is an excellent way to see the City in a short space of time or to orient you for a longer stay.
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