Alcatraz: The Hardest Years 1934-1938
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A seeker of limelight, Gardner had often (pre-Alcatraz) written to the San Francisco press giving his side of things. While an Alcatraz inmate, such publicity was not possible, but when released in 1938, Gardner authorized a lengthy newspaper series detailing his criminal career.
On the outside, Roy Gardner was not successful. As a former Alcatraz prisoner, Gardner appeared as a stage personality, but that fame ended quickly. He made a thin living through various business attempts, but the fires that had driven him had died.
On January 10th, 1940, Gardner committed suicide in his San Francisco hotel room by inhaling cyanide fumes (from rat poison).
Flamboyant to the end, Gardner hung a sign on the doorknob warning the maid that the room contained poisonous gas and to call the police. Gardner had packed his luggage and left a fifty-cent tip for the mover.
Of course he left a note. It was addressed to the San Francisco newspapers that had so enthusiastically carried the ups and downs of his career.
In part, the note said, "I am old and tired, and I don't care to continue the struggle. Please let me down as lightly as possible."
Chapter 11
Finally, some interesting facets of Alcatraz do not conveniently fit with the earlier chapters, but they should not be left out. The best way to include them follows.
Alcatraz was not a large facility. Its normal inmate population was about three hundred.
Only English could be spoken on The Rock, and that included visitors.
Released convicts often wrote of the moaning Alcatraz foghorn that further depressed already discouraged inmates. Well, the horns were loud. Their function was to warn shipping of the island's proximity. The darn things could be clearly heard in San Francisco. But, as with all regularly encountered sounds, after a while one did not notice the horns' groaning. Lieutenant Weinhold and his family were quartered almost above the horn pointing toward San Francisco, and they lived many years on the island. The convicts, much further removed and behind rather thick walls, shouldn't have found the sound genuinely aggravating.
Despite statements to the contrary, imprisonment in Alcatraz did not result in inmate despair. Though it is often believed otherwise, during its first years as a federal penitentiary, Alcatraz suffered only ONE successful inmate suicide – Edward Wutke – number 47, murder, doing twenty-seven years, in 1937.
The magnificent Golden Gate Bridge and the equally incredible Bay Bridge were constructed during Alcatraz's first four years as a federal prison. The convicts had the best view possible of the Golden Gate construction. Some claimed to have seen the safety net fail when a number of bridge workers fell to their deaths.
In the early days, most Alcatraz convicts referred to their guards as "G's" or "Gees," short for guards, of course.
The Alcatraz guards called their charges CONVICTS, not inmates or prisoners as is now customary. A scandal, as perceived by guards, was Senator Brooke's asinine suggestion (years later) that convicts be called RESIDENTS. The idea fell by the wayside.
Convicts had their own small ways of hassling. Because the wind was cold up on the tower catwalks, most guards wore long john underwear beneath their uniforms. Occasionally E. F. Chandler's underwear would come from the laundry starched stiffer than a board. Complaining would have accomplished nothing, so my mother rinsed out the starch, and Dad never mentioned it. Neither did the perpetrators, of course.
When the prison opened, the guard force worked ten to twelve hour shifts, seven days a week, for two months—until Warden Johnston felt everything had smoothed out, and routines were established.
During the thirties, guards were paid in silver dollars. My father suffered a predictable lather when heading for a trip to town with his pockets sagging from the weight of his payday.
E. F. Chandler referred to his rifle as Mary Ann. The naming was generic in the sense that soldiers of that day—for reasons now forgotten—often called their Springfields, Mary Ann. During the Joe Bowers hearing, my father's use of the term caught the reporters' fancy, and they repeated his words with obvious relish. To this day, individuals with memory of the incident will loosely quote Chandler, as reported by the papers, and say, "I shouldered Mary Ann and fired a couple of warning shots."
Barbara (Chandler) Bates remembers that when E. F. Chandler was stationed in the road gun tower, she was given the duty of delivering his lunch. Barbara (age seven) carried the lunch bag to a spot beneath the tower, and Dad lowered a bucket on a line. Up went the lunch. Presto . . . an early days brown bagger. Barbara often dawdled her way homeward, and Dad didn't like it.
One day a note was included in the bucket. It said, "Don't go near the fence. Al Capone is in there." Of course he wasn't, but Barbara knew about Capone. He was even featured on the weekly radio show, GANGBUSTERS—or was it G-MEN? One forgets. Barbara fled home before Big Al reached through the fence and got her.
Major Richard O. Culver, Jr. USMC (retired) was the first baby born on Alcatraz. Son of Sarah and Dick Culver, Richard Junior's birth certificate lists Alcatraz Island as his birthplace. It has been an attention grabber ever since.
Warden Johnston usually rode from his residence to the dock in the cab of the garbage truck. There was no automobile on the island.
Warden Johnston had a peculiar resistance to surrounding the gun towers with barbed wire, which could have prevented easy assault. He believed that leaving the towers approachable kept the guards alert. One escape attempt was directed at overwhelming a tower, and the convicts involved actually smashed at the tower's heavy glass walls before being turned back.
Despite what I have written above, Warden James Johnston was held in extremely high regard by E. F. Chandler. Chandler considered Johnston a reserved, strong, patriarchal leader who would stand by his decisions and by his men through thick or thin. The warden's concepts, principles, and techniques for carrying out his ideas were accepted by Guard Chandler as top grade, and Chandler believed the right man had been chosen for Alcatraz.
As this fifth edition of Alcatraz—the Hardest Years goes to press (in 2013) the Alcatraz Alumni Association is still active. There are now few graduates or attendees from the first four years left. The prison has now been closed for fifty years, and we must speculate on how long an Alumni Association can continue.
For thirty more years? Unlikely, but the veterans of Alcatraz, whether guards, convicts, or dependents have been valuable to recalling and recording the prison's history. They have put meat on the bones of a story that would have been included in only the driest of forms in obscure records of those days.
For more information, visit alcatrazalumni.org and alcatrazalumni.com
Of course, there is always the question of how much longer the prison ruins can remain a safe tourist attraction. Surely for many decades, but despite the rangers' almost personal efforts to repair and retain, wear never ceases, and concrete continues to crumble. On my last visit to the island in 2007, many formerly enterable apartments were closed even to those of us wishing to again see where we lived, and visitors were increasingly limited in areas they could examine.
I must admit to a touch of emotional pain as I watch the physical decline of the prison. As an example, many of us, after all, can remember the ancient muzzle loading cannon that threatened San Francisco from the edge of the parade ground. An unusual photograph of one of them follows. There was another cannon half-buried to edge the sharp turn in the road going on up to the prison. That cannon was at the guard quarters level. All of the cannon, including the small bore salute cannon once used by the military went to the scrap drives of World War II. In retrospect, salvaging that old cast iron (all across our nation, by the way) probably did not measurably help the war effort, but the destruction of hundreds of old cannon injured history—including Alcatraz's.
There are special tours that visitors should try to arrange. Accompanied by a knowledgeable ranger, they go places not open to the general public, and believe me, the discoveries are worth the walking. If the ranger
is willing, the Alcatraz stories can flow like honey, and the tales are almost endless.
Unfortunately, Park Rangers are increasingly politically correct in their descriptions, and the service has always "played down" the harshness of the prison's early days. When I visit the island, I am often with former guards, a child of the island, or a former inmate. Wow, it is like being with fellow combat veterans, we feel free to talk to those who will understand, and the tales are rich and earthy. Try to arrange for such accompaniment, but whether accompanied or alone you will find Alcatraz a memorable visit.
Names and positions within any association change, but at my last check in 2007 anyone needing a personal Alcatraz touch could contact Jim Koegler, P.O. Box 594, Wofford Heights, CA 93285-0594.
Of course, the Alumni Association would like to add the names of others who were there and who remember.
This author, for instance, would like to find Ralph Preshaw who was a special friend during my Alcatraz time, but even the vaunted Web has failed to turn him up. Anyone know "Ralphy?"
Former Child of Alcatraz Chuck Stucker has the best calling cards I have seen. It rates special notice, and here it is—both sides.
I have spoken here of the impact Alcatraz has left on the lives of those who experienced her first years. A final example might be that since I left the island in 1938, this author's nickname has been – and still is – "ROCKY" Chandler.
The author and Harley
No longer the vigorous youth who scrabbled about the Alcatraz cliffs, this is the author at eighty-seven years of age—still riding his "Old Dog" Harley-Davidson motorcycle, as he has done for more than sixty-five years.
Books by Roy Chandler
Books By Publication Date
All About a Foot Soldier, 1965 (A colorful book for children)
History of Early Perry County Guns and Gunsmiths (With Donald L. Mitchell), 1969
A History of Perry County Railroads, 1970
Alaskan Hunter: a book about big game hunting, 1972
Kentucky Rifle Patchboxes and Barrel Marks, 1972
Tales of Perry County, 1973
Arrowmaker, 1974
Hunting in Perry County, 1974
Antiques of Perry County, 1976
The Black Rifle, 1976
Homes, Barns and Outbuildings of Perry County, 1978
Shatto, 1979
The Perry County Flavor, 1980
Arms Makers of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1981
The Didactor, 1981
Fort Robinson: A novel of Perry County Pennsylvania, the years 1750-63, 1981
Friend Seeker: A novel of Perry County PA, 1982
Gunsmiths of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1982
Perry County in Pen & Ink, 1983
Shatto's Way: A novel of Perry County, Pa, 1984
Chip Shatto: A novel of Perry County Pennsylvania, the years 1863-6, 1984
Pennsylvania Gunmakers (a collection), 1984
Firefighters of Perry County, 1985
The Warrior, A novel of the frontier, 1721-1764, 1985
Perry County Sketchbook (And Katherine R. Chandler), 1986
A 30-foot, $6,000 Cruising Catamaran, 1987
The Gun of Joseph Smith (With Katherine R. Chandler), 1987
The Perry Countian, 1987
Hawk's Feather - An Adventure Story, 1988
Ted's Story, 1988
Alcatraz: The Hardest Years 1934-1938 (With Erville F. Chandler), 1989
Cronies, 1989
Song of Blue Moccasin, 1989
Chugger's Hunt, 1990
The Sweet Taste, 1990
Tiff's Game: A work of fiction, 1991
Tuck Morgan, Plainsman (Vol. 2) (With Katherine R. Chandler), 1991
Death From Afar I (And Norman A. Chandler), 1992
Kentucky Rifle Patchboxes All New Volume 2, 1992
Behold the Long Rifle, 1993
Death From Afar II: Marine Corps Sniping (And Norman A. Chandler), 1993
Old Dog, 1993
Tim Murphy, Rifleman: A novel of Perry County, Pa. 1754-1840, 1993
Choose the Right Gun, 1994
Death From Afar Vol. III: The Black Book (And Norman A. Chandler), 1994
The Kentucky Pistol, 1994
Ramsey: A novel of Perry County Pennsylvania, 1994
Gray's Talent, 1995
Hunting Alaska, 1995
Last Black Book, 1995
Dark Shadow (The Red book series), 1996
Death From Afar IV (And Norman A. Chandler, 1996
Morgan's Park (Vol. 3) (With Katherine R. Chandler), 1997
White Feather: Carlos Hathcock USMC scout sniper (And Norman A. Chandler), 1997
Death From Afar V (And Norman A. Chandler), 1998
Ironhawk: A frontier novel of Perry County Pennsylvania 1759-1765, 1999
Sniper One, 2000
One Shot Brotherhood (And Norman A. Chandler), 2001
Shooter Galloway, 2004
The Hunter's Alaska, 2005
The Boss's Boy, 2007
Pardners, 2009
Hawk's Revenge, 2010
Antique Guns (included above)
History of Early Perry County Guns and Gunsmiths (With Donald L. Mitchell), 1969
Kentucky Rifle Patchboxes and Barrel Marks, 1972
Arms Makers of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1981
Gunsmiths of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1982
Pennsylvania Gunmakers (a collection), 1984
Kentucky Rifle Patchboxes All New Volume 2, 1992
Behold the Long Rifle, 1993
The Kentucky Pistol, 1994
Hunting
Alaskan Hunter: a book about big game hunting, 1972
Choose the Right Gun, 1994
Hunting Alaska, 1995
The Hunter's Alaska, 2005
Sniper Series
Death From Afar I (And Norman A. Chandler), 1992
Death From Afar II: Marine Corps Sniping (And Norman A. Chandler), 1993
Death From Afar Vol. III: The Black Book (And Norman A. Chandler), 1994
Death From Afar IV (And Norman A. Chandler), 1996
White Feather: Carlos Hathcock USMC Scout Sniper (And Norman A. Chandler), 1997
Death From Afar V (And Norman A. Chandler), 1998
Sniper One, 2000
One Shot Brotherhood (And Norman A. Chandler)
Gun of Joseph Smith Trilogy (Young Adult)
Gun of Joseph Smith, The (With Katherine R. Chandler), 1987
Tuck Morgan, Plainsman (Vol. 2) (With Katherine R. Chandler), 1991
Morgan's Park (Vol. 3) (With Katherine R. Chandler), 1997
Children's Books
All About a Foot Soldier, 1965