Latest news with #Karpis
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
From 'Public Enemy No. 1' to 'Birdman,' these 5 Alcatraz inmates had Kansas ties
"Public Enemy No. 1" Alvin Karpis grew up in Topeka. George "Machine Gun" Kelly committed his best-known crime in Oklahoma and died in Kansas. Robert Stroud, the 'Birdman of Alcatraz," started on his way to becoming a respected ornithologist when he picked up three baby birds that had fallen from their nest at a Kansas prison where he was an inmate. Karpis, Kelly and Stroud are among men with Kansas connections who served time at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, which was considered escape-proof as it housed inmates from 1934 to 1963 on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz was back in the news this month when President Donald Trump said on X that he was directing the Federal Bureau of Prisons to rebuild and reopen a prison to house hardened criminals on that island. "We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally," he said. Following are five men with Kansas connections who were each imprisoned on "The Rock." Alvin Karpis was designated by the FBI in 1934 as "Public Enemy No. 1." After being captured in 1936, he spent about 25 years at Alcatraz. Karpis was born in 1907 in Canada, and moved with his family to Topeka as a small child. He attended the former Branner School in a building that still stands at SE 3rd and Branner Street. Karpis at one time was the marbles champion of Topeka, according to The Topeka Daily Capital. He was known by the nickname of "Creepy," according to which said he was "the brains" of the 1930s Barker-Karpis gang of criminals. The gang robbed banks and trains, and brought in large ransoms from the separate kidnappings in 1933 of Milwaukee brewer William Hamm and in 1934 of St. Paul, Minnesota, banker Edward Bremer, whose father was a friend of President Franklin Roosevelt. The FBI linked the gang to the killings of 10 people, the New York Times reported. Law enforcement officers shot and killed three members of the gang in January 1935, a month in which Karpis narrowly escaped after a shootout in Atlantic City, N.J. Federal agents then captured Karpis in May 1936 in New Orleans. He was sentenced to life in prison for Bremer's kidnapping. Karpis served time from August 1936 to April 1962 at Alcatraz, except for six months spent in 1958 at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, according to Karpis then served in the penitentiary at McNeil Island, Washington, where he taught guitar lessons to a young Charles Manson, said the FBI's Facebook page. Karpis was paroled in 1969, with one condition of his parole being his deportation to Canada, the New York Times reported. He moved in 1973 to Spain, where he died in 1979. Probably Alcatraz's most famous inmate was Robert Stroud, the so-called "Birdman of Alcatraz," according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website. Stroud actually became a respected ornithologist while serving as an inmate at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas, and wasn't allowed to keep any birds at Alcatraz after he was transferred there in 1942, that site said. It said Stroud "was not the grandfatherly person" portrayed by actor Burt Lancaster in "The Birdman of Alcatraz," a largely fictionalized biographical film about Stroud put out in 1962. Stroud was born in 1890 in Seattle and went to prison for manslaughter linked to a gunshot homicide committed in 1909 in Juneau, Alaska. He was initially sent to the federal penitentiary at McNeil Island, Washington, then transferred in 1915 to Leavenworth, said the website of the Alaska Historical Society. "In 1916, he murdered a Leavenworth guard, was convicted of first-degree murder, and received a death sentence," said the federal Bureau of Prisons website. "His mother pleaded for his life, and in 1920, President Woodrow Wilson commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment." Stroud found three baby sparrows that had fallen out of a nest as he was walking in the prison exercise yard at Leavenworth and took them back to his cell to care for them, said the Missouri State University website. "He was then allowed to raise and study other birds, mainly canaries, to learn about their diseases, remedies, breeding, and care," that site said. "Though he only had a grade school education, he began taking university extension courses, learned to use a microscope and a microteme, and read Spanish and German scientific journals." In the early 1930s, Stroud wrote a treatise on canary diseases, which was smuggled out of the prison and published in 1933, the Missouri State University website said. "He also wrote a book titled 'Stroud's Digest on the Diseases of Birds,' which was published in 1943," it said. But contraband items were often found hidden in Stroud's bird cages, and prison officials discovered that equipment he had requested for scientific studies had actually been used to construct a still to make "home brew," the Bureau of Prisons website said. Stroud was consequently transferred in 1942 to Alcatraz, where he was not allowed to keep birds. Stroud successfully sought to protect other inmates during a deadly 1946 escape attempt known as the "Battle of Alcatraz," in which a group of inmates — which didn't include Stroud — took guards hostage and tried to gain control of a cellhouse. Stroud was transferred in 1959 from Alcatraz to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he died on Nov. 21, 1963. Theodore Cole and fellow inmate Ralph Roe on a foggy day in December 1937 filed through the flat iron bars of a window of the building where they worked at Alcatraz, then broke the window glass and slipped out. They made their way to San Francisco Bay with plans to swim for freedom. Their bodies were never found. "This attempt occurred during a bad storm and the Bay's currents were especially fast and strong," said the federal Bureau of Prisons website. "Most people believe Roe and Cole were swept out to sea. Officially, they are listed missing and presumed dead." Cole was born in 1913 in Pittsburg, Kansas, according to the Alcatraz Island History Facebook page. "Originally incarcerated in Oklahoma for bank robbery and kidnapping, Cole was known as a high escape risk, leading to his transfer first to Leavenworth Penitentiary and eventually to Alcatraz Island in 1935," it said. Roe and Cole are among five Alcatraz inmates listed as missing and presumed drowned. The others are Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, who made a well-known escape attempt in June 1962. Wichita native John R. Bayless tried to escape alone from Alcatraz in September 1941 while serving on garbage detail. "He gave up shortly after entering the cold water of San Francisco Bay," said the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Bayless, born in 1915 in Wichita, became an inmate at Alcatraz in 1938 after being convicted of bank robbery, according to the website for Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. About a year after his 1941 escape attempt, Bayless leaped a railing and dashed for a door while appearing at a federal hearing in a San Francisco courtroom, said "A deputy marshal grabbed him and foiled his second attempt," it said. The website for Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy said Bayless subsequently: Was transferred in 1950 to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, then paroled in 1951. Robbed another bank, was convicted and was returned in 1952 to Alcatraz, where he remained until it closed in 1963. Was transferred in 1963 to the penitentiary at McNeill Island, Washington, where he tried unsuccessfully to escape. Was paroled in 1973 and spent the rest of his life in and out of prison until he died while on parole in 1981. George R. Kelly was an inmate for 17 years at Alcatraz before he was transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas, where he died of a heart attack. Kelly was born in 1897 in Tennessee, according to which said he attended public schools before working as a salesman and then a bootlegger. His year of birth is given as 1895 at and Kelly in 1927 married Kathryn Thorne, who bought him a machine gun and gave him the nickname "Machine Gun," according to He subsequently robbed some banks, that site said. George Kelly — carrying his trademark Tommy gun — and a man with a pistol in July 1933 abducted oil tycoon Charles Urschel, one of the wealthiest men in Oklahoma, for ransom from his Oklahoma City mansion. They blindfolded him and took him to a rural Texas ranch. Urschel was held for nine days before the ransom was paid and he was released. Urschel gave investigators a detailed statement sharing information about "every movement and action taken by himself, the kidnappers, and those with whom they came in contact during his period of captivity," said Investigators identified the ranch and those involved in the kidnapping plot. George and Kathryn Kelly were among several people captured and convicted of crimes linked to the abduction. The Kellys were sentenced in October 1933 to life imprisonment. George Kelly initially was imprisoned at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, according to "Kelly was arrogant towards prison officials, and bragged to the press that he would escape, break out his wife and they would spend Christmas together," it said. "It was decided that these threats should be taken seriously and in August of 1934, Kelly along with his accomplices Albert Bates and Harvey Bailey, were transferred from Leavenworth by train to Alcatraz. Arriving on Sept. 4, 1934, they would be among the first groups of prisoners." Kelly remained until 1951 at Alcatraz, then was transferred back to Leavenworth, where he died in 1954. Kathryn Kelly was imprisoned at Cincinnati, Ohio, where she served until she was released in 1958. She died in 1985, according to Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@ or 785-213-5934. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: These 5 men with Kansas connections were inmates at Alcatraz
CBC
05-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Alcatraz prison closed because it was too expensive to run. Now Trump wants to use it again
Social Sharing U.S. President Donald Trump claims he wants to convert Alcatraz back into a federal prison, decades after the California island fortress was converted into a U.S. tourist destination because it had become too costly to house criminals. The prison off the coast of San Francisco is where the U.S. government sent notorious gangsters Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly, as well as lesser-known men who were considered too dangerous to lock up elsewhere. Infamous Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger served time in Alcatraz, as did Canadian bank robber Alvin Karpis, and Soviet spy Morton Sobell. Circled by herons and gulls and often shrouded in fog, Alcatraz has been the setting for movies featuring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage (The Rock), and Clint Eastwood (Escape from Alcatraz). Trump says Alcatraz, currently part of the U.S. National Park Service, suddenly is needed to house America's "most ruthless and violent" criminals. "When we were a more serious nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That's the way it's supposed to be," Trump said Sunday on his Truth Social site. California Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener criticized Trump, saying he wants to create a "domestic gulag right in the middle of San Francisco Bay." What is Alcatraz? Alcatraz Island is in the bay north of the city, and visible from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. It is best known for its years as a federal prison, from 1934-63, but its history is much longer. U.S. president Millard Fillmore in 1850 declared the island for public purposes, according to the park service, and it soon became a military site. Confederates were housed there during the Civil War. By the 1930s, the U.S. government decided that it needed a place to hold the worst criminals, and Alcatraz became the choice for a prison. "A remote site was sought, one that would prohibit constant communication with the outside world by those confined within its walls," the park service said. "Although land in Alaska was being considered, the availability of Alcatraz Island conveniently coincided with the government's perceived need for a high-security prison." Did it match the Hollywood picture? Karpis, the Canadian bank robber, served more than 30 years in prison, including a long stretch in Alcatraz. In the 1970s, he spoke to CBC about his time there. "Was it as awesome, as terrible, as formidable, as Hollywood has led us to believe?" broadcaster Larry Solway asked him during a conversation on CBC's This Monday about him time on "the Rock." "Well, I personally, myself, thought it was one of the greatest frauds ever put off on the American public, myself, as far as it being a place filled with murderous 'public enemies,' as they referred to these fellas," Karpis replied. While he conceded the facility had "their share" of notorious residents, he asserted it was "not no more so than any other big state prison." Karpis had been paroled and then deported to Canada in 1969. He later recalled that the RCMP asked him if he planned on hanging out with members of organized crime on this side of the border. "As I explained to the fellow: Do you think I would be stupid enough to tell you, yes, if I was going to be?" he said during a 1976 interview on CBC's 90 Minutes Live. Why did it close? The remoteness of Alcatraz eventually made it impractical. Everything from food to fuel had to arrive by boat. "The island had no source of fresh water," according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, "so nearly one million gallons of water had to be barged to the island each week." The cost to house someone there in 1959 was $10.10 US a day compared with $3 US at a federal prison in Atlanta, the government said. It was cheaper to build a new prison from scratch. Why is Alcatraz notorious? Despite the location, many prisoners tried to get out: 36 men attempted 14 separate escapes into the bay, according to the FBI. Nearly all were caught or didn't survive the cold water and swift current. In 1969, a group of Native Americans, mostly college students, claimed to have a historical right to Alcatraz and began an occupation that lasted for 19 months until federal authorities intervened in 1971. Escape from Alcatraz, a 1979 movie starring Eastwood, told the story of John Anglin, his brother Clarence and Frank Morris, who all escaped in 1962, leaving behind handmade plaster heads with real hair in their beds to fool guards. "For the 17 years we worked on the case, no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive, either in the U.S. or overseas," the FBI said. The Rock, a 1996 fictional thriller with Connery and Cage, centres on an effort to rescue hostages from rogue Marines on Alcatraz.
Metro
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Metro
The most famous inmates of Alcatraz as Trump orders notorious prison to re-open
Once home to some of the US's most dangerous criminals, these days Alcatraz only opens its doors to tourists looking for a taste of the darker side of history. However, Donald Trump has now ordered the former maximum security prison be reopened for 'the dregs of society'. Posting on his platform, Truth Social, the US president called for Alcatraz to house 'America's most ruthless and violent offenders' He wrote: 'For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than misery and suffering.' Alcatraz is marooned on an island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, and housed more than 1,500 prisoners in the 30 years it ran. Inmates only had the right to food, shelter, clothing and medical care, everything else was deemed a luxury, and had to be earnt under the strict regime. Here we take a look at some of its most notorious prisoners. Karpis, once officially public enemy number one, was the leader of a gang of robbers, hijackers and kidnappers. The group killed anyone who got in their way, including innocent bystanders, and even pulled off a train robbery in Garrettsville, fleeing with a £27,000 fortune. He was eventually captured and sentenced to life in prison in 1932 for ten murders, six kidnappings and a robbery. Karpis served out the longest sentence of any other prisoners at 26 years long. One former guard Al Bloomquist described him as a 'mild nuisance' and said he often complained about the prison's poor conditions and fought with other inmates. He was transferred to McNeil Island Penitentiary in Washington as Alcatraz began closing down in 1962, where he died. Alphone Gabriel Capone – also known by his nickname 'Scarface' – was an infamous gangster and criminal mastermind. He had strong political connections meaning he was able to evade justice for a long time, until he orchestrated the St. Valentine's Day Massacre which saw the killings of seven members of a rival gang. His capture became a priority for newly inaugurated President Hoover, and in 1934 Al Capone was sent to Alcatraz. He experienced harsher prison life in Alcatraz after coming from Atlanta Jail, where he bribed guards to bring him home comforts. Two years into his time at Alcatraz, he was stabbed in the back by a fellow inmate, but he recovered quickly, and lived well during his incarceration. He even formed a prison band called 'Rock Islanders' in which he played the banjo. Capone spent the last year of his sentence in a prison hospital as his health detiorated, and he died at one of his mansions in 1947. Barnes became a bootlegger during prohibition to avoid financial ruin. But after meeting and falling in love with fellow outlaw Kathryn Thorne, he became increasingly notorious. After he attempted to kidnap and ransom oil tycoon Charles Urschel, Kelly received a life sentence – but boasted to the press he will break out in time for Christmas. The authorities took him seriously, and he was sent to Alcatraz, where he remained for three years. But he boasted to inmates about a range of crimes he never committed. He took a job as an alter boy in the prison chapel, with guards saying he seemed to be remorseful for what he had done. He told guard James A. Johnston: 'My family are good people. Only I turned out to be a heel.' He died on his 59th birthday in 1954. Stroud was initially jailed for the murder of a bartender, who he claimed owed money to a prostitute he was pimping. He was described as an 'extremely dangerous and menacing psychopath'. He was a violent prisoner, eventually stabbing a guard in Leavenworth Prison, Kansas, before being placed into solitary confinement. He dedicated his alone time to studying and breeding canaries, even publishing books on the subject. However Stroud was eventually sent to Alcatraz after he was caught using his ornithological equipment to brew alcohol. He spent 17 years there – with no birds – writing and illustrating books and died in 1963, the same year the prison closed. Gardner committed a number of crimes throughout his life, but he became notorious after robbing a US Mail truck in 1920, fleeing with a substantial fortune. He escaped prison multiple times, and even managed to over power his guards on a moving train. Gardner was sentenced to 25 years on McNeil Island, but orchestrated a succesful escape, manipulating two other prisoners – Lawardus Bogart and Everett Impyn – into joining but ultimately sacrificing themselves for him. As the three men made their escape during a prison baseball game, they were hit by bullets, seriously injuring Bogart and killing Impyn. As Impyn lay dying, he revealed: 'Gardner told us those fellows in the towers couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.' The law eventually caught up to Gardner, who only suffered a leg injury in the escape, and he was sent to various prisons, with his final being Alcatraz. He described it as 'the toughest, hardest place in the world' despite being one of the most hardened criminals there. During his time there, his wife divorced him and he worked at the mat shop and was released in 1938. In 1939 he published his autobiography 'Hellcatraz', detailing his time there. Morris and the Anglin brothers 'escaped' from Alcatraz after they were sent there for committing a number of crime sprees. The group stole tools which they used to dig tunnels off the island, and built a raft and dummies from their beds and raincoats. They went so far as to create life-size paper dummies to trick prison guards into thinking they were asleep. They escaped on June 11 1962, and were never seen or heard from again. It was presumed they had all drowned in the strong current, but no bodies have ever been found. Alcatraz closed in 1963 due to several factors, including high operational costs and a deteriorating infrastructure. More Trending Maintaining a prison on an island cost significantly more than running one one on the mainland, while the harsh environment led to severe wear and tear on the building which was expensive to fix. There was also a shift in correctional practices, with more of a focus on rehabilitation, which didn't fit with Alcatraz's harsh approach. High profile escapes, meanwhile, raised doubts about the prison's security. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. 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