He was initially sent to mcneil island, a prison on washington state, but he proved to be too unruly for the prison, attacking other inmates and orderlies, so he was moved to leavenworth prison in kansas in 1912. He was pulled from school in the third grade to help his father on the family farm. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. A tour and living memory of robert stroud, the bird man of. This is not a forum for general discussion of the articles subject put new text under old text. He has two halfsisters from his mothers former marriage. The famous book written by robert stroud, the birdman of alcatraz, while he was in prison.
Stroud loved school and was heartbroken to be taken out. Then he was transferred to leavenworth where he killed an officer whom he claims was threatening him with a. This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the robert stroud article. Birdman of alcatraz publishes book long after death usa today. In an interview with hurley for his book, a former inmate heard stroud was always in dog block solitary confinement or later in the hospital. Sanborn fire map of 1914 shows female boarding houses on water side of lower front street what is now south franklin. Diseases of canaries by robert stroud, paperback barnes. This book helps you to recognize the bird disease and what caused it, and to treat the disease without prescription drugs.
Robert stroud american criminal and ornithologist britannica. Born in 1890 in seattle, washington, robert stroud began his 54year stay behind bars after killing a man in 1909. Robert stroud, the famous birdman of alcatraz, is released from solitary confinement for the first time since 1916. The book was titled strouds digest on the diseases of birds. He was close to his mother but feared his violent and abusive father. Robert franklin stroud, who earned fame as the birdman of alcatraz. In 1909 he brutally murdered a bartender who had allegedly failed to pay a prostitute for whom stroud was pimping in alaska. President woodrow wilson commuted the sentence to life after strouds mother pleaded with him to spare her sons life. Following his transfer to alcatraz prison, stroud became known as the.
See here for robert stroud robert franklin stroud the bird man of alcatraz. When stroud was years old, he ran away from home due. Benjamin franklin stroud 18581928 find a grave memorial. Click here to start a new topic please sign and date your posts by typing four tildes new to wikipedia. One of the many movies i look at in movies based on true stories 2015, is the 1962 biopic, birdman of alcatraz, starring burt lancaster as the birdman robert stroud. The story of robert f stroud the birdman of alcatraz is widely. In 1942, however, stroud was transferred to alcatraz, where he was allowed to continue his. Robert stroud was born on january 28, 1890 in seattle, washington, usa as robert franklin stroud.
Robert stroud, who was better known to the public as the birdman of alcatraz. Where did the birdman of alcatraz commit his first murder. As a result of this privilege, stoud was able to author two books on canaries and. Jolene babyak birdman,the many faces of robert stroud thomas stroud. In 1912, the notorious and violent prisoner robert franklin stroud is transferred to the leavenworth prison convicted for murdering a man. As a sample of what you can expect to find in this, my second book, i thought i might post some facts here for your perusal. There is no book in the world, in any language, which can help the layman more in treating bird disease. View the profiles of people named robert franklin stroud. Robert franklin stroud, who earned fame as the birdman of alcatraz, was born on january 28, 1890, in seattle, washington. Robert strouds headstone stroud became the subject of a 1955 book by thomas e.
In 1943, still a prisoner of alcatraz, stroud published his second book. Benjamin stroud and sarah had the following children. Both of his parents, elizabeth, and benjamin stroud were from a german lineage. Still considered a standard reference in the field, the book features numerous drawings by the author. Stroud would write two books, diseases of canaries and strouds digest to the diseases of birds, gaining respect for his abilities and observations in the bird field. Married ann elizabeth jane mccartney in 1889 and divorced in 1909. Robert franklin stroud january 28, 1890 november 21, 1963, known as the birdman of alcatraz, was a federal american prisoner who reared and sold birds and became an ornithologist. Some of his research writings were smuggled out of prison and published.
The real name of the birdman was robert franklin stroud. Seattle born stroud ran away from home at the age of and was first arrested in 1909 at the age of 19 after turning himself in for murder. Two of the solitary confinement cells on the island the area where stroud spent much on his time in this prison. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses. Robert stroud robert franklin stroud january 28, 1890 november 21, 1963, known as the birdman of alcatraz, was a federal american prisoner who reared and sold birds and became an ornithologist. The reality is that stroud was an egotistic sociopath who was better off behind bars. Robert stroud, who was better known to the public as the birdman of alcatraz, was probably the most famous inmate ever to reside on alcatraz. When stroud was moved to the fed med in 1959, the wellknown prisoner brought two. He checked out every book available on the subject of. Stroud was housed in an alcatraz hospital room by himself as he was considered an extreme danger to other inmates and officers. Stroud began reading every book he could acquire on the subject. Robert stroud project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Burt lancaster, who portrayed robert stroud in the movie birdman of alcatraz 1962, actually met him in february 1963. A comprehensive book on the treatment of diseases in birds, by robert stroud, aka the birdman of alcatraz.
He developed an interest in ornithology at leavenworth federal prison, where he breeded canaries and wrote two books on the subject. He also wrote a book titled strouds digest on the diseases of birds, which was. Stroud admits killing a man there but says it was a justifiable homicide etc. Despite his nickname, he actually only kept birds at leavenworth penitentiary, prior to being transferred to alcatraz where he was not allowed to keep pets. Robert stroud was a mean sonofabitch who spent seventeen years as a prisoner in alcatraz, twelve of which were in isolation. He had a long record of having attacked prisoners and officers in other prisons before coming to alcatraz. Before his death in 1963, robert stroud wrote a fourpart book about the brutality, sex and bribery that he experienced within the u. Robert franklin stroud 18901963 find a grave memorial. Join facebook to connect with robert franklin stroud and others you may know.
He died on november 21, 1963 in springfield, missouri, usa. By the tender age of, he had run away from home to be a hobo. In 1942, however, stroud was transferred to alcatraz, where he was allowed to continue his research but was denied further right of publication. Robert franklin stroud january 28, 1890 november 21, 1963, known as the birdman of. In 1933, he married a correspondent, della mae jones, by proxy, in order to remain at leavenworth as he was creating trouble for the prison management kansas law forbade transfer of inmates married in kansas. Robert franklin stroud was born on january 28, 1980, in seattle, washington. When a guard cancels the visit of his mother, elizabeth stroud, due to a violation of the internal rules, he stabs and kills the guard and goes to trial three times. Federal american prisoner who became an ornithologist, born january 28, 1890. Prison memorabilia including a set of chess pieces and board drawn inside a book that belonged to robert franklin stroud, the birman of alcatraz and the pocket watch that was owned by n.
Seattle born stroud ran away from home at the age of and was. Robert franklin stroud became known to the world as the birdman of alcatraz through a bestselling book and a 1962 movie. Robert franklin stroud was born in 1890 in or around seattle, washington. Robert franklin stroud was born in 1890 in seattle, washington, and died. Flexible binding, dark blue cloth with gilt titles, 6 x 9. He received a 12 year sentence at mc neil island and while there assaulted another inmate for which he received a sentence of 6 months to run consecutively. Headshot portrait of convicted murderer robert stroud, while in various prisons, where he had been incarcerated since stroud developed an interest in birds, writing several books on the. Born robert franklin stroud, the birdman of alcatraz was convicted of a brutal murder committed at age 18 in 1909. How the birdman of alcatraz got his name today i found out. Raised by an abusive father, he stopped attending school after reaching the third grade. The birdman of alcatraz robert stroud died 50 years ago behind b.
Gaddis, who strongly advocated rehabilitation in the prisons, portrayed stroud in favorable light. This is without doubt one of the most important and personally influential books i have ever read. Most people hold a romantic notion of the bird man of alcatraz, as he is more famously known, thanks to the hollywood movie starring burt lancaster. Stroud collection missouri state university digital.
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