The First Owners of Alcatraz
The first owner of Alcatraz was a certain ranch owner named Julian Workman. The island was given to him in 1846, by Pio Pico, the Californa Governor, at the time, under one condition. The Governor insisted Workman build a lighthouse on the island. Unfortunately, Workman was unable to follow through.
Within less than a year, Alcatraz was bought by the California Military Governor John C. Fremont for $5,000. In 1850, two years after California was sold to the United States, the island was handed over to the military by order of the president at the time. The owner, John C. Fremont, was very excited about the takeover. He expected the United States to pay a considerable sum in exchange for the island.
Deceived by His Country
Unfortunately for Fremont, his country deceived him. They robbed him blind by taking away his island without compensation. The United States argued that his deal, previously made with Workman, was not valid.
Fremont refused to accept his faith. This would be the beginning of a long arduous, legal battle that would last until the 1890s. For years Fremont would fight against the ruling, in vain. When the final decision was made, it was declared that Fremont had no right to the land. Consequently, he never received a penny.
Deceived by His Country
Unfortunately for Fremont, his country deceived him. They robbed him blind by taking away his island without compensation. The United States argued that his deal, previously made with Workman, was not valid.
Fremont refused to accept his faith. This would be the beginning of a long arduous, legal battle that would last until the 1890s. For years Fremont would fight against the ruling, in vain. When the final decision was made, it was declared that Fremont had no right to the land. Consequently, he never received a penny.
The Gold Rush Sparked Construction
In 1848 the Gold Rush began, attracting people to San Francisco. In just a few years, the population swelled from 300 to 30,000. The U.S. Military took three years before they began construction, due to the distraction from Fremont's fight for compensation.
Once they did get their act together, they moved quickly. The United States army wanted that military base up as soon as possible. As the population increased, with gold diggers flocking over from all over the world, the military felt an urgency to protect and defend their territory.
Alcatraz - The Ideal Military Base
Building a defensive fortress became the number one priority, with the number of people flocking the San Francisco area. The military planned to fortify Alcatraz and build another fortress on Fort Point, an island nearby. Alcatraz ended up being the most secure fortress ever built at the time.
The island's location was also perfect to build a defensive stronghold. In 1852, the Pacific Coast Board of Engineers reported: “Nature seems to have provided a redoubt for this [military] purpose in the shape of Alcatraz Island. Situated abreast of the entrance directly in the middle of the inner harbor, it covers with its fire the whole of the interior space lying between Angel Island to the north, San Francisco to the south, and the outer batteries to the west.”
Nature's Gift to Fort Alcatraz
Tasked with building Fort Alcatraz as quickly as possible, Zealous B. Tower used nature to his advantage. They used natural rocks, found on the island, to build walls along its coastline. Weapons were strategically placed west, south, and north of the built walls, including 111 armed cannons ready to fire covering all angles.
The fortress was armed in a way no other had ever been before. Not only did it have the "Columbiads", the 111 cannons; but it was also outfitted with caponiers, stone towers that projected from the shore. Fort Alcatraz posed a significant challenge to siege at the time. The citadel was completed a year into construction. Barracks were located next to the lighthouse, which happened to be the first navigational light on the west coast of the United States.
Success Against Any Attack
The citadel was tasked to defend both the island and the lighthouse. It was built to accommodate 100 soldiers with the possibility of expansion to 200 soldiers. The windows of the barracks were designed specifically to enable soldiers to fire right through them.
In the event of a takeover, the citadel held enough supplies for soldiers to survive four months. Fort Alcatraz was completed in 1859. During that time, the population was growing at a tremendous rate. Unfortunately, the area attracted people who were hoping to strike it rich by finding gold. Skilled workers were scars amongst this fast-growing population, which slowed the process down.
A Missed Opportunity
Fort Alcatraz was never attacked. It was used during the Civil War. 350 men were positioned there, patiently waiting to take action. That day never came. Soldiers spent days playing cards, drinking, and eating.
It is said that the Confederates plotted an attack on Fort Alcatraz. In 1863, three men were arrested for plotting the strike, which never took place. They were sentenced to 10 years in prison. To their luck, Abraham Lincoln pardoned the men at the end of the Civil War. They never served their sentence.
The Conversion
Fort Alcatraz was originally built as a military base. Interestingly enough, its use from the get-go was to hold prisoners. Alcatraz's first prisoners arrived in 1859.
During the Civil War, the stronghold was used to imprison Confederate soldiers. Its future was clearly in the cards. In 1867, a jailhouse was built on the island of Alcatraz. Thirty years later, during the Spanish-American War of 1898, the prison reached a population of 450 war prisoners. As the prison population grew, so did the facility. They went on to build large, concrete prison cells. In 1933 Alcatraz was handed over to the Prisons Bureau.
The Ideal Penitentiary
Alcatraz officially became a civil penitentiary in 1934 when it hosted its first civilian prisoners. At the time Alcatraz was seen as the ideal prison. Sat on an island, alone surrounded by water, it was thought that no one could ever escape Alcatraz.
The waters surrounding Alcatraz are near freezing and the strong currents make it virtually impossible to swim against. in all its history, only 14 attempts to escape have been recorded. None succeeded.
Alcatraz's First Warden
James A. Johnston was the first warden at Alcatraz. He was chosen to welcome the first group of prisoners on August 11, 1934. They were a special group of inmates who were hard to control. They were known for disrupting the "peace" in their previous jails.
James A. Johnston had a reputation for being very disciplinary. He would be perfect for the job. Along with an army of 155 guards, Johnston was determined to get Alcatraz running like a well-oiled engine by keeping the prisoners in line at all times.
Home to Some Famous Criminals
Alcatraz became the home of some of the country’s most notorious criminals. The notorious gangster Al Capone who was responsible for atrocities such as the Valentine's Day Massacre, is one of the most famous inmates who called Alcatraz home.
Yet another infamous face that 'graced' the cells on Alcatraz was Alvin Karpis, labeled “Public Enemy Number One” by the FBI. He is one of four criminals to have ever been referred to by this title, and we guarantee that you don't want to meet any of them in a dark ally.
14 Escape Attempts From 36 Prisoners
There is a total of 14 escape attempts from Alcatraz, involving a total of 36 prisoners. None succeeded, officially. Six inmates were taken to their graves, 23 were captured and two drowned. The remaining five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned." Whilst there is no tangible proof that anyone successfully escaped from Alcatraz, it is probable that some actually made it.
Of the 14 escape attempts, the 13th attempt has been immortalized on the big screen in 1979's "Escape from Alcatraz", starring Clint Eastwood. The 13th attempt involved three prisoners: John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris. They planned an elaborate escape and successfully made it into the ocean. In 2013 a letter written by John Anglin was delivered to the police. This letter indicates the possibility that these three men survived the chilling water and overcame the strong currents. Had the three men survived?
What Lies Beneath Alcatraz
Alcatraz shut down on March 21, 1963. Today it is one of the major tourist attractions. Archaeologists from Binghampton University wanted to see what was underneath Alcatraz.
However, they could not excavate because they had to keep the grounds intact, as it is a highly profitable tourist attraction. Hence, the team, led by Timothy de Smet, used advanced laser technology to enable them to see what lay beneath the infamous prison on the island of Alcatraz, without causing any damage to the site.
The Discovery
The archaeologists discovered structures from its military days. They were perfectly intact. Underneath these structures, they discovered what the team called, “a bombproof earthwork traverse.”
Over 150 years later, this tunnel was as good as new. it had ventilation shafts to keep the oxygen flow within the closed structure. Its existence was unknown until it was discovered in 2019 by de Smet and his team; it was a revelation that proved very interesting information for historians as well.
The Big Surprise
When they began searching for what lay beneath Alcatraz, the prison, Timothy de Smut hoped had no idea what to expect. They were hoping to find remains of lost structures as evidence of its historical past. Little did they know, that what they would find, would be completely intact.
“We decided to use non-invasive, technology to explore what lay beneath the prison because we weren't sure we would discover anything," de Smet admitted. "At best we were hoping to find remains of its past.”
The Evolution of Technology
The non-invasive technology used to explore what lay beneath Alcatraz was a breakthrough in science. Before de Smet, laser technology had not been used by archaeologists to explore the underground. Not only was it remarkable to discover intact structures underneath the prison; it was equally astounding to do so, without excavation. de Smet and his team had just paved the way for the future of archaeological surveying.
The technology they used to explore the grounds that lie underneath Alcatraz, enabled de Smet and his team to make discoveries without disturbing the present structure. This is a real breakthrough for the future of archaeology. It broadens the scope for underground exploration. “With modern remote-sensing methods like these, we can answer fundamental archaeological research questions about human behavior, social organization, and cultural change through time without costly and destructive excavation.”
Alcatraz the Escape-Proof Prison
The prison, Alcatraz, held civilian prisoners for 29 years — from 1934 to 1963. It was famed as the escape-proof penitentiary. During its time in operation, 36 inmates tried to escape. Records show that none succeeded. All escaped convicts were either caught or shot.
Yet, between December 1937 and June 1962, five inmates who attempted an escape were never found. Most experts believe they drowned. Family members are convinced at least one of the five survived and therefore successfully escaped the infamous, escape-proof prison.
The Mysterious Letter That Defies Alcatraz's Reputation
Three prisoners, John Anglin, his brother Clarence and Frank Morris attempted an escape in June 1962. They carved their way through underground tunnels which led them straight into the cold San Francisco Bay waters. They were never to be found.
In 2016 the Anglin family discovered that the police had received a bizarre letter, claiming to be written by John Anglin. it stated: “My name is John Anglin. I escaped from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. I’m 83 years old and in bad shape. I have cancer… Yes, we all made it that night but barely. This is no joke.” The Anglin family is convinced that John Anglin is still alive today.
The 50s' Famous Bank Robbers
John and his older brother Clarence were born in Georgia, to parents who worked the farm. In the early 1940s, the family relocated to Florida. During the summer seasons, the family went cherry picking in Michigan, where the boys would show-off their remarkable skills swimming in the icy cold waters of Lake Michigan. Both John and Clarence were excellent swimmers and they had the habit of swimming in very cold waters.
In their 20s both brothers turned to a life of crime. During the 1950s they partnered to rob banks and other facilities. They were famous for executing robberies at night, when no one was present, to avoid hurting innocent bystanders.
The Brothers Are Transferred to Alcatraz Due to Itchy Feet
John and Clarence were non-violent criminals. They were undoubtedly thieves, but they never harmed anyone or used weapons. Once only, it was reported that they pointed a gun at someone. It was a toy gun. The pair were arrested in 1956 and given a 15 to 20-year sentence each.
They served their time in various incarceration centers across the country: Florida State Prison, Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas, and Atlanta Penitentiary. Due to repeated offenses trying to escape, the brothers were transferred to Alcatraz. John was the first to arrive on October 21, 1960. His brother Clarence followed on January 10, 1961.
Partnering With Fellow Convicts
Plotting their escape from Alcatraz, John and Clarence teamed-up with Frank Lee Morris. Frank was orphaned at a very young age and first arrested at 13. He was involved in everything from possession of narcotics to armed robbery. Extremely intelligent, Frank achieved a very high scored on IQ tests.
Like the Anglin brothers, he served time in several prisons in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. Frank successfully escaped from the Louisiana State Penitentiary. However, he was re-arrested a year later for burglary. Frank arrived at Alcatraz in 1960. The Anglin brothers also met Allen West.
One of the Key Instruments
In 1961, the four lived in adjacent cells at Alcatraz. Rumour has it that they may have met at the Atlanta penitentiary. So that by the time they arrived in Alcatraz, they already knew each other. Morris was the mastermind behind the escape plan.
They spent 6 months digging at night around the ventilation duct opening of their cells. Whilst digging Morris would play the accordion to muffle the sound. To dig they used various tools including saw blades they had found in the prison courtyard, spoons they had stolen from the kitchen and they built a drill using parts from a vacuum cleaner. In the daytime, they covered the holes with cardboard and paint.
Boston Crime Boss Whitey Bulger Claims to Have Been the Consultant
In 2014, Ken Widner, the Algin's nephew, received a letter from Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger. In the letter, he claims to have been the consultant who advised them on how not to get caught. Bulger had met the Anglins while serving time at Alcatraz.
He wrote that he advised John and Clarence about navigating the currents in San Fransisco Bay and he also gave them advice on "good practice" for life on the run.
Widner said “Bulger taught them that when you disappear, you have to cut all ties. He wrote in his letter: "This is the mistake that I made." He also confirmed, "These brothers undoubtedly had done exactly what I told them to do."
Widner said “Bulger taught them that when you disappear, you have to cut all ties. He wrote in his letter: "This is the mistake that I made." He also confirmed, "These brothers undoubtedly had done exactly what I told them to do."
Handmade Mannequins to Fool the Guards
The men dug holes from their cells, through the ventilation ducts, big enough for them to go through. The holes led to a utility corridor. From there they would go to the top of the jail, where they built a workshop to prepare their supplies for the great escape.
To enable them to work undetected, they created mannequins out of paper-mâché. These hand-sculpted dummies fooled the guard into thinking the inmates were asleep in their bed. To make them look very convincing they painted the heads and glued hairs taken from the barbershop floor. They stuffed towels and clothing under the covers to give the illusion of a man's body lying asleep under the blankets.
A Life Raft Made of Raincoats and Scrap Wood
West was the one conspirator who could not escape in the end. The ventilator grill in his cell got stuck and he could not go through the hole. The Anglin brothers and Morris climbed to an area inside the building where they created life preservers and a rubber raft. The life raft was made using 50 raincoats and he paddles were made from scrap wood.
The trio climbed the ventilation shaft to the roof. They then slid 50 feet down a vent pipe to the ground. Afterward, they climbed over two barbed wire fences. Once over the fence, they inflated the raft using a concertina they had stolen from another inmate and off they went into the darkness.
No Bodies Were Ever Found
The three escape convicts inflated the raft at the northeast shoreline. This area was not covered by the prison's searchlights and gun towers. It is suspected that the convicts escaped around 10 p.m. However, it was not until the following morning that prison guards discovered they were missing.
The dummies had fooled them into thinking the algin brother and Morris were sound asleep in their respective cells. Law enforcement officials and the military spent the next 10 days searching for the escapees. They found evidence of their escape, including a paddle and a wallet containing the Anglins’ identification and mementos as well as deflated lifejackets. Yet they never found any bodies or physical remains of a human body.
An Open-Ended Case
Most believed the escaped convicts had perished in the cold water of the San Francisco Bay. Still, they never found any bodies, which compelled investigators to keep the case open for 17 years. Finally, on December 31, 1979, They decided to close the case. They went with the conclusion that Morris and the Anglin brothers had most probably drowned whilst attempting to escape Alcatraz. The U.S. Marshals Service however never closed the case. To this day, they receive leads about the case.
West, the one inmate left behind, cooperated with investigators. He explained that they had planned to steal clothing and a car once they would get to the mainland. Still, FBI investigators believed that due to nature's extreme conditions, it was highly unlikely that the three convicts would have made it to shore.
John Claims His Brother Clarence and Morris Lived Long Fulfilling Lives
In 2013 the San Francisco Police received a letter. The writer declares that he is John Anglin and he confirms that all three inmates, himself, his brother Clarence and fellow inmate Morris, survived the escape from Alcatraz. He further confirms that both his brother Clarence and Morris lived fulfilling lives. He specifies that Morris passed away in 2008 and his brother Clarence in 2011. The writer added a condition stating: "If you announce on TV that I’ll be promised to first go to jail for no more than a year and get medical attention, I will write back to let you know exactly where I am.”
John's nephew, Ken Widner, was inflamed when he discovered only three years later that the police had received a letter from his uncle and they had not bothered to inform him.
John's Nephews Are Enraged With the Authorities
The authorities kept John's letter a secret. They never informed his family. Jonh's nephews are enraged at the authorities for keeping this information from them. He was clearly in need of medical attention and it was ignored. The two nephews, Ken and David Widner believe it is their right to have been informed and the authorities' duty to have informed them immediately.
Ken told The Sun: “I believe John is still alive, I do not believe Clarence is still alive, I have no idea clue about Frank Morris. I know Frank Morris was with them in 1975. I have a pretty good idea of where they’re at… (but) that I’m not going to say.” David Widner added that he thought John might still be alive. He confirmed that his uncles and Morris were “very, very smart guys, capable of surviving the elements." David also added that he thought it was inhumane that the authorities had not told the family about the letter back in 2013.
Living the Life in Brazil
In 2016, when the nephews found out about the letter sent to the authorities in 2013, they submitted a photo to them that proves the three escaped convicts had survived. The photo shows John and Clarence in Brazil in 1975.
According to the nephews, it would appear that their uncles met with an ex-associate of theirs at the time, who facilitated their move to Brazil. The photo would have been taken on a Brazilian farm, allegedly owned by the Algin brothers. Ex-US Marshal, Art Roderick, spent 20 years on the case. He believes this photo was taken by a family friend, Fred Brizzi.
Forensic Experts Concur
A forensic expert examined the mugshots of John and Clarence Anglin and compared them with the photo of the two men in Brazil. He concurred that it is very likely that the two men shown in the Brazil photo are the same two men in the mugshots.
The Widner family also brought more evidence that their uncles survived the escape. Their mother, Marie Anglin Widner, would receive Christmas cards from both her brothers, John and Clarence. These cards were signed by both brothers but never had any postage stamps. Marie received these cards for three consecutive years, following their escape from Alcatraz. The FBI did swop the letter they received in 2013 for any traces of DNA and fingerprints. Results were inconclusive.
Bones Found on the San Francisco Shores in 1963
Authorities found bones on the San Francisco shores. During the filming of a documentary on Alcatraz called: Search for the Truth, in 2015, the Widner family permitted them to excavate the body of Alfred Algin. Alfred was John and Clarence's older brother. Authorities wanted to see if his DNA matched that of the bones they had found in 1963.
After conducting some tests, they discovered that the bones did not match the Anglin DNA. Yet another staggering proof that the brothers may have survived the escape. There is, however, no way of determining whether these bones belonged to Morris as he has no living family members left.
Testing the Probability of Survival
In 2003 TV stars from a show called MythBusters decided to reenact the escape using the same materials the three inmates had access to at the time. They build a raft using lifejackets and scrap wood for the paddles. They concluded that it was, in fact, possible for the Anglin brothers and Morris to have successfully reached the San Francisco shores.
In 2014 a group of researchers from Delft University also conducted an experience to determine the probability of such an escape. They used technology to analyze the currents. Using a computer model, they mapped out the timing of the escape in line with the pattern of the currents during those timeframes. They concluded that the currents would have been in their favor had they left near midnight. If they had left hours prior or hours after midnight, the currents would have been very difficult for them to resist.
Authorities and Family Want Closure
Ken and David are looking for closure and would like to be able to bury their uncles at their family plot in Florida. Authorities, more specifically Roderick, the former marshal, wanted to learn more about their escape. He told the New York Post in 2015: "When you work these types of cases, there’s a feeling you get when stuff starts to fall into place. I’m getting this feeling now.”
It seems very probable that John and his brother escaped to Brazil, where they spent the rest of their lives. If John is still alive, he may never be able to leave Brazil. There is no extradition agreement between the United States and Brazil. Brazil can refuse to extradite him to the U.S.
The Box Office Hit - Escape From Alcatraz
One of the all-time greatest box office hits was the 1979 film, Escape From Alcatraz. Clint Eastwood, Jack Thibeau, and Fred Ward starred in it as Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin, and John Anglin. The movie grossed $43 million and had a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Eastwood, Wars, and Thibeau did not use stunt doubles to escape down the prison walls and into the water. On two occasions the film director, Don Siegel, believed the actors had been swept away by the currents during filming. They had not and in conclusion, the film leads us to believe that the escape convicts succeeded.
Another Escape That Shook the Myth
The myth that Alcatraz was escape-proof was put into question when in 1937, inmates Theodore “Ted” Cole and Ralph Roe disappeared. They were working in a tire repair shop in Alcatraz when a thick fog entered the bay. Both convicts took advantage of this heavy fog to escape. The fog was a great shield for the two convicts.
They could move freely, unseen by the guards. Using a wrench, they broke a lock in a gate and dropped 20 feet down onto the to the beach. Evidence demonstrated that Cole and Roe had been planning their escape for some time. In their case, they had not used a raft, yet they were never to be found again. Nor did anyone ever uncover their remains. It was believed that thy were swept away by the strong currents into the Pacific Ocean. Their escape tainted the prison's reputation for being escape-proof.
Prisoner John Paul Scott - The Only Proof of Success
On Dec. 16, 1962, prisoner John Paul Scott also attempted his escape from Alcatraz. He swam 2.7 nautical miles from the island of Alcatraz to Fort Point, located at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. His body was first discovered by a group of teenagers who, at the time, presumed him dead.
When police arrived on the scene, they instantly recognized Scott as the escaped convict they were pursuing. His body was practically motionless. Scott suffered severe hypothermia, but he was alive. He had successfully escaped Alcatraz. He was living proof that it could be done. Scott was apprehended on the spot and brought straight back to Alcatraz. Today this exact route, Alcatraz-Fort Point, is used by triathletes in two annual swimming events.
Scott Had an Accomplice
Scott had been convicted to thirty years for bank robbery and possession of unregistered firearms. He was sent to Alcatraz to serve his sentence. Three years into his sentence, Scott decided to escape the escape-proof prison. He did have an accomplice, Darl Lee Parker, convicted for bank robbery and hijacking.
Had Scott had the energy to keep going once he had reached shore, he may have ended up a man on the run. Yet he would not have had the fame for being the only escape convict to have officially succeeded his escape from Alcatraz.
The Great Escape
John Paul Scott and Darl Lee Parker met at Alcatraz. They were both assigned to culinary duty. One evening, during their shift, they snuck down to the storage room below the kitchen. There was a cell block with a latrine. Above the latrine, there was a window.
It was covered with metal bars. Both Scott and Parker managed to bend the bars and squeeze their way out of the window. They then had to climb down a rope into the water that lay below. They managed all this undiscovered by the guards.
One of Two Left Behind
Scott and Parker planned to float across the water to the San Francisco shore. They chose to use rubber gloves which they filled with air. These gloves were to act like floaters to keep them from downing.
It was not until the early hours of the following morning that the prison guards noticed that Scott and Parker were missing. By then they had already floated a considerable distance from the jail. Unfortunately, though they had both managed to escape Alcatraz, only Scott made it to shore.
One of Two Left Behind
Scott and Parker planned to float across the water to the San Francisco shore. They chose to use rubber gloves which they filled with air. These gloves were to act like floaters to keep them from downing.
It was not until the early hours of the following morning that the prison guards noticed that Scott and Parker were missing. By then they had already floated a considerable distance from the jail. Unfortunately, though they had both managed to escape Alcatraz, only Scott made it to shore.
A Broken Ankle Kills the Escape
During their escape, Parker broke his ankle. Struggling to keep up with Scott, Parker had to quit shortly after they began swimming to the San Francisco shore. Parker managed to swim to a nearby rock known as little Alcatraz.
It was approximately 100 yards away from the penitentiary. Within 20 minutes of the guards sounding their escape, authorities captured Parker stranded on little Alcatraz.
Scott Imprisoned for Life
Up until the Scott and Parker escape, swimming from Alcatraz to the San Francisco shore was deemed impossible. Yet Scott had proven that it was indeed possible to swim from the prison to shore. This revelation strengthened the probability that the Anglin brothers and Morris had successfully escaped Alcatraz.
Unfortunately for Scott, though he had made it to shore, he was too weak to continue his journey on the run. He was found suffering from hypothermia and completely exhausted. Upon his capture, he was immediately transferred to the Letterman General Hospital. They kept him there under 24-hour surveillance. Once fully recovered, Scott was sent straight back to Alcatraz where he spent the rest of his life incarcerated.
Bowers Shot Dead
On April 27, 1936, an Alcatraz inmate named Joe Bowers went decide to break out of jail. He was burning trash at the incinerator located a the island's edge. Convinced that no guard could see what he was up to, he started climbing the fence separating him from freedom. Guards spotted Bowers.
They commanded him to get down immediately. Bowers chose to ignore their commands and kept climbing the fence. Moments later, he was shot dead by a correctional officer from the West road guard tower. Bowers fell 100 feet to his death.