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Robert Stroud
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American inmate and ornithologist (1890–1963)
"Birdman of Alcatraz" redirects here. For the 1962 film, see Birdman of Alcatraz (film).
For the scientist, see Robert M. Stroud.
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Robert Stroud<br>Stroud in 1951<br>BornRobert Franklin Stroud
(1890-01-28)January 28, 1890<br>Seattle, Washington, US<br>DiedNovember 21, 1963(1963-11-21) (aged 73)<br>Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Missouri, US<br>Other nameThe Birdman of AlcatrazOccupationsPimp<br>Salesman<br>Ornithologist
Spouse<br>Della May Spore<br>(m. 1931)<br>Criminal charge
1909 Manslaughter
1912 Assault
1916 Murder
Penalty<br>54 yrs overall<br>Manslaughter<br>12 years imprisonment<br>Assault<br>6 months imprisonment<br>Murder<br>Death, commuted to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole
Robert Franklin Stroud (January 28, 1890 – November 21, 1963), known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz ", was a convicted murderer, American federal prisoner, and author who has been cited as one of the most notorious criminals in the United States.[1][2][3] During his time at Leavenworth Penitentiary, he reared and sold birds and became a respected ornithologist. From 1942 to 1959, he was incarcerated at Alcatraz, where regulations did not allow him to keep birds. Stroud was never released from the federal prison system; he was imprisoned from 1909 to his death in 1963.
Born in Seattle, Washington, Stroud ran away from his abusive father at the age of 13. By the time he was 18, he had become a pimp in the Alaska Territory. In January 1909, he shot and killed a bartender who attacked his mistress, a crime for which he was sentenced to 12 years in the federal penitentiary on McNeil Island in Puget Sound. Stroud gained a reputation as a dangerous inmate who frequently had confrontations with fellow inmates and staff. In 1916, he stabbed and killed a guard. Stroud was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death by hanging, but after several trials, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in solitary confinement.
In 1920, while in solitary confinement at the federal penitentiary of Leavenworth, Stroud discovered a nest with three injured sparrows in the prison yard. He cared for them and within a few years had acquired a collection of about 300 canaries. He began extensive research into birds after being granted equipment by a prison-reforming warden. Stroud wrote Diseases of Canaries, which was smuggled out of Leavenworth and published in 1933,[4] as well as a later edition (1943). He made important contributions to avian pathology, most notably a cure for the hemorrhagic septicemia family of diseases, gaining much respect and some level of sympathy among ornithologists and farmers. Stroud ran a successful business from inside the prison, but his activities infuriated the prison staff. He was transferred to Alcatraz in 1942 after it was discovered that he had been secretly making alcohol by using some of the equipment in his cell.
Stroud began serving a 17-year term at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on December 19, 1942, and became inmate No. 594. In 1943, he was assessed by psychiatrist Romney M. Ritchey, who diagnosed him as a psychopath, with an I.Q. of 112.[5] Stripped of his birds and equipment, he wrote a history of the penal system.
In what came to be called The Battle of Alcatraz in May 1946, Stroud made efforts to protect other inmates. Then fifty-six years old, Stroud climbed over the third tier railing and lowered himself to the second tier, then dropped onto the floor of D Block. He started closing the heavy steel doors of the six isolation cells to protect the helpless men inside. He then climbed back up, and yelled to guard Philip Bergen, telling him there were no firearms in D Block. He begged for an end to the bombing of D Block before any prisoners got killed.[6][7]
In 1959, Stroud was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he remained until his death on November 21, 1963.
Early life and arrest<br>[edit]
Stroud was born in Seattle, the eldest child of Elizabeth Jane (née McCartney, 1860–1938) and Benjamin Franklin Stroud (1858–1928). His mother had two daughters from a previous marriage. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Stroud ran away from home at the age of 13. His prison record on occupations note: riveter and heater one year; waiter and cook 1½ years; peanut vendor 6...