The 1946 Alcatraz breakout that ended in bloodshed | Forensic Files

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[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website from the residue of the great depression
and prohibition emerged the Public Enemy crime wave of 1930s America high-profile
outlaws racketeers and organized crime gangs terrorized American cities fighting to control million-dollar
illegal industries robberies kidnappings murders gang wars corruption shootouts and smuggling were rampant notorious
gangsters such as Machine Gun Kelly kill a couple Bonnie and Clyde bank robber and prison escapee John Dillinger and
real-life Scarface crime boss Al Capone reigned over America completely indifferent to the law traditional
prison didn't intimidate rich and renowned career criminals who ruled regional prisons by bribing prison staff
intimidating other inmates and smuggling information in an hour in response the United States Department of Justice
sought to create the ultimate crime deterrent a revolutionary prison guarded by incorruptible staff where all inmates
were of equal low status and nothing could get in or out in October 1933 the Department of Justice acquired ownership
of Alcatraz Island a 22-acre Rock in the middle of the cold and treacherous waters of San Francisco Bay California
located 1.2 miles from the northern shoreline of San Francisco City the barren sandstone island featured
decaying remnants of its 150 year history including a lighthouse fortified stone walls a citadel and an old
military prison upon the structural remains of the old military Citadel they constructed a looming fortification of
concrete and steel encompassed by guard towers spotlights chain-link fences coiled barbed wire and thick tulle proof
steel bars they designed a revolutionary maximum-security Federal Penitentiary named Alcatraz prison the most expensive
prison ever built at the time had featured a main cell house with four cell blocks known as a B C and D box
that were three levels higher with a total of 336 prison cells Alcatraz prison was the solution to America's
overwhelming crime problem it didn't aim to rehabilitate like other prisons it aimed the punished
the worst of the worst inmates of all the other prisons across America was shifted to Alcatraz inmates who were
deemed unmanageable for traditional Penitentiary's those who attacked or killed guards routinely fought other
prisoners bribed prison staff at attempted escapes and those who required firmer handling and tougher discipline
if you broke the rules he went to prison if you broke the prison rules he went to Alcatraz hardened career
criminals with dehumanized and broken physically and mentally using isolation cramped cells intense rules rigid
discipline and crushing punishment some prisoners reported being threatened and beaten by guards others claimed to have
been chained down in the old dungeons beneath the cell house as punishment in the initial years of the prison a strict
rule of silence was enforced meaning prisoners were not permitted to talk to one another except during meal and
recreation periods prisoners who violated the silence rule were disciplined harshly the rule was
eventually relaxed when prison operators realized that sent many prisoners insane
after an inmate chopped off four of his fingers with a hatchet in a desperate attempt to get off the island
inmates nicknamed the island Alcatraz and marched about the cold island with hopeless and helpless despair tortured
daily by the cheerful sights and sounds of bustling San Francisco City across the bay San Francisco residents were
wary of having a prison crowded with the most dangerous criminals in America located in the heart of their Harbor
Alcatraz prison operators assured them that their one-of-a-kind state-of-the-art Island prison was
completely escape proof the prison was fitted with an abundance of safeguards the keep prisoners in but it didn't stop
some inmates from trying to plot their escape by 1946 there had been nine escape attempts from Alcatraz fences
were climbed iron bars were foiled through rafts were constructed desperate escapees viciously killed a guard using
a hammer some inmates slipped away during momentary distractions impressively one inmate was able to assemble a US
Army sergeants uniform from bags of laundry and when wearing the uniform snuck aboard a ferry off the island
three inmates were shot dead two drowned in the strong tides of San Francisco Bay
and to those who were recaptured we end up in solitary confinement of the 22 we mates who had attempted to break out of
Alcatraz all so far had failed [Music] [Music] 37 year old Bernie cui was sentenced in
June 1937 to serve 25 years for armed robbery at a Penitentiary in Atlanta Georgia a World War one veteran who
struggled to find employment after the war coy talked to robbing banks to make quick cash after his trial coy told the
judge there's no place you can send me that will hold me born into poverty and the target of his father's beatings
prison nurtured quois defensive and violent tendencies and he frequently got into confrontations with other inmates
when Koya touched a razor blade to a toothbrush handle and attacked another inmate with it prison authorities
decided that without stricter control and punishment Bernie coy could become a dangerous high-risk inmate in July 1937
only 28 days into his 25-year sentence curry was transferred to Alcatraz prison where it was believed to the harsher
environment would straighten him out Bernie coy became Alcatraz inmate AZ for 1/5
Berni coid despised Alcatraz prison he routinely fought other inmates including one violent fight where he was stabbed
with a butcher's knife multiple times we spent seven days in the prison hospital
recovering the life-threatening experience should have taught him a valuable lesson
only those who put their head down shut up and serve - that time would come out of Alcatraz alive but it was hard to
break a man who was already broken at the end of 1939 during his second year on Alcatraz
Bernie coy attempted to escape by trying to cut through a steel window shield located in the prison's bait shop his
plan was thwarted and to try and discourage any further escape attempts he was given the worse than most feared
punishment a prisoner could receive on Alcatraz time in the strip cell the strip cell was located in d-block
known as the prisons treatment unit a prison within a prison d-block was a self-contained section in
the southern area of the main cell house inaccessible and off-limits the general
population inmates d-block featured 42 cells home to Alcatraz's most problematic and dangerous rule breakers
Furby six were solitary confinement cells prisoners in solitary were kept in their cells at all times except for one
visit to the recreation yard and two trips to the shower facilities per week five were isolation cells they had dual
doors a traditional barred door and a heavy steel door in front two completely into me and made inside these cells were
nicknamed the hole and only contained a sink toilet and a low wattage light bulb
after his attempted bait shop breakout Bernie ploy was put in a strip sell the final sell at the end the isolation
cells prior to entry inmates were stripped naked and pushed into the cold steel encased cell with no clothing or
blankets there was nothing inside but a hole in the floor used as a toilet the strip cell also featured jeweled doors
accepted solid door remained closed at all times keeping the cell in complete darkness a flimsy mattress was slid in
at night but taken away during the day inmates in the strip cell were also given a restricted diet of bread and
water the extreme coldness isolation hunger and sensory deprivation had a profound effect on prisoners kept inside
the strip cell broke the most disobedient prisoners into a weakened state of obedience and in the case of
Bernie coy that appeared to have worked after his time in the strip Sol Bernie coy emerged the changed man he was far
less antagonistic and appeared to have given up any plans to escape over the following seven years
Bernie coy earned a new reputation as a mature easygoing respectful inmate who got on well with everyone he was well
liked and trusted by fellow inmates and prison guards alike coins positive reputation earned him the coveted job as
the prison's library orderly the Alcatraz library was in the main cell house in the southeast corner of the
building adjacent to C Block and a next door to D block a job given to trusted prisoners the library orderly was
permitted to move freely around the prison cell house to deliver reading material to guards and inmates this job
granted Bernie coy access to the off-limits and sealed off D block through his book deliveries the D block
COI was able to have unsupervised interactions with the prisoners kept there viewed as a model inmate
Chloe was also given the additional work role of prison orderly performing general janitorial duties throughout the
cell house in Alcatraz being given more work was seen as a privilege as it meant
spending less time alone in yourself by 1946 Chloe was dieting to lose excess weight in spending spare time performing
strength exercises to build muscle in total he lost 20 pounds and became noticeably lean and physically fit
Khoi read extensively and painted pictures from memory of the hills and valleys from his childhood home of
Kentucky whose art was even admired by the prison warden who was pleased to put his work in an exhibition in Washington
DC where it was positively received it appeared coy was the shining example of the positive effect the strictness of
Alcatraz could have on a difficult and disobedient man reshaping his reputation body and mind coy went through a
multitude of changes but one thing never changed with Bernie coy he was determined more than ever to
successfully break out of Alcatraz for seven years he had behaved himself and earned everyone's trust patiently and
discreetly studying the prison and its guards memorizing their schedules interactions work duties and habits he
called in favors from other inmates procured and smuggled items built makeshift tools and selected trusted
accomplices and by May 2nd 1946 Bernie coy was ready to break out from Alcatraz once and for all
[Music] at approximately 1:00 p.m. on May 2nd Burnie coy collected a broom and started
his janitorial duties in the main cell house as he swept the concrete floors the cell house was quiet most cells were
empty as the majority of the general prison population were out working in other areas of the island by 1:30 p.m.
the guard presence in the main cell house was at its lowest level the only guards on watch at the time were
correctional officers Bert Burch and William Miller birch paced the West End gun gallery with rifle in hand the
gallery was an elevated barred catwalk that ran the length of the western wall above the ground floor its high vantage
point enabled the guard a top-down view of the entire cell house officer Miller sat at the guards desk by the dining
hall entrance underneath the gallery coy continued sweeping the floor steadily by
the desk keeping his head down once he turned to the corner of C block and was out of Burton Miller's sights coy rushed
to the library at the back of the library was a door that led to D block which he tapped on several times the
prisoners in D block were having their after lunch naps so the sound of keys tapping carried down the length of the
quiet cell corridor and reached the ears of Alcatraz inmate AZ for six two 39 year old Sam Shockley Shockley was
serving a life sentence for bank robbery and kidnapping Shockley had the mental development
equivalent of a child aged eight to ten years old and he suffered from schizophrenia and hallucinations
he spoke of hearing radio voices that stayed on all night frightening him as they spoke evil words he believed his
food was drugged to make him crazy that he had stomach cancer which he didn't and he said he saw flashing beams of
light in his cell at night that he thought controlled him his psychosis resulted in violent and
uncontrollable rages that earned him the nickname crazy sim and he was considered
far too dangerous for regular prison so he was quickly transferred to Alcatraz however Alcatraz didn't fix Shockley he
continued to have psychotic meltdowns where he would scream threats throw things from his cell break plumbing
fixtures start fires and attack officers as a result he spent most of his time in
d-block solitary and he was often put in the strip cell when Shockley heard boys
tapping on the library door he knew exactly what to do crazy Sam suddenly erupted into a
pre-planned and staged violent rage that mimicked his previous meltdowns he screamed rattled his sword or yelled
threats and trashed his cell - officer Cecil Corwin on guard in d-block that wasn't an unusual sight to see
Shockley having a random angry outburst before Corwin went to investigate he called officer Burt in the main cell
house gallery to step into the d-block gallery and oversee the situation is back up back in the main cell house
Bernie Coyne continued sweeping the corridors pretending to be oblivious to the commotion here just caused in
d-block with his eyes set on officer birch up in the gallery chloe watched as he took a telephone call and quickly
headed to the door leading to the day block gallery everything was going exactly the plan
once the door closed behind officer Burch qui swept his broom towards the entrance of the dining hall ready for
the next part of his elaborate plan [Music] Alcatraz inmate AZ 6:45 was 34 year-old
Marvin Hubbard a convicted armed robber imprisoned in 1942 for kidnapping and transporting firearms across state lines
Hubbard was sent to Alcatraz after instigating riots and attempting several escapes at his previous prison on the
afternoon of May 2nd 1946 puppet was on cleanup duty in the prison's kitchen located at the back of the dining hall
intentionally working slower than usual Hubbard had been waiting for a signal from Bernie coy to let him know the
escape was on puppet courtside of koi in the main cell house and got the signal he discreetly
slipped the large butcher's knife up his shirtsleeve keeping the handle in his palm he moved towards the guard
supervising the kitchen cleaning crew officer Joseph Burdette at 1:40 p.m. Hubbard asked bird that if he could go
to the recreation yard and get some fresh air Burdette agreed and Hubbard walked down
the long dining hall to the barred gate leading into the main cell house officer
Miller was now the only guard in the main cell house he was by the entrance to the dining hall when Hubbard appeared
Miller opened to the gate to let hub it into the main cell house hubbard lifted his arms in preparation to be packed
down by Miller to check if he had smuggled any contraband from the kitchen cupboard ID Bernie coy now was his
chance ernie koy silently placed the broom down lowered himself into a crouch and crept up behind Miller as the guard
was patting Hubbard down milah had no idea coy had snuck up a horn him until he was punched in the
back of the head Khoi then pinged millas arms from behind allowing hubbard to attack him with a
flurry of fallen punches officer Milla battered and bleeding slumped back against the coy unconscious coy searched
Miller's body install a large ring of case clip to his belt after years of spying on the prison
coy had the knowledge to access and use the control panel that opened and closed
the prison cells he pulled a lever and racked open an empty cell on the corner of c-block cell
number 404 coy and Hubbard dragged Miller inside the soul stripped him of his uniform jacket and pants and then
tied him down to the cell bunk coy ran back to the control box and opened three more specific cells from the first cell
emerged Alcatraz inmate az5 for a 35 year old Joseph Kretzer a bank robber sentenced to serve 25 years in February
1940 during outdoor work and McNeil Island Corrections Center in Washington Kretzer and another inmate pump for
themselves with axes stole a prison truck and drove to a remote area whether on the run for three days before being
recaptured the two were put on trial for unlawful escape when the court took a recess at noon press sir Andy's
co-accused were led to a detention cell when court recommenced to court martials
entered the cell to retrieve the two accused Kretzer stood and charged at the marshals in an attempt to escape and a
violent altercation followed after the scuffle one of the marshals fell to the floor and suffered a fatal heart attack
in the trial that followed the court accepted the death was accidental so joseph Kretzer avoided the electric
chair but was handed a life sentence due to his history it was determined that greater measures were needed to contain
joseph Kretzer and he was sent to live out his life sentence at Alcatraz from the next soul emerged Alcatraz
inmate AZ seven to nine thirty year old Maren Thompson Thompson had a long and varied criminal history and in March
1945 he committed the act that would see him sealed away for good Thompson was being apprehended for his
involvement in a burglary he'd not yet been handcuffed so when the opportunity arose Thompson pulled out a concealed
revolver pointed it at his arresting officer and fired the officer died instantly
Thompson fled to New Mexico and was captured attempting to cross the border Alcatraz was the best incarceration
option for Thompson it's thick concrete walls and tool resistant bars would hold
this slick criminal who had eight successful prison escapes noted on his record Thompson had only been in Alcatraz for
just over six months when he saw door rattled open and he stepped out to play his part in Bernie quois escape plan
from the third and final soul emerged Alcatraz inmate az7 one for 18 year-old Clarence cons cons was sentenced to life
imprisonment at the age of 16 for the murder of a garage attendant during an attempted holdup he escaped in 1945 but
was recaptured and had 99 years added to his life sentence after making another escape attempt shortly after cons was
transferred to escape-proof Alcatraz in June 1945 where he owned the record of being the youngest inmate to ever be
incarcerated there at this stage prison staff were completely unaware that a group of prisoners were orchestrating a
breakout as his accomplices kept lookout at the cell house entrances Bernie coy squeezed into the narrow utility
corridor in the center of C Block in the narrow hallway of pipes coy collected the cotton pouch he had hidden there
long before inside the pouts were several items coy had smuggled and prepared earlier a bar spreading device
constructed out of toilet fixtures a wrench and axle grease Khoi stripped to his underwear and
smeared the grease all over his body holding the parts between clenched teeth cloistered himself up until cold of the
bar surrounding the cell house observation point the West End gun gallery hand-over-hand he scaled the box
until he was on top looking down into the gallery's catwalk we needed to move quickly
officer Burch was still distracted in d-block overseeing shock we staged meltdown but he could return at any
moment coy maneuvered the bar spreading tool into the 5-inch gap between the bars using a tight grip on the wrench he
rotated the bar spreader causing enough tension for the bars to slowly Bend with
several strained turns of the wrench cui forced the five inch gap between the bars into a sizable ten inch gap having
already lost twenty pounds of body weight in preparation for this moment coy inhaled a deep breath and squeezed
his lean frame into the opening the grease helped slide his body through and within seconds coy dropped it down into
the gallery excitedly rummaging through the weapons cabinet query armed himself with a riot
club and ducked by the door that led to the d-block gallery when Officer Birchtree entered the main cell house
gallery after helping deal with Shockley quite pounced he violently thumped the officer with the riot club throwing the
guard off-balance and causing him to drop his rifle coy left on top of him and began to strangle him officer
Berta's eyes rolled back and his body went limp coy released the unconscious guard and took more items from the
gallery's weapon cabinet he lowered a colt 45 pistol with 21 rounds of ammunition and several riot clubs to
Kretzer and the others on the ground floor coital counter ship of officer birch as
a rifle and 50 rounds of ammunition with rifle in hand Corey opened the door to the d-block
gallery and snuck in officer Corwin heard movement in the gallery above assuming officer birch had come back but
when he looked up he saw Bernie coy pointing a rifle down at him quí told officer Corwin to follow his
orders stay away from the telephone walk over to the door and open it koi kept the rifle trained on officer Corwin as
he unlocked the ground-floor door to the main cell house the door swung open and Kretzer was
waiting immediately pressing the cold barrel of his pistol against Corwin's forehead Kretzer ordered him to hand
over his uniform jacket hat and keys Colin was then forced into cell 404 where officer Miller was imprisoned
Burnie coy returned to officer Burch stripped the unconscious officer of his uniform stole his case and tied him
against some electrical parking Khoi then squeezed through the bend bars above and climbed back down to the
ground floor when officer Burch regained consciousness he struggled with his restraints and died the telephone nearby
I'll kill you if you try to reach that phone Kretzer warned pointing his pistol up at the guard at the control box
Koya racked open all the cells to the top two levels of d-block some inmates emerged curious to see what was going on
others remained in their cells not wanting to get involved sim Shockley bounded from his trash cell ready to
escape coy and Kretzer hurriedly inspected the collection of keys they had confiscated from the guards looking
for key number 107 from his observations coin ooh key 107 opened the door to the
recreation yard once in the yard the escapees planned to shoot out surrounding car tellers that would then
make their way to the island docks taking hostages along the way possibly the family members of prison staff who
lived on the island then they'd hijack a boat and set sail to the mainland to freedom
however progress immediately came to a halt when cui hit the first major hurdle in his meticulous escape plan he didn't
have k107 qui expected to be out of the cell house and into the yard by now but without key 107 that was impossible and
he didn't have a back-up plan impatient and frustrated he began shoving the keys
he didn't have into the lock in a fruitless attempt to open the door but as to be expected the door wouldn't open
without the correct key then suddenly the entry door to the main cell house swung open cheap steward Bob Bristow
entered the cell house and moved briskly towards the dining hall at the end of the room he noticed Officer Miller was
not at his post then he saw that the dining hall gate had been left open Bristow felt something wasn't right and
made phony motions to appear as though he had forgotten something he turned around and walked quickly back towards
the cell house entrance where he had just come from but Clarence Khan's armed with a sharp pair of artists dividers
intercepted Bristow before he could raise the alarm and led him to cell 404 that was holding the other captured
guards coy and Kretzer then approached cell 404 officer Miller had regained consciousness and the inmates demanded
key 107 from him Miller told them that after he was done with the key earlier in his shift he had followed protocol
and returned it to officer Burch in the gallery he could only assume that was still there having already taken officer
Burgess keys coy considered the possibility he did in fact have k107 but failed to notice it in his hasty search
laying out all the keys he had collected on the guards desk coy carefully inspected each one but stopped when the
cell house entry door opened once more officer earnest Larsen had finished his lunch break and it was returning to the
cell house he heard footsteps behind him and turned around a figure walk towards
him and as it got closer Larson made out it was a shirtless man where a pair of officers uniform pants he
recognized the figure as inmate Burnie Qui Qui raised his rifle has the other stripped Larson of his keys and
valuables and shoved him into the now overcrowded cell 404 with the other captured guards
none of the captured guards could work out how Cooley managed to infiltrate the gallery and obtain the firearms housed
there there were no weapons carried in the main section of the cell house only up in the gallery as it was considered
the most secure area Burnie coy was the first inmate in the history of Alcatraz to get his hands on guns from the
gallery minutes later officer Burdette who was still supervising the cleanup in the kitchen left to inspect the
cleanliness of the dining hall he thought it was odd that the dining hall gate was open and there no guards in
sight as bird that went to investigate he glimpsed Burnie coy rush passed Burdette
thought coy was about to fight another inmate so he yelled out within seconds but that was captured by the escapees
and shoved into Sol 404 time was running out with each new unexpected hostage the
possibility that someone would come looking for the missing guards increased but without key 107 the inmates were
stuck in the cell house there was no other way of getting out as a frustrated coy paced back and forth trying to
determine the whereabouts of key 107 the imprisoned guards asked if they could untie officer Miller from the sole cot
Clarence Karns agreed as officer Miller was untied he covertly handed key 107 to
officer Burdette Dean mates or nothing the cell was too crowded for them to notice the quick exchange in what was
nothing more than a random coincidence officer Miller didn't follow correct prison protocol earlier that day like he
said he had he had not yet returned key 107 to the gallery and instead slipped the key into Essure pocket with the
intention to return it later he took a risk and lied to the escaping inmates he knew that would hurt more people if they
got out of the cell house and Nilla didn't want that happen Kretzer and koi had missed the
cake during their hasty search of Miller when he was unconscious after having k107 pass to him
officer Burdette's knocked to the back of the cell as the other guards blocked him from you he dipped the key into the
sole toilet and split it down the pipe until it was out of sight furious and flustered Burnie koi now suspected he
was being lied to and believed officer Miller still had k107 he opened a cell 404 and roughly grabbed Milla pulling
the injured guard out of this hole Kretzer aggressively searched him again but found nothing they demanded all of
the guards in Sulphur o4e out and transferred them into Sol 403 after tearing apart Sol for our foreign a
frantic search and finding nothing koi he glanced at the toilet he got on his hands and knees and reached into the
toilet bowl he felt something metallic and heavy he grabbed the object and lifted his hand out tied in his grasp
was k107 [Music] in the prisons baseman officer ed stocker patrolled the sharing facility
barber shop and clothing room directly underneath the main cell house he didn't engage the 21 prisoners under his watch
in idle chitchat instead officer Stoker's authoritative nature kept the prisoners heads down and
mouth shut as they went about their work force Tucker and the prisoners alike may
2nd 1946 was just another uneventful routine day in Alcatraz prison shortly after 1:30 p.m. two inmates who finished
their duties early approached officer Stoker asking if they could spend the remainder of their scheduled time in the
prison recreation yard stocker agreed and allowed the inmates to go the two inmates marked up the basement stairs
towards the main cell house from where they could gain access to the recreation yard at the top of the stairs was a lock
- still grated door unable to open the locked door the inmates called out to get the
attention of guards in the cell house when they got no response they started rattling and hitting the cage door their
racket echoed down the long corridors between the cell blocks but no guards appeared the two inmates returned to the
basement to tell officer stocker stocker immediately sensed something was off it
was very unusual for there to be no guards in their cell house and he went upstairs to investigate using his own
key Stucker opened the cage door of the top of the stairs remaining at the doorway he noticed something strange
several inmates were out of their cells they're moving freely and quickly about the ground floor of the cell house with
no supervising guards inside something was seriously wrong the strain mates caught sight of officer
stocker and he all Darren he backed into the stairwell secured the door with a padlock and to move quickly back down
into the basement he went straight to the basement telephone and dialed the prison's armory the armory was the main
communication center of Alcatraz the secure room had a switchboard to all of the telephones in the prison and it had
all the keys to the prison it also featured a weapons vault filled with rifles pistols submachine guns gas
grenades and ammunition officer Clift fish took the call from officer stocker who said quietly trouble in the cell
house before hanging up confused officer fish called several telephones located throughout the main cell house but each
phone rang out fish felt uneasy this was highly unusual fishing formed captain henry one hold of his concerns captain
one hold interpreted the unanswered phones to mean a prison fight must be occurring so we went to sort it out when
he didn't return officer fish contacted lieutenant of the watch joseph simpson and explained something suspicious was
going on in the cell house within minutes simpson arrived at the armory with officers robert baker and carl
Sundstrom simpson decided they should enter the soleus to find out what was going on officer fish believed the cell
house wasn't safe and advised simpson and the other officers not to enter the Simpson ignored the warning arming
themselves with battens from the weapons vault Simpsons group who left the armory
and moved into the so house leading officer fish behind officer fish watch the minutes tick by
when the officers didn't return to the armory he believed there's something had gone terribly wrong and he was right
although he didn't know it yet the escaping inmates had captured Weinhold Simpson and the others the moment they
entered the soul house the hostage soul had become so overcrowded the captured guards were forced to split up between
cells 403 and 404 once again fish called H of the telephones throughout the cell
house and again the telephones went unanswered it was time to call the warden Alcatraz prison warden James Johnston
was taking a nap in his home located at the northeastern end of Alcatraz Island he didn't want to be disturbed so when
the telephone rang loudly around 2 p.m. mrs. Johnston was quick to answer fish asks to speak to the warden and mrs.
Johnson denied the request but fish was insistent and clearly nervous warden Johnson took the call and fish told him
there's some trouble in the cell house I don't know what it is but I think it's bad
the warden immediately made his way in the meantime officer fish was left with a difficult decision whether or not he
should set off the prison alarm if the siren was engaged that would ring out for three minutes
the wooden only alert everyone on Alcatraz Island that the prison had been compromised but the sound would travel
across the city and let the world know to fish Maggie's decision and at 2:07 p.m. a blaring siren echoed across the
bay to San Francisco confused and concerned residents line to the docks around at the northern wharf drawn to
the sound emanating from Alcatraz back in the main cell house the escapees had captured 10 officers officers Miller
Corwin Burdette Bristow Larson Reinhold Simpson Baker and sundström were being held in the cells and officer Burch was
still tied for the electrical pipe being up in the gallery the escapees froze when the pitched ring of the telephones
echoed throughout the cell house when one stopped ringing another would flare up from elsewhere
then minutes later the prison alarm went off the sound of the alarm st. coin the
panic mode there was no time to punish the guards for hiding key 107 in the toilet the main thing was that he had
found it he rushed to the recreation yard door and shoved key 107 into the slot and turned when he heard a click
coy slammed his body against the heavy door this was his defining moment he was about to burst out from the cell house
that had held him for seven years and fought his way to freedom but the door didn't budge we checked the key
it was definitely 107 he tried it again it still didn't budge over and over he inserted the key turned it and pushed
against the door each time more desperate than the last but the door didn't move all these years
of studying Alcatraz only gave Bernie Koya surface level understanding of how the prison operated he had no idea about
the inner workings of the prison when an incorrect key was tried in a lock that would display some of the tumblers in
the lock mechanism rendering it completely inoperable there was a hidden failsafe for exact moments like this
the inmates weren't to know that the recreation yard door jammed the moment they slid in the wrong key even when the
correct key was used afterwards the door had already shut down the correct key no
longer functioned as the prison siren echoed through the cell house being made stood in silent defeat
soon the island would be swarming with armed officers ready to take back the cell house
Bernie coy realized his grand escape had now turned into a possible suicide mission coy Kretzer and Hubbard
discussed their predicament the three inmates made it clear to each other that they didn't intend to be taken alive
they made a pact they wouldn't surrender they would try to stay alive for as long as possible
and if an opportunity allowed one of them to escape that would take it eighteen year-old Clarence cons were
surprised at how casually the other escapees talked about the possibility of dying he didn't feel as enthused Hubbard
instructed the uninvolved prisoners wandering around the soul house to return to their selves and take cover
war had been declared on Alcatraz and the battle was about to begin coy sprinted into the prison kitchen and
smashed out its windows several guards patrolling the towers had walked out into the open upon hearing the siren and
were surveying the landscape claimed his rifle at the nearest guard tower and fired he hit a guard who fell and
cradled a bullet wound to his leg aiming at another tower Khoi shattered its windows as the guard attempted to
determine the source of the shooting coy fired at him the bullet was past the guards shoulder but he fell to the
ground anyway playing dead as koi shot at the guard towers the crack of his gunfire could be
heard as far away as the Golden Gate Bridge Joseph Kretzer paced the front of cells
403 and 404 the revolver stolen from the gallery helped tightly in his hand he openly contemplated the idea of killing
his captives to leave no witnesses fellow escapee marin thompson agreed with killing the witnesses Sam Shockley
also encouraged Creta and yelled hysterically shoot him all dead go ahead and kill Kretzer stood before
cell 404 the barrel of his pistol pointed through the bars captain Weinhold pleaded with Kretzer to
be sensible and not to hurt anyone at near point blank range Kretzer pulled the trigger the bullet penetrated wine
holds chest the cells other occupants pressed themselves against the back wall as one hold fell to the floor
Shockley cheered shoot the puck is dead Kretzer leveled the barrel again and pulled the trigger
the second bullet struck officer Miller in the chest the third struck officer Corwin in the face
the remaining officers dived to the floor as Kretzer took aim at each one pressing the trigger over and over as
the bullets burrowed into the pile of bodies the officers next door in sulphur o3 listened in horror as their
colleagues were being slaughtered when the firing stopped they heard the familiar sound of bullets sliding into a
revolvers chamber followed by the click of the loaded mechanism being snapped back into place Kretzer then appear in
front of self 403 with callous indifference he performed the same methodical slaughter of the occupants in
the second soul lieutenant Simpson was shot in the stomach officer Baker fell to the floor a bullet
shattering his femur bleeding bodies fell on top of each other as Kretzer cleared the cell of standing men
chocolate Yoda that he saw a screw moves back in cell for air for Kretzer returns
to the soul where officer la Gerson emerged from the pile of bodies and attempted to calm the killer Kretzer
remarked that he had gotten along well with Larson and wanted to spare the officer he considered a friend but
Shockley was erratic and screamed Kretzer to finish the job Kretzer looked at Shockley yelling at
him then looked back at Larson as he pointed the revolver of the guards head he said
I'm sorry mr. Larsen then pulled the trigger [Music] see block was hazy from the gunfire
smoke it's concrete floors stained with blood Kretzer kept his eyes on the cells
and when he saw movement or heard moans he fired more shots until the bodies were still and a deathly silence fell
over the cell house Kretzer approached 18 year-old Clarence Karns handed the shocked young inmate the butcher's knife
from the kitchen and ordered him to watch the cells and go in and slit the throat of anyone still breathing
cons peered intently into the soul and something caught his eye on the slight movements of chests rising and falling
shallow breathing when Kretzer returned and asked if the officers were all dead cons confirmed that they were in an act
that put the young man at great risk he lied he kept the breathing he had witnessed the secret with no possible
way to get out the escape had now turned into a siege but myrin thompson and clarence cons didn't want any part of it
they used their lack of firearms as an excuse and said they had no weapons to fight back and therefore didn't stand a
chance they couldn't take on the armed guards with battens the other escapees agreed and told Thompson and cons to
return to their cells and take cover when Thompson and cons got to their cells they cleaned to the officers blood
off their clothes hoping they wouldn't be blamed for the slaughter of the guards
Kretzer looked at crazy Sam Shockley who seemed to be lost in his own mind unaware of what was going on around him
perhaps feeling guilty for involving the unstable childlike men in their violence
Kretzer told Shockley to return to his cell Shockley turned and walked away without
a word several prison officers staged multiple rescue attempts hoping to get their
colleagues out of the cell house they were unaware that Kretzer had already taken them out each rescue attempt was
met with a peppering of bullets from the armed escapees inside escapees and officers exchanged bullets both sides
firing with complete disregard and intent to kill officer Burch who had been restrained in the gallery since the
start of the breakout tied to the electrical piping was eventually able to be rescued the answer to the question
how did Bernie coy infiltrate the gun gallery was finally answered when the rescuing officers looked up to see the
impressive side of vampires and they found his makeshift bar spreading device many officers were badly wounded officer
Harold starts was struck by a stray bullet and laotian us at the southwest corner of D block bleeding profusely
when other officers finally got to starts he was unconscious and unresponsive he was dragged to safety
where the severity of his wounds was realized officers thoughts was pronounced dead
soon after [Music] at 3:30 p.m. the Coast Guard the army the Navy the Marines the San Francisco
Police Department the Bureau of Prisons and off-duty Alcatraz prison officers arrived to Alcatraz Island to help take
back the cell house the military brought a full arsenal of weaponry that could completely wipe out the prison building
if necessary they were prepared to storm the building in a blaze of bullets and flash grenades but warden Johnston
deemed a too risky to send in an armed assault team he couldn't confirm how many inmates were involved in the siege
unknown humanitarian warden Johnston also didn't want to risk the lives of the hostages instead he wondered the try
communicating with the escapees officers climbed up the outside of the prison two
broken windows facing into the cell house when they called out to the escapees inside and told them to
surrender Kretz avoid shot it back that they would not be taken alive come and get us he screamed officers fired in the
cell house from the windows the bullets ricocheting off concrete and steel was deafening as teargas canisters also
filled the building with burning mist the searing hot shrapnel of exploding grenades injured and knocked out
innocent inmates caught in the crossfire prisoners scrambled for cover as the inner steel workings of the building
expanded and contracted with the explosions the cell house lit up in bright smoky colors of white yellow and
red as freezing sea water rained down from destroyed plumbing fixtures barricades were built out of wet
mattresses books and blankets but they proved useless against the fiery bullets and explosions coy Incred SAR fired back
from the smoke and rubble forcing officers to retreat the battle lasted over five hours by 9:00 p.m. the
intensity waned and by 10:00 p.m. the entire cell house felt completely silent warden Johnson finally agreed to send an
armed assault team to storm the building to rescue the hostages and take out the
armed inmates at 11:05 p.m. ten armed officers slowly opened to the heavy steel door leading into the cell house
they crept into the darkness with weapons poised progressing quickly and quietly down the corridors they examined
each cell they passed at this stage they were unsure which prisoners were involved in the siege so they had to
suspect everyone they came across they saw caring inmates squeezed under cots and huddled into corners some had fallen
asleep exhausted the anxious Assault team pointed their guns towards every click crack and Claro
they knew the armed inmates were hidden in the shadows around them somewhere waiting Burnie coy was perched on the
top tier of C Block watching the assault team sneak below he aimed his rifle and
fired the assault team retreated under the walkway directly beneath his location only emerging to fire back
drastically outnumbered Bernie coy was forced to retreat the assault team hastily moved down C block
and noticed the thick dark puddle of liquid seeping out from cells 403 and 404 inside they were confronted with
blood splattered walls and the unmoving bodies of their colleagues spread it out
on the floor as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing they were shocked to see some of the bodies begin
to move having played dead for almost 10 hours officers Burdette Bristow and Sundstrom crawled out miraculously
unhurt officer Larson also emerged he had been shot in the face but luckily the bullet only grazed him those that
could walk helped to lift and carry those who couldn't officer Baker had two bullet wounds in his left leg and
another in his Thor Captain Weinhold lieutenants Simpson and officers Miller and Corwin were in critical condition it
was nearing midnight when the hostages emerged safely from the cell house the critically wounded officers were loaded
onto ferries and taken to hospitals on the mainland to receive emergency surgery captain Weinhold and lieutenant
Simpson were operated on first officers Corwin and Miller were next the remainder of the hostages were able to
detail the attempted breakout and identify who was involved at 7:00 a.m. the following morning May 3rd the siege
entered its second day as the orchestrators refused to surrender that morning news reached prison staff
that office of William Miller had gone into shock as a result of severe blood loss shortly after he went into cardiac
arrest and couldn't be resuscitated as the Sun rose over San Francisco and - the building was now free of hostages
Hellfire rained down on Alcatraz prison gas grenades dropped into the cell house
through ventilators grenades were lowered through holes drilled in the prison roof and detonated relentless
gunfire noted the building as Marines fired any tank shells striking the prison's outer walls the onslaught was a
spectacular sight to the thousands of civilians watching from the mainland it was absolutely terrifying to the inmates
trapped in the cell house the frightened an injured inmates were convinced they were going to die and could be heard
crying out for help from the smoking building one officer commented that's one hell of a breakfast they're serving
the bombardment lasted the entire day and carried on into the night during brief moments of reprieve
gunfire would spark from the battered prison building confirming coy Kretzer and Hubbard were still alive somewhere
inside and unwilling to surrender so the bombing recommenced [Applause] the battle ended at 8:40 a.m. the next
day May 4th 43 hours after Queen instigated his Grand Escape from Alcatraz no gunfire
had been heard from the cell house for hours so armed officers cautiously entered the prison
to determine the fate of the escapees cell blocks a B and D were cleared and secured leading the officers to believe
the armed inmates were cornered in C Block they paced by the recreation yard door the inmates intended means of
escape which was still locked down as the officers descended on C Block rushing up each level and raiding all
the cells along the way qui Creta and Hubbard went nowhere to be found an officer cautiously opened the door to
the utility corridor nestled in the center of C Block a rate of raw sewage as the bombing and gunfire had severed
the plumbing inside the officer called out a warning and was met with silence as he stepped inside his searchlight
illuminated the body of Bernie coy by the doorway his eyes were open and glazed pupils fixed dried blood and
crusted beneath his nostrils he had a cut across the left side of his face and a Weeping gunshot wound through his neck
his rifle was by side loaded and ready to fire with additional ammunition close by lying next the coy was the body of
Joseph Kretzer covered in bleeding abrasions he had a gunshot wound to his head around his
body was the revolver he used to shoot his hostages as well as various keys he had stolen from the guards found in the
pocket of the jacket he was wearing was a crumpled piece of paper featuring a poem he'd written titled death there has
been death this day and there will be more many men will come across the prison floor they will kill me of that
there is no doubt there are many ways in but no way out my life has reached its final span there is nothing left but to
do what I can they won't kill a convict they'll kill a man both coy and Kretzer were wearing
correctional officers uniforms and their bodies were stiff from rigor mortis and
the very opposite end of the corridor was the body of Marvin Hubbard Hubbard's body was still warm confirming he was
the last to die and that he had been killed hours after coy Incred saw he had two bullet wounds to the back of his
head Hubbard had no firearms around his body only the butcher's knife he had stolen from the kitchen at the start of
the escape attempt investigating officers believed Hubbard didn't fight alone until the bitter end
instead he waited patiently for his inevitable death from the reigning gunfire and grenades none of the failed
escapees died by their own hand it was later determined that officer Harold starts who was the first casualty
of what was to be called the Battle of Alcatraz was killed accidentally by friendly fire his funeral service was
held on May 7th 1946 surrounded by his family and Alcatraz prison colleagues the body of officer William Miller who
was shot by Joseph Kretzer and later died of his injuries was returned to his hometown state of Pennsylvania where he
was laid to rest after a small service officer Miller was regarded a hero for bravely keeping k107 from the inmates
ensuring they couldn't get out of the cell house where they would have had the opportunity to harm many others the
following is a written tribute to the two fallen officers quote when men of courage and steadfastness lose their
lives in the faithful performance of their duty there is little that need be said by those of us who did not face the
danger their deeds speak far more eloquently but I am sure there is no one in the entire federal prison system
whose heart is not quickened with pride and at the same time saddened with a very real sense of loss when to such
heroic men as William Miller and Harold starts make the supreme sacrifice the other critically wounded hostages from
Joseph crutches shooting spree one hold Simpson and Corwin all made full recoveries as did all the other officers
and inmates who suffered injuries during the Battle of Alcatraz after a 12-minute
boat ride to the San Francisco docks across the bay Burnie coy Joseph Kretzer and a Marvin Hubbard finally found
freedom from Alcatraz prison no unclaimed choice remains his body was put in a plain pine wood coffin and
buried in an unmarked grave at Woodlawn Cemetery in South San Francisco Joseph Kurtz's body was cremated and his ashes
placed in an unmarked burial vault at Cypress Lawn Cemetery in Colma California Marvin Hubbard's wife arranged to have
his remains transferred to his hometown of Alabama where he was buried in Shady Grove Cemetery
sketched with pencil on the rough concrete wall of cell 403 was a list of names fearing all the hostages would end
up dead including himself officer Ernie Larson wanted to make sure those investigating later could identify his
killers on the wall he wrote the names Kretzer koi Carnes Hubbard Thompson and Shockley he circled
the ringleaders Kretzer coy and Hubbard next the creditors name was a tick labeling him as the cure but this
evidence wasn't needed in the end as almost all the hostages managed to survive they were able to detail exactly
what happened in the cell house including who was involved and in what capacity Sam Shockley Marin Thompson and Clarence
cones were singled out for their involvement on November 20th 1946 the three surviving conspirators were put on
trial for the murder of officer William Miller other Alcatraz inmates testified on behalf of the three stating the cruel
and harsh nature of operations inside Alcatraz prison compelled the prisoners to want to escape or die trying
anything was better than Alcatraz most defended Sam Shockley in particular claiming Shockley was not mentally fit
to stand trial with his low IQ and mental age they argued he was more so a manipulated victim than a key
conspirator seven inmates testified that Shockley was quote stir-crazy and thus couldn't fully comprehend the
repercussions of his actions they added that Shockley's unmedicated psychosis was amplified by the conditions in which
prisoners were kept in Alcatraz stating that imprisonment on the rock drove even
the most sane man crazy eighteen year-old Clarence Kahn's was also defended by his fellow prisoners
one inmate described Carnes as quote a puppy tailing the hills of the tough guys he was seen as a voluntary though
very naive participant the trial lasted over a month and on December 21st 1946 the verdict was in all three men were
found guilty and were convicted of the first-degree murder of officer William Miller Sam Shockley and Maren Thompson
were sentenced the death Thompson stated afterwards quote it's just as well I'd rather have it that way
then go back to the rock it was known that Clarence Kahn's actually saved the lives of the hostages by lying to
Kretzer stating they were all dead when he knew they weren't for his act of mercy cons were spared the death penalty
and instead given a life sentence to be served in Alcatraz prison he was kept in
solitary confinement for six years before returning to general prison population where he became a model
inmate and thrived in the prison environment Shockley and Thompson were immediately transferred to death row in
San Quentin State Prison located north of San Francisco while on death row Thompson was found to be making a key in
another escape plot both men and peeled their sentences on the grounds that Joseph Kretzer alone had murdered
officer Miller and that they were somehow found guilty for his crime their appeals were denied
at 7:00 a.m. on December 3rd 1948 two years after the Battle of Alcatraz Sam Shockley and Maren Thompson ate
their final meal in adjacent cells shortly before 10:00 a.m. the two men were walked side by side to
the gas chamber where in front of an audience of Alcatraz prison staff they inhaled cyanide gas they were pronounced
dead soon after after the dust that settled Alcatraz prison continued on as normal
slowly repairing itself its concrete walls were pockmarked from bullets and it's still framing was bent from the
explosive pressure of grenades the floor and walls were fractured from shrapnel damage however one thing remained
perfectly intact Alcatraz prisons reputation as being completely escape proof due to the
extensive damage done to the main cell house prisoners were locked up to three or four to a single cell anxious guards
no longer trusted prisoners especially those who were well behaved and trusted what Bernie coy had been guards became
paranoid and constantly searched teammates in their cells convinced more violent escapes were being planned
behind their backs but they found nothing the handling of the Alcatraz siege was
commended by James Bennett the head of all federal penitentiaries who stated quote there was not the least indication
of negligence or carelessness or inefficiency in this affair the felons found and took advantage of a weakness
which not the most experienced enable prison men could anticipate when the emergency broke it was handled
intelligently courageously and with great devotion to duty casualties were kept to a minimum what was thorough
being a mass escape failed utterly warden Johnston deserves higher commendation but to Alcatraz prison inmates the
responsibility of the Battle of Alcatraz was placed on the prison itself one Alcatraz ex-convict stated shortly after
the battle quote on me out now I've got no beef I just want to see something done so things like this riot won't ever
happen again I know that if they treated the prisoners half civilly they wouldn't
react like vicious beasts he can't coop up men and take all hope away from them warden Johnston always says the trouble
with Alcatraz prisoners is that they want their freedom that's right they want to get out
[Music] [Music] thank you to Rockstar Games and their new game LA noire for sponsoring today's
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Case 67: The Battle of Alcatraz

Alcatraz Prison was the solution to America’s overwhelming crime problem. It didn’t aim to rehabilitate like other prisons. It aimed to punish.

The worst-of-the-worst inmates of all the other prisons across America were shipped to Alcatraz, inmates who were deemed unmanageable for traditional penitentiaries.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-67-battle-alcatraz

Brief Summary

The Battle of Alcatraz was a violent 1946 escape attempt that ended in tragedy for inmates and guards alike.

Key points

The Smartest Way to Hire. ZipRecruiter allows you to post jobs to over 100 job boards with one click.
The Rise of Alcatraz. Alcatraz was built as a revolutionary prison to deter crime in America.
Bernie Coy's Transformation. After years in Alcatraz, Bernie Coy became a model inmate, but his escape plans remained.
The Escape Pact. The inmates agreed to fight rather than surrender, marking a turning point in their escape.
Battle Begins. As the escape escalates, the inmates prepare for a violent confrontation with guards.
The Slaughter Begins. Kretzer contemplates killing his captives, leading to a horrific massacre.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

If you broke the prison rules, you went to Alcatraz.

Description of Alcatraz's strictness.

5:46WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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