Robert Stroud, also known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, was one of the most notorious and fascinating criminals in American history. He spent 54 years in prison, 42 of them in solitary confinement, for killing two men and stabbing several others. He also became a self-taught ornithologist and author, who made significant contributions to the study of birds and their diseases. But how did he die, and what was his legacy?
Early Life and Crimes
Robert Stroud was born on January 28, 1890, in Seattle, Washington. He had a troubled childhood, marked by an abusive father and a lack of education. He ran away from home at the age of 13 and became a pimp in the Alaska Territory by the age of 18. In January 1909, he shot and killed a bartender who attacked his mistress, Kitty O’Brien. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in the federal penitentiary on McNeil Island in Puget Sound.
Stroud soon gained a reputation as a violent and dangerous inmate, who frequently clashed with fellow prisoners and guards. In 1912, he stabbed a fellow inmate who had informed on him, earning him six more months in prison. In 1916, he stabbed and killed a guard, Andrew Turner, who had denied him a visit from his brother. Stroud was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death by hanging.
The Birdman of Leavenworth
Stroud’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in solitary confinement by President Woodrow Wilson in 1920, after his mother appealed to the White House. Stroud was transferred to the federal penitentiary of Leavenworth in Kansas, where he spent the next 17 years in isolation.
It was there that he discovered his passion for birds. In 1920, he found a nest with three injured sparrows in the prison yard and decided to care for them. He soon acquired more birds and cages from sympathetic guards and inmates, and began to study them extensively. He learned about their anatomy, behavior, breeding, and diseases. He also experimented with various remedies and cures for avian illnesses.
Stroud wrote two books on ornithology: Diseases of Canaries (1933) and Stroud’s Digest on the Diseases of Birds (1943). He also published several articles in bird magazines and journals. He ran a successful business from his cell, selling bird supplies, medicines, and books to customers outside the prison. He also bred and sold canaries to other inmates and guards.
Stroud’s work earned him respect and admiration from many ornithologists and bird lovers. He also received some support from prison reformers and humanitarians, who saw him as a model of rehabilitation and redemption. However, he also angered and annoyed many prison officials, who resented his privileges and influence. He was often accused of smuggling contraband, inciting riots, and plotting escapes.
The End of Alcatraz
In 1934, Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, a maximum-security prison for the most dangerous and notorious criminals in the country. There, he was stripped of his birds and most of his belongings. He was allowed to keep some books and papers related to ornithology, but he was not allowed to publish or communicate with anyone outside the prison.
Stroud spent the next 17 years at Alcatraz, mostly in solitary confinement or segregation. He continued to study birds from his cell, but he also expanded his interests to other subjects such as history, law, mathematics, languages, psychology, and philosophy. He wrote several manuscripts on various topics, including an autobiography titled Looking Outward: A History of the U.S. Prison System from Colonial Times to the Formation of the Bureau of Prisons (1959).
Stroud also became involved in several legal battles with the prison authorities over his rights and conditions. He filed numerous lawsuits against the federal government, claiming that he was mistreated, abused, censored, denied parole, and deprived of his intellectual property. He also challenged the constitutionality of his imprisonment and sought a retrial for his murder conviction.
In 1959, Stroud was transferred again to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. There he received some medical attention for his various ailments such as diabetes high blood pressure heart disease ,and anemia .He also continued to write and correspond with some friends and supporters outside the prison.
Death and Legacy
Stroud died on November 21 ,1963 ,at the age of 73 .His death was due to natural causes according to Biography .He was buried at the Masonic Cemetery in Metropolis Illinois .He left behind a large collection of books papers ,and manuscripts ,some of which are still unpublished or confiscated by the authorities.
Stroud’s life and work have inspired many books, films, and documentaries. The most famous one is the 1962 film Birdman of Alcatraz, starring Burt Lancaster as Stroud. The film portrays Stroud as a sympathetic and misunderstood figure, who overcomes his violent past and finds redemption through his love for birds. However, the film also omits or alters many aspects of Stroud’s personality and history, such as his homosexuality, his mental instability, his hostility towards other inmates and guards, and his involvement in prison politics.
Stroud’s legacy remains controversial and debated. Some view him as a genius and a hero, who defied the system and contributed to the advancement of science and humanity. Others see him as a psychopath and a villain, who manipulated and exploited others and deserved his punishment. Regardless of one’s opinion, Stroud remains one of the most intriguing and enigmatic figures in American criminal history.
