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Alcatraz Island, 1896 Alcatraz in the dawn mist, from the east. The "parade ground" is at left. Alcatraz Island and lighthouse at sunset The water tower and powerhouse (at right), which generated electricity for the island A model of Military Point Alcatraz, 1866–1868, now on display at Alcatraz Island Model of the prison in present day, on display at Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz was a maximum high-security federal prison located on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco bay. It operated from 1934 to 1963 and had a reputation for being impossible to escape from. As a result, it housed some of the most notorious and high-profile prisoners, in particular ones who had a history of escape attempts.
Henri Theodore Young (born June 20, 1911 – disappeared 1972) was an American convicted bank robber and murderer [2] who, while serving one of a series of prison terms, attempted to escape from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary with four other inmates in 1939.
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.
Bernard Paul "Barney" Coy (February 13, 1900 [1] – May 4, 1946) was an American bank robber and federal prisoner best known as the planner of a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz, on May 2, 1946, which turned into a bloody two-day armed confrontation leaving Coy, two fellow would-be escapees and two prison guards dead.
Miran Edgar Thompson (December 16, 1917 – December 3, 1948) [1] was an inmate of Alcatraz whose participation in an attempted escape on May 2, 1946, led to his execution in the gas chamber of San Quentin. At the time of the Battle of Alcatraz, Thompson was serving life plus 99 years for murder of
Carnes remained on Alcatraz until its closure in 1963, spending most of the time there in the segregation unit. He claimed that he had received a postcard from Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers, John and Clarence , which read "Gone fishing", which was a code word that their escape had succeeded.
It had seemed impossible to escape from Alcatraz by swimming. [3] The seasonal water temperature in the San Francisco Bay is about 53 °F (12 °C) in December [4] and the current can exceed 6 knots. [5] Citing these facts, as well as occasional visits from great white sharks and razor-sharp rocks, prison officers had discouraged most escape ...