I was unaware that the government permitted marriage of life term prisoners.
Hoping I may hear from you soon I am very respectfully
Mrs. E. J. Stroud
(Mother of Robert Stroud)
* * *
1345 East 10th Street
Kansas City, Missouri.
February 2nd 1934
Miss. Eilen Turner,
2525 Lakeport Street,
Sioux City, Iowa.
Dear Miss. Turner:
You have no doubt been looking for the prices of birds I told you my husband was sending you, since I sent you the seed prices and samples. The fact is Mr. Stroud wrote to you, but because his writing privileges have been taken due to the flood of letters which the public has written him since that article appeared in the press, it made the Warden mad and he has taken all his writing privileges from him. Before this he was allowed to answer letters regarding his bird prices.
I am inclosing prices herewith, and Mr. Stroud said to tell you that he was sure that you would be able to find in this list some birds that you like for they are all the very best of their kind to be had. He does not have any scrub birds.
He has on hands now just one cinnamon coated bird. It is a little border fancy hen and is priced at $3.00. He has several pink eyed birds in his Yorkshires and yorkshire cross bred birds. They are cinnamon with yellow coats. They will throw cinnamon or cinnamon marked birds, but all of the cinnamon birds have been sold.
There are two cinnamon greens in the Yorkshire cross bred birds. These birds if mated to females from the same stock would throw you some fine big cinnamon birds. He had planned to use them himself but would be glad to sell you one.
Trusting that we may have the pleasure of serving you, we remain
Very truly yours,
STROUD’S SPECIFIC
Mr. Robert Stroud.
P.S. All further correspondence should be sent to the above address as well as all orders.
* * *
ISOLATION
March 2, 1937
Mr. Robert H. Hudspeth
Warden
Institution.
Dear Mr. Hudspeth:
That interview I spoke to you about the day you visited my cell has probably slipped your mind. And though I realize that you are a very busy man and dislike to intrude upon your time, this is the month of March, the month when I must start to breed my birds if I am going to raise any this year, and there are several problems confronting me that I cannot solve without your aid, and I cannot start breeding my birds with any hope of success until they are solved.
So, if you will be kind enough to grant me that interview at your earliest convenience, I shall be very grateful.
Very Respectfully yours,
Robert Stroud
No interview necessary.
Advise you comply with past rules governing your privilege, keeping your rooms clean and sanitary, and keeping your number of birds down to a minimum.
* * *
Stroud seen in a rare series of press photographs while entering the US District Courthouse in Kansas City on March 28, 1963. This represented one of only a handful of opportunities for Stroud to view free society following his arrest for murder in 1909. He had already spent 54 years in prison, and by this time, had served the longest period in solitary confinement of any inmate in the United States. Stroud was protesting the Bureau of Prison’s refusal to allow him to publish additional books on bird care and diseases. He would die less than one year later.
Famed Atom Spy Morton Sobell developed a close friendship with Stroud while they were both inmates at Springfield. Stroud and Sobell enjoyed long debates over a variety of topics during breakfast each morning. It was Sobell who ultimately found him dead in November 1963, after Stroud had served over a half century in prison.
Ralph Roe, 260-AZ
Ralph Roe
Ted Cole
Alcatraz’s reputation as America’s ultimate escape proof prison would be shattered in less than three years after its opening. In 1937 two accomplices would break free undetected. Both disappeared into the icy waters of the turbulent San Francisco Bay. Though the fateful escape would end in the suspected deaths of both inmates, their escape was partially successful. Until the escape of Ralph Roe and Theodore Cole, the name “Alcatraz” had been synonymous with the phrase “escape proof.”
Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe had been longtime associates at McAlester and Leavenworth prisons, both had established escape records, and each was known in their own right as a Houdini of escape. Their crafty escape plan would give them the opportunity to sneak beyond the view of a correctional officer, slip past the barbwire fences, and into the chilly waters of the fog-laden bay, never to be seen again.
Roe and Cole maintained a close friendship at Alcatraz, both taking paying jobs and working side by side in the mat shop. The mat shop was a facility where prison workers transformed used car tires into rubber mats for the US Navy, and it was located on the bottom floor of the Model Industries Building at the northernmost tip of the island. The area was recognizable by the piles of discarded tires that were pitched down from the industry building, littering the waterline.
The two inmates had spent several weeks in preparation for their escape, studying the habits of the correctional staff, and working to identify potential loopholes in the security system. Using a stolen hacksaw blade, they were able to saw their way through the steel sash window grill. They packed the saw gaps with grease and shoe polish to avoid detection. On the morning of Thursday, December 16, 1937, dense fog forced the docking of almost all of the small vessels in the area. The forceful currents leading out past the Golden Gate Bridge and toward the Pacific Ocean were fluctuating between seven to nine knots, creating what were considered death-trap conditions for anyone willing to try their fate in the perilous waters. The two inmates were likely not aware of how dangerous the currents and foggy conditions could prove to be. It has been speculated that they might have seen the spell of bad weather as an opportunity to escape under cover of dense fog.
It is alleged that Roe and Cole bent out the sawed bars using a heavy wrench, punched out two panes of glass, climbed through the window, and then dropped down to the ground below. They swiftly ran to a locked gate that led down to the waterline. It is also believed that in preparation for the escape, the two inmates had constructed floats from lightweight metal five-gallon fuel canisters with specially made handles, and they carried these makeshift floats with them. Using the wrench, the inmates quickly unfastened the bolts of a chain link gate, and then laid the gate over the five rows of sharp barbwire, thus making a protected pathway down to the water’s edge.
Fellow inmate, Theodore “Blackie” Audett, later recalled that he was able to watch the two inmates as they made their entry into the bay and began their swim. He noted that he saw Roe come up out of the water several yards off the island, appear to be struggle desperately, and attempt to stay afloat in the rough waters. Audett claimed that Roe came up and then drifted into the dense fog, never to be seen again.
The San Francisco Chronicle would later run several reports of various sightings of the escapees, and all leads were rigorously investigated, although there were no fruitful results. Nonetheless, the articles kept alive the idea that such a discovery was possible, since both inmates remained unaccounted. In an article published after the escape, the closing statement read simply:
With long years of prison ahead of them, Ralph Roe, Muskogee, Okla., robber and Theodore Cole, Cushing, Okla., kidnapper, defied science, the natural hazards and the guns of guards, escaped and shattered a national byword, the legend of “escape proof” Alcatraz.
Both inmates remain officially classified as missing and presumed dead. The early writings of Roe show him as remorseful and pleading his innocence. His writings in this collection precede his confinement on Alcatraz.
The industries building from where Roe and Cole made their escape into the San Francisco Bay.
A tide chart illustrating the water state at the estimated time of escape.
* * *
POST OFFICE BOX 7
LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS
April 30, 1935
Mr. Sanford Bates
Drctr. Fed. Prisons
Dear Sir:
Am I bothering you with this, because I do not know what dept. it should be sent too – if there is such a dept. Sincerely hope you have the time to look into this; or will refer me to the dept. to which this should go.
I have a life sentence in this place for something, I had absolutely nothing to do with. Another has signed a confession that he is the guilty man.
I will explain the case the best I can. The charge was bank robbery at Sulphur Oklahoma – Sept. 10 1934. There were two men on the job.
There were nine eye witnesses to the robbery – Six inside the bank and three outside – One man positively identified me. All nine positively identified the man who was on trail with me. Most of them said “they got a fair look at the men, that I was six to eight inches taller than the smaller robber (I am six foot)
I was in Dallas, & McKenny, Texas on the day of the robbery – But as the circumstances were I had only one man by whom I could prove this – He was a negro – My lawyer advised me not to call him – Said, “him being a negro would leave a bad impression.” Two witnesses which the government had called, came to me, after the jury retired and wanted to know why they were not put on the stand – Said they knew I was not one of the men.”
I had no witnesses called for the defense only two were eye witnesses to the robbery. I made every effort to find all who saw those men.
I have no explanation to offer why that banker would positively identify me – only this, a woman came to me (She saw the men before, & after the robbery) Said, “She went to the sheriff of that county, After she had looked at the other fellow, & myself, and told him I was not one of the men. He (the Sheriff) told her to just be quiet about it – that the case would be tried on its merit. My lawyer advised me against appeal – Or said, it would be useless. I have since had another lawyer look into the case, He says the case was terribly bungled, and that an appeal would be useless now.
Here is the other side of the case – I realize it is much against me – Though I know I am innocent of this crime.
I was arrested in the company of the other defendant, and a third party. I was an ex-convict at the time of arrest. I had been arrested before in the company of notorious criminals.
All this was just before the jury – By me taking the stand. Still the jury was deadlocked for twenty six hours before reaching a verdict. I have learned since the trial, that the gun which this banker identified as the one he was robbed with – Was purchased after the date of the robbery.
Mr. Bates I do not mean this as an appeal or your sympathy. Every statement I’ve made here can be checked by any competent investigator. I only want to get in touch with someone who is interested in seeing justice done. Of course if being an ex-convict entitles me to a life sentence for someone else’s crime, then I have my just deserts.
Let me also state in my own behalf, that the guilty man is confined in this place. And that he fits the description given by all eye witnesses; with the description of the one. Ennis Smiddy is the man who has signed the statement.
I have appealed to the social service man here. He’s advised me to write you. I have no one outside who could, or would, do anything. I do hope you can see your way clear, to help me in this matter – If not will more than appreciate it if you can put me in touch with someone who may be interested in a matter of this kind – Thanking you in advance.
I remain respectfully yours,
Ralph Roe
#46153
* * *
POST OFFICE BOX 7
LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS Oct. 6, 1935
Mr. Stanford Bates
Washington D.C.
Dear Sir:
I wrote you several months ago about my case, & asking for your help or advice. You referred me back to the warden here. I don’t want to seem sarcastic about it – But he gave me no help. He refused to let my wife visit me after she had made a trip of five hundred miles up here – Because she did not have a marriage license with her. He has kept me confined in isolation every since I’ve been here – I have broken no rule – He informed me several months ago, that I would probably be locked up about six months until he made a decision on my case – It is now going on nine – Surely that is plenty of time – So am hoping that if you have any say so in a matter of this kind, you will call it to his attention, & ask him to make the decision soon.
As I told you before Mr. Bates, I don’t mean this as an appeal for your sympathy – But surely there must be such a thing as right, & wrong even in a place like this. I have life in here for something I had absolutely nothing to do with. Again I want to ask you; can you refer me, or my case to someone who would have authority to get something done about it, should they find in my favor, after a thorough investigation. The Warden here did inform me, “The Gov. did not furnish help to get criminals out of the penitentiary.” I don’t know what an investigation of that kind would cost – I can possibly raise four or five hundred dollars if it could be made for that amount – By offering to pay for the investigation: I don’t mean I would expect every doubt to be turned in my favor – Only a fair deal for both, & should they decide against me (I know they won’t) I will abide by their decision without a protest.
Mr. Bates does it seem reasonable to you, that out of nine eye witnesses to a robbery in broad daylight, only one would identify one of the men – Yet all would positively identify the other – They all swore at my trial, that the men were seen both inside, & outside of the bank, One (Gov. witness) swore I was not one of the men – Three (Gov. witnesses) swore that I was four to six inches taller than the man they saw – After being arrested I learned who did rob the bank, He is four to six inches shorter than I – He has signed a statement of guilt – Perhaps you will think – Why didn’t he tell this before or at his trial – Ennis Smiddy the guilty man was arrested several months after I was: on another charge. We had the same defense attorney – On his advice, & statement that I could not be convicted on the evidence at hand, & would only hurt the other man by bringing out certain facts – I went to trial – A life sentence was the result. After the jury had returned with a conviction – Two witnesses who the government had called, but failed to put on the stand, came to my attorney, & ask why they were not used, & that they knew I was not one of the men.
I asked the judge to give me a couple of days, & I could produce the guilty man; He refused, & I was brought to the penitentiary that night. I realize my record was bad, & know that is all that convicted me.
I don’t like to criticize – Also know most losers always squawk frame’up”. But we were the first to be tried (in Okla) on these charges – Looking back on it I can see a thousand mistakes, & realize that a trial before Robert L. Williams of a man with a past record – A conviction was a certainty.
I don’t want you to waste your time on something you may think is hopeless. But I will more than appreciate it, if you will help me in this matter.
Respectfully yours
Ralph Roe #46153
Rufe Persful, 284-AZ
Rufe Persful
In the early years of Alcatraz, when there was a strict protocol of censorship and an ironfisted grip on what information was released to the public, the image of Alcatraz was molded by speculation and widespread rumors. When the prison first opened to receive federal inmates, Warden Johnston employed a silence policy that many inmates considered to be the most unbearable punishment of all. Prisoners were not permitted to talk to each other while confined to their cells, while walking in line formation through the cellhouse, or during inmate counts. They were only allowed to talk quietly in the dining room when seated, at their job assignments (as long as it didn’t interfere with their work), and at other community events, su
ch as motion picture shows and church services. During the silence era, inmates were harshly disciplined for even the slightest violation of this rule.
There were exaggerated reports that several inmates went slowly insane on Alcatraz because of the “severe order of silence.” Former gangster and kidnapper Rufe Persful took a fire ax from the prison garage while working a garbage detail and chopped off four of the fingers from his left hand in order to win a transfer off the island. Rumors among the inmates indicated that Persful begged fellow inmate Homer Parker, who was assigned to the same job detail, to “finish the job” by cutting off his right hand. In later years several other inmates used similar tactics—such as slashing their Achilles tendons—to protest the alleged harsh confinement practices and mental harassment they said they suffered at Alcatraz.
Persful later alleged that the finger incident was both an accident and a misunderstanding. Regardless of the truth, it was clear that Persful wanted to be transferred from Alcatraz.
Following extensive scrutiny by public officials, the silent system was relaxed in the late 1930s.
Warden Johnson, September 14, 1936
Institution, Alcatraz institution.
Sir:
I am writing this in order to save you the trouble of an interview. To you, this may appear fantastis and immature but, to me, it is decidedly a serious proposition. As you know, I once worked in conjunction with the Texas Rangers and the Burns Detective agency, and after entering the Arkansas State Prison, served in the capacity of a trusty guard, carrying firearms. In the course of events, occasions arose whereby it became necessary for me to execute the duties to which I had solemnly subscribed: namely, the killing and wounding of a number of prisoners attempting escape. As a result, it is only natural that many enemies were made among the criminal element.
Letters from Alcatraz Page 26