“Birdman of Alcatraz” Robert Stroud

Robert Stroud, the infamously named “Birdman of Alcatraz” was most likely the island’s most popular prisoner. Regardless of the nickname, Stroud had never ever owned any birds whilst serving time in Alcatraz. In 1909, Stroud was convicted of manslaughter soon after he had brutally murdered a man who refused to spend for the prostitute for whom Stroud was pimping at the time.

Soon after he had gunned the man down, Stroud took the man’s wallet in order to compensate the prostitute for her solutions. Stroud was initially imprisoned at McNeil Island, a U.S. Federal Penitentiary in the state of Washington. Nonetheless, his violent and disruptive behavior did not quit there, as he had viciously attacked one more inmate whilst serving time at McNeil. Following being transferred to Leavenworth, Stroud brutally stabbed a guard to death in front of 1100 inmates who had been present soon after becoming refused a visit from his brother. He was convicted of first-degree murder and was to be hanged. His mother pleaded desperately for his life and ultimately in 1920, President Woodrow commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment with parole. It was Stroud’s violent behavior that earned him time in segregation. Stroud created his interest in birds when he found an injured bird in the recreation yard. He was then permitted to breed birds as prison officials believed that it was a very good concept for him to use his time constructively. In the 30 years he spent at Leavenworth Stroud wrote two books about canaries and the diseases that they contract. It didn’t take lengthy for prison officials to discover that Stroud had utilised the bird cages to hide contraband items and that the gear that he requested for his so-named scientific studies were used to create a still for alcoholic beverages.

Stroud was sooner or later transferred to Alcatraz in 1942, where he was held for the next 17 years of his life. Stroud had spent a total of 54 years of his life behind bars before he was transferred over to the Health-related Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he died on November 21, 1963.