The Birdman Of Alcatraz, By Aka Robert Stroud - 934 Words

While you may have heard of, â€Å"The Birdman of Alcatraz,† aka Robert Stroud, another popular Alcatraz inmate. He was probably the most famous inmate to reside on Alcatraz. In 1909, Stroud brutally murdered a bartender when he failed to pay the girl Stroud was pimping for. He shot the bartender to death and took the wallet for the prostitute. Stroud was convicted of manslaughter and sent to McNeil Island in 1911. At McNeil Island, he was noted to be violent and difficult to manage. Robert Stroud viciously assaulted a hospital orderly and even stabbed a fellow inmate. As a result of his hostility, he was sentenced an additional six months. Stroud was moved to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas because of overcrowding and†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately, Robert Stroud was never to able to see the move of himself, â€Å"Birdman of Alcatraz,† by Burt Lancaster. The movie portrayed Robert with a more calm personality, the opposite of his actu al behavior. (Alcatraz History: Famous Inmates) Everyone knows how hard it would have been to escape Alcatraz and live, so escape attempts were rarely rewarding. Alcatraz was open for twenty- nine years and only had fourteen escape attempts with thirty-six involved prisoners overall. No attempts were considered successful. One prisoner actually made it to San Francisco, but was promptly arrested and returned. Two inmates drowned in the bay and six were shot dead during their attempts. Twenty-three were captured and returned, but five were never found. Prisoner officials say the five prisoners must have also drowned. The first escape attempt was made in April, 1936, by Joseph Bowers, prisoner 210. He was shot and killed. â€Å"The Battle of Alcatraz† is considered one of the bloodiest escape attempts in the history of Alcatraz. It’s also known as the â€Å"Alcatraz Blast Out†. On May 2, 1946, six prisoners tried to take control of the main building. They were able to overpower the guards and the battle laste d two days. Two officers were killed and many others had several injuries. Three out of the six prisoners who attempted to escape died in battle. Finally, on May 4, reinforcements came and took control. The living three inmates went on trial for the murders