Unknown Facts About The Infamous Alcatraz Escapees

1. The Escape Plan

Image source: Alcatraz History

The escape involved lots of planning.  The prisoners had so much time on their hands that this was certainly not a problem and gave them the will to keep positive in such a depressing environment.  The inmates were to somehow dig through the walls that were made from thick concrete and reinforced with steel plates for good measure.  They managed to steel a vacuum cleaner motor and use this as a drill.  They used the noise from other prisoners and music to conceal the noise from their digging activities.

2. How The Escapees Continued With The Plan

Image source: Alcatraz History

The names of the three inmates who planned to escape were Clarence Anglin, John Anglin and Frank Morris.  Their crimes, for which they were imprisoned, included car theft through to bank robbery.  They chiselled through the thick concrete walls, they created false ventilation grates.  They intended to escape through the utility corridors and, in order to survive the dangerous waters around the island, they even built a type of makeshift raft and life vests.  It was a one time opportunity to get out.

3. Frank Morris Was The Brains Behind The Escape

Image source: OMGFacts

Frank Morris had a troubled childhood which led him into bad ways.  Born in 1926, he got into a life of crime from an early age and built up quite a criminal record.  This led to him being imprisoned in various jails in the United States.  His behavior got in the way of him making something of himself which he would have done due to having a high IQ.  It was assessed as being in the superior range and was around 133.  The average is between 85 and 115 so it's no surprise that he was the mastermind behind the escape.

4. The Escapees Made Their Own Life Vests And Raft

Image source: The Mirror

Because the waters around San Francisco Bay were unpredictable, the escapees had to somehow make their own life vests and ensure their makeshift raft was suitable for its purpose.  They hit on an idea.  They would use rubber raincoats that were in the prison.  They stole fifty of them and sewed them together.  They acquired the thread from the glove factory at the prison.  They also found bits of wood and attached these to the raincoats, to make oars.  You can now see what meticulous planning went into this.

5. The Rubber Section

Image source: National Park Service

One of the horrible jobs that inmates were forced to do was to work with rubber and as you can easily see for yourself, the conditions they had to endure were barely humane.  There was no working nine to five like in your local store in the outside world.  The prisoners would regularly do 14 hour stints, working into the early hours.  As there were no legislative requirements to adhere to, the prison governor couldn't care less.  The escapees DID care though as it enabled them to steal rubber to make a raft and life vests.

6. Dummy Heads

Image source: History.com

Two prisoners hatched an escape plan that would fool prison guards during the regular inspections that took place at night.  The escapees made dummy heads so the guards would think they were sleeping soundly but, in fact, they were drilling holes in their cell walls so they could reach the vents.  The dummy heads were quite realistic looking, especially in the dark and they were made from toilet paper, soap and human hair collected from the prison barbers. They were then placed on the prisoners' pillows and the guards were none the wiser.

7. The Reasons Why They Wanted To Escape .... Hospital Made You Feel More Ill

Image source: Flickr

Prisoners often got ill, with the filthy conditions at Alcatraz as well as illnesses and infections easily passing between the inmates.  It wasn't unusual for some of them to pretend to be ill, just so they could get a hospital bed.  Don't get me wrong - the conditions here were not much better than where the prisoners usually slept but the difference was that they would have access to hot water showers as opposed to the freezing showers they endured, difficult in the winter when the men were constantly cold.

8. Alcatraz  "Snitch" Box

Image Source: San Francisco Public Library

If you wanted to be treated a bit better than your inmates then you had to make a decision.  Alcatraz had what they called a "snitch" box and this is how it worked.  If you wanted to tell the authorities of something going on in the cells, rather than going straight to the wardens (running the risk of the offending inmate finding out and "sorting you out") you could snitch on that inmate in secret, by putting a note in the snitch box.  You would be rewarded for doing this by getting a favor done for you.

9. Working Their Fingers To The Bone

Image source: National Park Service

The prison had "good" and "bad" jobs for the inmates.  Some were lucky enough to work in the bakery.  Even though they had to be up in the middle of the night to start baking bread for the masses, this environment was so much better and not as manual as some of the other jobs.  They could otherwise have been stuck with having to weave cargo nets with their bare hands.  The rope was extremely course and their fingers and thumbs bore the brunt.  They would end up being completely red raw after a day's work.

10. Awash With Nasty Criminals

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The reality of being trapped inside this floating prison was that, no matter how hard you were, there would always be someone more aggressive and unbearable.  Prisoners always had to watch their backs for fear of being bullied by groups who wanted the food off your plate or your cigarettes. When inmates were lined up outside their cells every morning, it was recommended they keep their heads down and not make eye contact with those who would happily get into a fight, purely out of boredom and for something to do.

11. Alcatraz's Spooky Morgue

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Inmates would come and go and we aren't referring to them leaving Alcatraz.  There was only one place they were headed, if they tried to escape.  There were 14 attempts to escape the place by 36 inmates over 29 years.  Six of those re-captured were shot and killed, ending up in this spooky morgue.  Alcatraz homed some of the most well known and violent criminals in the world.  Al Capone was one of these.  He had been transferred from another prison and he tried to bribe the guards but did not receive any special treatment.

12. When The Attempt To Break Out Goes Wrong

Image source: San Francisco Public Library

Planning a prison break was one of the main things that kept the inmates going.  They had more time than they wanted to plan an escape and it gave them hope of living a life outside of iron railings and prison walls.  The biggest risk was, of course, getting caught and this would result in the biggest punishment ever - being shot and killed.  Here we see some unlucky escapees who thought they were leaving prison food behind but that was not the case.  Their lives were taken away, leaving room for the authorities to take in further prisoners.

13. No Getting Out Of Those Cells

Image source: Medium

Any wannabe escapee of Alcatraz would have to somehow dig their way through the concrete walls (we know the Anglin brothers and Morris used a motor from a vacuum cleaner and makeshift tools).  They were cramped into their cells like lab rats and guards even started rumors between the prisoners that if they did try to escape, they would be eaten by sharks that regularly circled the island.  However, this was not true and what posed the real threat was the freezing cold waters and hazardous currents.

14. Basic Operating Theatre

Image source: Double Barrelled Travel

Prisoners should think twice about having an operation, when told by the doctor that this was required,  They would not be going into a sterile, professional room.  They would be faced with what looked like a set from  "American Horror Story" by the look of this operating theater.  Some inmates would be of the mindset that, due to the harsh treatment of them by the prison guards, that they may be better off out of this world than have an operation.  After all, due to the basic medical equipment used, they might not even survive.

15. Would Inmates' Relatives Really Want A Visitor Pass?

Image source: PBS.org

Although Alcatraz was a floating prison, the inmates were still permitted to see visitors but, let's face it, how many would want to step foot in that place as it was so daunting.  It would probably be a family member desperate to see their loved one.  Once inside, the visitor had to follow their own strict rules which included no physical contact (so not even a hug from a mother or father), monitored conversations and definitely no talk about current affairs.  If any of these rules were broken, the prisoner  was not allowed further visits for a certain time period.

16. An Attempt To Break Out

Image source: Pinterest

As Alcatraz housed some of the world's most intelligent criminal minds, as well as the most ruthless, it wouldn't come as any shock to find them that hatch what they think is going to be a foolproof plan to escape.  These men were in there because they couldn't be kept under control at other jails. They would look into meticulous details as it was their lives at stake.  If their plan failed, they would end up in the morgue.  It looks like these guys were at it for quite some time, making this hole through the concrete.

17. Solitary confinement

Image source: San Francisco Public Library

Prisoners at Alcatraz were often violent and aggressive.  Kept in such a confined space made many feel like they were in a ticking time bomb.  This situation encouraged them take risks , such as escaping.  Also, attacking other inmates who looked at them the wrong way, was usual behavior.  The men didn't think beyond their actions and about the punishment they might receive.  They could be subjected to solitary confinement which meant no bed and no daylight.  There were just three walls, a grungy toilet and cell bars.

18. Haunted Hallways

Image source: Road Trippers

This is a creepy shot of one of the hallways in Alcatraz to give you an insight into how spooky the floating prison actually was.  There have been numerous reports about it being haunted and those who have been on the Alcatraz tour (a nice day out if you are stuck for somewhere to go!) have said they can hear a banjo playing.  That would make sense as Al Capone was part of the jailhouse band and he played the banjo.  Other tourists have spoken about banging noises from one particular part of the jail, where the riot started!

19. The Riot Starters

Image source: History.com

Although many prisoners helped, it was apparently these three inmates who were accused of being behind the riot.  They were Paul Coy, Marvin Hubbard and Clarence Carnes.   When the riot ended on 4th May, 1946 and order had been restored, questions were asked about the security measures within Alcatraz.  These were updated, due to the fact that riots could happen again,  These measures are still used today in high security prisons across the United States.  Riots are few are far between now but there is still an occasional one.

20. Prison Guard after The Riots

Image source: History.com

When prisoners started rioting in 1946, one of the prison guards was  attacked in the commotion.  He was Ed Miller who was badly burned by a gas grenade that exploded during the three day long riots.  It's no wonder the Press camped out for so long to get their pictures for the front pages of the newspapers. Another prison guard called C.D Corwin was on duty at the time.  When he tried to intervene to calm the situation down, he got attacked by the prisoners and his face was left in an awful, gruesome state.

21. Al Capone's Mug Shot

Image source: Getty Images

Given that he is one of the most infamous gangsters of  all time, we felt it our duty to include him, well his mug shot!  He was moved to Alcatraz in 1934.  Al Capone had been involved in racketeering, extortion and murder, a very brutal and violent man.  He had managed to evade law enforcement because he had bribed the police authority but he was eventually brought down.  He was stabbed in prison, after multiple attempts by many of the other inmates but survived it and served the rest of his sentence.

22. Bad Neighbours

Image source: Hiveminor

It's hardly surprising that scuffles and fights were a regular occurrence between inmates.  The cells were so close to each other that you could hardly fit a piece of paper in between them!  Some prisoners had to live on top of each other, just as bad as being side to side and it didn't take long for tempers to flare up.  The me would do anything to protect themselves and the sight of a bloody wound was pretty much the norm.  You had to stand up for yourself and not show any signs of weakness whatsoever.

23. The Press Were All Over It

Image source: Getty Images

This photo was taken back in 1946 during the time of the infamous Alcatraz prison riots. Press and photographers parked themselves on the shore, getting the best spot they could find to film and take photographs of all the goings on. The angle of this image is quite deceiving as it makes the distance between the land and the prison look much shorter.  It was actually about 2 km away.  Guards lost their struggle in stopping the riot escalating.  The riot, of course, made headline news and everyone was talking about it.

24. The Escapees Set A Date For Their Mission

Image source: YouTube

After moving around 500 kg of concrete, a mammoth task in itself and finishing the preparation in order to make their Alcatraz escape, the date was set and that was June 11, 1962.  That night the escapees arranged the dummy heads in their sleeping quarters and carefully climbed through the ventilation system.  When they reached the roof of the building, they dropped down to ground level and quietly made their way to the shore.  Did the escapees succeed and get away from Alcatraz?  There have been conflicting stories.

25. One Escapee Backed Out

Image source: Allen West

John and Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris were not the only prisoners who were involved in the attempt to escape Alcatraz.  There was another inmate called Allen West who had originally planned to join them but he changed his mind.  He weighed up the risks involved and worried about what would happen if they didn't succeed and what their punishment would be.  Prison guards were known to be free and easy with their rifles and he didn't want to end up as dead meat.   This did not deter the others though in their quest for freedom.

26. Did The Escapees Succeed?

Image source: NGE

The Anglin brothers and Morris were spotted heading towards dry land and it remains unclear to this day whether they succeeded or did the worse happen and they disappeared in the icy waters of San Francisco Bay.  After the escape there was a huge manhunt involving law enforcement agencies, the FBI and the Coast Guard.  None of these authorities could find any evidence to assist them in their search for them.  They were all of the opinion that the inmates had lost their lives and drowned .... but that was just their opinion.

27. Opinions Of The FBI

Image source: FBI

After a headcount showed the escapees weren't at Alcatraz, the FBI were on to it.  They examined the makeshift tools, interviewed witnesses (some apparently lied to protect the men) and they analysed the escape route.  They did find a raft two miles northeast of the prison but could not be completely sure that it was used in this particular escape.  The FBI also found a wallet and photographs as well as other personal belongings.  However, it could not be proved without doubt that these came from the Anglin brothers or Frank Morris.

28. Alcatraz Closed Its Doors

Image source: ABC

The escape from Alcatraz remains one of the longest standing mysteries in the whole of the United States criminal history.  There have been many books and documentaries about the event and the famous movie "Escape From Alcatraz" starring Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris.  This Federal Penitentiary shut down a year after the escape in March 1963.  Like so many of these buildings that hold historic secrets, it has become a tourist attraction.  It has brought in tourists from all over the world who are intrigued about what went on.

29. The Escapees' Families Claims

Image source: Daily Mail

Over the decades, the Anglin brothers' family members have come forward.  They claim that the escapees made contact with them after a successful "assignment."  These claims have never been verified and have been met with scepticism by many.  A letter was allegedly written by John Anglin n 2018 and it was sent to the San Francisco Police Department.  It claimed that both him and his brother survived and the were now residing in South America.  How authentic the written communication was is still unclear.

30. The Case Was Closed

Image source: Fox News

The investigation regarding the escape from Alcatraz was officially closed in 1979.  The conclusion was that the prisoners would have perished in the freezing water.  There have been reported sightings over the years which keeps the mystery alive but being eaten by sharks or dying from hypothermia are both reasonable possibilities.  The FBI were very aware that individuals would come forward with stories of the men's survival and that did happen on a few occasions but these statements carried no weight behind them.