Robert Stroud, who was better known to the public as the
"Birdman of Alcatraz," was probably the most famous inmate
ever to reside on Alcatraz. In 1909 he brutally murdered a
bartender who had allegedly failed to pay a prostitute for whom
Stroud was pimping in Alaska. After shooting the bartender to
death, Stroud took the man's wallet to ensure that he and the
prostitute would receive compensation for her services. In 1911
Stroud was convicted of manslaughter, and he was sent to serve
out his sentence at McNeil Island, a Federal penitentiary in
Washington State. His record at McNeil indicates that he was
violent and difficult to manage. On one occasion, Stroud
viciously assaulted a hospital orderly who he insisted had
reported him to the administration for attempting to procure
narcotics through intimidation and threats. On another
occasion he stabbed a fellow inmate.
"Birdman of Alcatraz," was probably the most famous inmate
ever to reside on Alcatraz. In 1909 he brutally murdered a
bartender who had allegedly failed to pay a prostitute for whom
Stroud was pimping in Alaska. After shooting the bartender to
death, Stroud took the man's wallet to ensure that he and the
prostitute would receive compensation for her services. In 1911
Stroud was convicted of manslaughter, and he was sent to serve
out his sentence at McNeil Island, a Federal penitentiary in
Washington State. His record at McNeil indicates that he was
violent and difficult to manage. On one occasion, Stroud
viciously assaulted a hospital orderly who he insisted had
reported him to the administration for attempting to procure
narcotics through intimidation and threats. On another
occasion he stabbed a fellow inmate.
Shortly after receiving an additional six-month sentence for his
hostile actions, Stroud was transferred to Leavenworth Federal
Penitentiary in Kansas, due to ceaseless complaints about his
threats toward other inmates, and also because of overcrowding
in the prison. In 1916, after Stroud was refused a visit with his
brother, he stabbed a guard to death in front of eleven hundred
inmates in the prison Mess Hall. He was convicted of first-degree
murder and sentenced to death by hanging, and he was ordered
to await his death sentence in solitary confinement. His mother
desperately pleaded for his life, and finally in 1920 President
Woodrow Wilson commuted his death sentence to life
imprisonment without parole. As a result of Stroud's
unpredictable and violent outbursts, Warden T.W. Morgan
directed that Stroud be permanently placed in the segregation
unit, to live out his sentence in total solitude.
hostile actions, Stroud was transferred to Leavenworth Federal
Penitentiary in Kansas, due to ceaseless complaints about his
threats toward other inmates, and also because of overcrowding
in the prison. In 1916, after Stroud was refused a visit with his
brother, he stabbed a guard to death in front of eleven hundred
inmates in the prison Mess Hall. He was convicted of first-degree
murder and sentenced to death by hanging, and he was ordered
to await his death sentence in solitary confinement. His mother
desperately pleaded for his life, and finally in 1920 President
Woodrow Wilson commuted his death sentence to life
imprisonment without parole. As a result of Stroud's
unpredictable and violent outbursts, Warden T.W. Morgan
directed that Stroud be permanently placed in the segregation
unit, to live out his sentence in total solitude.
Over the course of Stroud's thirty years of imprisonment at
Leavenworth, he developed a keen interest in canaries, after
finding an injured bird in the recreation yard. Stroud was initially
allowed to breed birds and maintain a lab inside two adjoining
segregation cells, since it was felt that this activity would provide
for productive use of his time. As a result of this privilege, Stoud
was able to author two books on canaries and their diseases,
having raised nearly 300 birds in his cells, carefully studying their
habits and physiology, and he even developed and marketed
medicines for various bird ailments. Although it is widely debated
whether the remedies he developed were effective, Stroud was able
to make scientific observations that would later benefit research
on the canary species. However, after several years of Stroud's
informal research, prison officials discovered that some of the
equipment he had requested was actually being used to construct
a still to make an alcoholic brew.
Leavenworth, he developed a keen interest in canaries, after
finding an injured bird in the recreation yard. Stroud was initially
allowed to breed birds and maintain a lab inside two adjoining
segregation cells, since it was felt that this activity would provide
for productive use of his time. As a result of this privilege, Stoud
was able to author two books on canaries and their diseases,
having raised nearly 300 birds in his cells, carefully studying their
habits and physiology, and he even developed and marketed
medicines for various bird ailments. Although it is widely debated
whether the remedies he developed were effective, Stroud was able
to make scientific observations that would later benefit research
on the canary species. However, after several years of Stroud's
informal research, prison officials discovered that some of the
equipment he had requested was actually being used to construct
a still to make an alcoholic brew.
Stroud, (seen in a rare photo below) spent 11 years in this cell and
was held in a near complete lock-down status for the entire
duration. He had almost no contact with other inmates other than
a quick greeting when his cell door was open during sick call.
Stroud passed his time by studying and reading, and was said to
have learned several different languages. Visits to the recreation
yard were seldom and his main human contact was with the
guards who would sometimes yield to a game of chess. This area of
Alcatraz is currently closed off to the public.
was held in a near complete lock-down status for the entire
duration. He had almost no contact with other inmates other than
a quick greeting when his cell door was open during sick call.
Stroud passed his time by studying and reading, and was said to
have learned several different languages. Visits to the recreation
yard were seldom and his main human contact was with the
guards who would sometimes yield to a game of chess. This area of
Alcatraz is currently closed off to the public.
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