Letters from Alcatraz

by Esslinger, Michael

  Members of the press view the Battle of Alcatraz from a barge in May 1946.

  A column of smoke billowing from a Block D window. Rocket grenades were launched by the United States Marines to battle the inmates.

  During the 29 years of the prison’s operation, there were over fourteen attempted escapes from Alcatraz in which 34 different men risked their lives to flee from the Rock. Almost all of the escapees were either killed or recaptured, but of all the attempts, two were especially significant to the island’s history.

  In 1946 an inmate named Bernard Coy managed to fashion a makeshift bar-spreader, and climbed up to break into one of the Gun Galleries. Coy overpowered an unsuspecting guard, took his weapon, and dropped additional firearms down to several waiting accomplices. Led by Coy and fellow inmate Joseph Cretzer, the inmates had devised a plan to blast out of the prison using the stolen firearms, but they were unable to locate the key that would give them access to the prison recreation yard. The desperate convicts eventually took several guards hostage, and proceeded to wage a violent war against Alcatraz.

  Thousands of spectators watched from the San Francisco shores while US Marines rushed the island and barraged the cellhouse with mortars and grenades. Inmates inside the cellhouse took refuge behind water-soaked mattresses, and lay helplessly trapped while bullets whizzed around them. When the convicts realized that escape was impossible, Alcatraz inmates Bernard Coy, Joe Cretzer, Marvin Hubbard, Sam Shockley, Miran Thompson, and Clarence Carnes decided to wage a violent battle.

  Warden Johnston was unable to get a full assessment of the number of inmates involved, and he believed that there was a potential threat to the city of San Francisco. With the entire prison under siege, Johnston called for aid from the US Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines. Meanwhile, Cretzer became desperate, realizing that the hostages—all of whom were prison correctional officers—would probably credit him with plotting and executing his second escape attempt. Coldly and methodically, he pointed his pistol into the crowded cell where the officers were being held, and opened fire.

  The fighting lasted two full days. Finally, with no place left to hide from the ceaseless gunfire, Cretzer, Coy, and Hubbard retreated to a utility corridor for shelter. The rest of the accomplices returned to their cells in the hope that they would not be identified as direct participants in the break attempt. In the final shootout, Cretzer, Coy, and Hubbard were killed in the corridor by bullets and shrapnel.

  Officer William Miller died from his injuries, and Officer Harold Stites was shot and killed during an attempt to regain control of the cellhouse. Inmates Thompson and Shockley were later executed together in the gas chamber at San Quentin for their role in the murder of Officer Miller. Clarence Carnes received an additional 99-year sentence.

  The most Alcatraz escape famous attempt was carried out by inmates Frank Lee Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin. Their escape would trigger one of the most intensive and lengthiest manhunts in United States history. In 1962, a fellow inmate named Allen West helped the trio to devise a clever plan that involved constructing a raft and inflatable life vests to navigate the Bay waters, and creating human decoys to fool the guards during the routine counts. Over the course of a several months, the inmates used special tools stolen from various prison work sites to chip away at the vent covers in their cells. At the same time, they carried on with the creative fabrication of the dummies and decoys.

  Four inmates spent several months acquiring materials to make a raft, life jackets, and dummy heads. The heads were positioned in their beds and used as decoys to trick prison guards. After tunneling through concrete and ceiling vents, three of the inmates vanished and were never seen or heard from again. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

  The vents were located at the rear of each cell, and were covered with ten by six inch thatch-patterned metal grills. The true ingenuity of the plan lay in the prisoners’ methodical camouflaging of the vent grills to hide the chipped paint and cement from detection, and their creation of lifelike decoys that would deceive the guards up close during inmate counts. The quality of the faked grills and dummies was remarkable. The inmates utilized paint kits and a soap and concrete powder to create the lifelike heads, which were decorated with human hair collected from the barbershop. The preparations took over six months of planning and fabrication.

  On the night of June 11th, 1962, immediately following the 9:30 count, Morris and the Anglin brothers scaled the utility shafts to reach the roof. Allen West—whom the FBI would later suspect of masterminding the whole plot—had spent the majority of his time over the past six months in building the decoys, and hadn’t made as much progress as the others in widening the concrete vent opening in his cell. His accomplices had no choice, and left him behind. Once they reached the roof, they climbed through a ventilator duct where they had spread apart the thick metal bars, and made their way to the edge of the roof. After descending utility pipes attached to the cement cellhouse wall, all three of the men scaled a 15-foot fence, and hurried down to the island shore where they inflated their raft and life vests. The inmates ventured out into the freezing San Francisco Bay waters, and were never seen or heard from again. During the morning count in the cellhouse, a guard probed his club into one of the inmates’ cells, and the dummy head rolled off the bed and onto the floor.

  Decades later, it is still unknown whether the inmates ever succeeded in making their escape. The story was dramatized in several books and in the famous motion picture Escape from Alcatraz, starring Academy Award® winning actor Clint Eastwood. The FBI actively pursued the case for several years, but never came across any effectual leads. They did, however, make a final determination that the attempt had been unsuccessful.

  Perhaps one of the greatest ironies of Alcatraz is that the frigid and treacherous waters of the San Francisco Bay, which had proved to be the ultimate deterrent to escape for nearly three decades, eventually contributed to the downfall of America’s super-prison. Following the escape of Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers, the prison fell under intense scrutiny due largely to its deteriorating structural condition and the diminishing security measures that had resulted from governmental budget cuts. However, this development should not be credited entirely to the escape, since many of these decisions were already in process before the attempt was made. The corrosive effects of the saltwater, combined with the exorbitant cost of running the prison ($10.10 per prisoner per day, as compared to $3.00 per prisoner per day at USP Atlanta), and the estimated five million dollars that would be required for restoration, provided US Attorney General Robert Kennedy with grounds for closing the prison.

  On March 21, 1963, USP Alcatraz closed after 29 years of operation. It had housed some of America’s most legendary crime figures, and in the opinions of many government officials, had accomplished its mission. Robert Stroud, the famed “Birdman of Alcatraz,” would serve seventeen years on Alcatraz, all in an isolation status. George “Machine Gun” Kelly would spend eighteen years on Alcatraz and was considered a model inmate by prison guards. Al Capone would spend over four years on Alcatraz, all under strict confinement conditions with no special privileges. Alvin “Creepy” Karpis would hold the record for time served on Alcatraz. He would serve nearly 26 years on the Rock. His summation of over a quarter century spent on Alcatraz Island was simply stated:

  “A quarter of a century in Alcatraz has been an empty, futile experience.”

  An Introduction to this Collection

  “There is so much suffering here... so much agony.”

  - Roy Gardner

  For the majority of inmates serving time on Alcatraz, the ability to escape was not dependent upon a clever scheme or a plot to acquire tools and break free from the cellhouse. For most men, “escape” was a movie in the upstairs theatre, a popular book, a recent magazine, or in the later period, a live radio show that allowed them, for one brief moment, to ... forget. Mail from a loved one might have been the most welcome escape available.
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  The letters in this collection represent a wide spectrum of men and women, and their ideas, anguish, frustrations, disappointments, hopes, and in some cases, victories. Not all letters are from inmates; and not all letters were written on Alcatraz. Many letters were written while inmates were on their way to Alcatraz, released to another prison, or finally free from all prisons. The mark of Alcatraz is what binds these letters and these men in history. The inmates’ rites of passage to freedom or a life condemned was like none other.

  This collection does not draw from any specific theme or thread. Some letters may seem trivial, while some contain sharp words that cut at the spaces on the paper they were written. These letters range from seemingly unimportant requests to the administration, to letters reflecting an inmate’s deep feelings of sorrow when contemplating the reality of his situation. Sometimes the letters are profound; sometimes, they display a sense of humor.

  Nothing was more important to an inmate on Alcatraz than his mail. In many cases the mood of the inmates changed with the frequency of letters received during mail call. As former Correctional Officer Cliff Fish later commented, “Every inmate knew who was receiving mail and who had been forgotten.”

  The mail system on Alcatraz and other federal prisons served as a lifeline to the outside world. Lucky men who received mail enjoyed a brief journey away from Alcatraz, and could forget their plight. Forgotten men, however, suffered agony from the lack of mail. For many inmates, especially during the early federal years, time slowed harshly without the ready access to news about the events and tribulations of home.

  An excellent example of how much everyone at Alcatraz depended upon receiving mail was illustrated by Warden Johnston in a letter he reprinted in his personal 1949 memoir. The letter dated February 16, 1946, read in part:

  Dear Mother and All:

  Your last letter was received about Christmas time and since that time I’ve expected a letter each day as our mail man makes his rounds but so far no letter from home. There is a song around here called, “No letter today” – I expect it may be a good idea for me to begin to learn the words of this song because the mail man always says – no letter today! At any rate I expect you folks will get around to writing soon now. I hope!

  Inmates were known at times to share their mail with other inmates who were considered close friends. These letters sometimes communicated very personal and painful issues for inmates. Some letters told of a wife’s decision to divorce and remarry, while other letters communicated the dreaded death of a parent or sibling. Most letters lifted spirits. There was no information considered too trivial to an inmate isolated on Alcatraz. The inmates were eager to read anything anyone had to say and to hear any news from the outside world. This was especially true because many of the inmates were far from home and their families did not have the financial means to visit.

  Inmate correspondence was intensely governed, and rules did not allow for inmates to discuss issues or conditions that were shielded by the prison curtain. To minimize censoring, inmates learned to carefully craft their letters. If any letter required censoring, the original letter would be transcribed and surgically edited of any suspect material. Only then was it mailed. The original letter was sealed in the inmate’s file, where it was lost to passing time. As dictated by the regulations, many of these letters never escaped from Alcatraz.

  Each letter was written on specially issued Federal Bureau of Prisons stationary, and all envelopes bore the infamous Alcatraz postmark.

  All of these letters remind us of the personal struggles of life inside the walls of Alcatraz and the other federal prisons in which the inmates resided.

  Alcatraz Officer Larry Quilligan

  UNITED STATES PENITENTIARY

  ALCATRAZ, CALIFORNIA

  December 21, 1948

  Mr. Lawrence L. Quilligan

  Canton, Ohio

  Dear Sir:

  You are offered Probational Appointment for the position of Correctional Officer, CPC-7, $3024.96 per annum, and are requested to report for duty not later than 8:00 a.m., January 10, 1949.

  Upon reporting for duty you will be given a medical examination by a Federal Medical Officer to conform to the physical requirements for the position as outlined in the Correctional Officer Examination Announcement. YOU MUST PASS THIS EXAMINATION BEFORE YOU CAN BE ENTERED ON DUTY, so you should feel reasonably sure of being able to pass it before accepting this appointment.

  The twelve-month period of probation for this position is considered part of the examination. If your services are not satisfactory during this probationary period, you may be separated at any time during the period by a letter notifying you accordingly.

  Your appointment will be subject to a check of records and to a CHARACTER INVESTIGATION not being conduction by the Federal Government, and your retention in the Service will depend upon such investigation’s proving satisfactory to the Government.

  Please bring with you a photostatic copy of your honorable and data to establish date of birth.

  No family quarters are at present available on Alcatraz, but a limited number of single rooms in bachelor quarters are available, together with some dormitory style space for temporary usage.

  If entered on duty on January 10th your first pay period would run January 10th to January 22d, 1949, and would actually be paid on February 4, 1949. Thereafter, you would be paid ever other Friday. Upon reporting for duty, board the Alcatraz launch at Dock 4, Fort Mason (foot of Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco). Present this letter to the duty officer on the launch for identification. For boat schedule, telephone Ordway 3-1437 upon you r arrival in San Francisco.

  You may accept or reject this offer of appointment by filling in the “Availability Statement” attached and mailing it to this office. It is requested that you reply immediately. Failure to reply to this offer of appointment will result in the removal of your name from the register of eligibles until such time as you request restoration and furnish the information asked for in the “Statement of Availability.”

  For your further information, we attaching a mimeographed statement designed to provide the answers to the questions most often asked regarding the position, conditions on Alcatraz, etc.

  Sincerely,

  E.B. Swope

  WARDEN

  Work assignment notes from Correctional Officer Don Martin’s personal journal.

  A correctional officer standing guard at the road tower.

  Ervie Walters, 28-AZ

  January 24, 1936

  The U.S.A. Attorney General

  The Honorable Homer S. Cummings

  Dear Sir:

  I am one of the original “32” solider prisoners that was turned over to this Federal Institution on June the 19th, 1934, and at that time I couldn’t see why we was being left here for most of us was first time losers, and we understood that this place was to harbor nothing but the toughest kind of convict, which is “true,” that is why I’m writing this letter, asking you to have me transferred, because I don’t belong here, and I know that those of the “32” that are here with me now, are all of the same frame of mind, but I am speaking for myself, for they have the same writing privileges that I have.

  My record is “very good,” as I haven’t caused any trouble in the 5 years that I have been confined, and I’m doing my best to keep it that way. Sir, if you think I deserve a transfer and give it to me, I will certainly appreciate it, for I sure want to get away from this place. I thank you.

  Respectfully Yours,

  Ervie R. Walters

  #28

  Richard Franseen, 387-AZ

  Richard Franseen

  Convicted counterfeiter Richard Franseen, AZ-387, (registered under the name of Franzeen) provided a seemingly optimistic insight into his new residence at Alcatraz. Excerpts from this letter were originally printed anonymously in Warden Johnston’s Alcatraz memoir. Franseen would later become close friends with inmate Elliott Michener, who provided updates to Warden Swo
pe on their successful transition to freedom once released from prison.

  * * *

  Alcatraz, March 19, 1937

  Mrs. Roy Conner

  Box 123

  Cromwell, Minnesota

  Dear Tillie:

  When you write to me, you will be permitted to write on three sheets of paper; but on only one side. You may, I believe, write as often as you wish. When you mention any person, use the full name, not the nickname or initials. My only correspondence, are to be blood relations, and so I would like to get Oscar Franseen’s address. Without his address I can’t get his name on the mailing list. As yet, I have haven’t been assigned to any work. I have no preference, except that I would like to be placed on one of the jobs on which “industrial good time” is given. This amounts to two days a month, and would cut more than a year from the time I must serve.

  This is my fourth day in the institution, and though it is much too soon to make a prediction, I think that I am going to like this place. The living conditions are better here than in any other institution in which I’ve been. The cell house is clean, so clean that the floors reflect light. They are of concrete; literally they are being cleaned continuously that they are polished until they show reflection. The same is true of railings and of everything else.

  The food is first-class. Better far than that of Leavenworth. We get variety, usually three or four dishes. For breakfast we get fruit with hotcakes, hot buns, or cereal. For dinner and supper we get meats, greens, salads, cauliflower, creamed cod, as well as ice cream, pie, cake, and puddings. And I’ve only been here four days.