Married ann elizabeth jane mccartney in 1889 and divorced in 1909. Here he is seen, feet up on the bed, surrounded by his books. Jolene babyak birdman,the many faces of robert stroud thomas stroud. He had a long record of having attacked prisoners and officers in other prisons before coming to alcatraz. He was close to his mother but feared his violent and abusive father.
Before his death in 1963, robert stroud wrote a fourpart book about the brutality, sex and bribery that he experienced within the u. Following his transfer to alcatraz prison, stroud became known as the. Flexible binding, dark blue cloth with gilt titles, 6 x 9. Robert franklin stroud was born in 1890 in or around seattle, washington. 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. Burt lancaster, who portrayed robert stroud in the movie birdman of alcatraz 1962, actually met him in february 1963. Robert franklin stroud was born in 1890 in seattle, washington, and died. President woodrow wilson commuted the sentence to life after strouds mother pleaded with him to spare her sons life. 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. Robert stroud project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. As a result of this privilege, stoud was able to author two books on canaries and. Benjamin franklin stroud 18581928 find a grave memorial. A comprehensive book on the treatment of diseases in birds, by robert stroud, aka the birdman of alcatraz.
The story of robert f stroud the birdman of alcatraz is widely. 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. The book was titled strouds digest on the diseases of birds. The reality is that stroud was an egotistic sociopath who was better off behind bars. Raised by an abusive father, he stopped attending school after reaching the third grade. Robert franklin stroud, who earned fame as the birdman of alcatraz. This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the robert stroud article. Robert strouds headstone stroud became the subject of a 1955 book by thomas e. Join facebook to connect with robert franklin stroud and others you may know. Seattle born stroud ran away from home at the age of and was.
He developed an interest in ornithology at leavenworth federal prison, where he breeded canaries and wrote two books on the subject. 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. Birdman of alcatraz publishes book long after death usa today. Stroud began reading every book he could acquire on the subject.
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 birdman of alcatraz robert stroud died 50 years ago behind b. Robert stroud was a mean sonofabitch who spent seventeen years as a prisoner in alcatraz, twelve of which were in isolation. He died on november 21, 1963 in springfield, missouri, usa. When stroud was moved to the fed med in 1959, the wellknown prisoner brought two. He has two halfsisters from his mothers former marriage. 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.
The real name of the birdman was robert franklin stroud. Robert franklin stroud was born on january 28, 1980, in seattle, washington. 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. 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. View the profiles of people named robert franklin stroud. In 1943, still a prisoner of alcatraz, stroud published his second book. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses. Robert franklin stroud became known to the world as the birdman of alcatraz through a bestselling book and a 1962 movie.
There is no book in the world, in any language, which can help the layman more in treating bird disease. Robert franklin stroud, who earned fame as the birdman of alcatraz, was born on january 28, 1890, in seattle, washington. 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. In 1942, however, stroud was transferred to alcatraz, where he was allowed to continue his research but was denied further right of publication. Robert stroud was born on january 28, 1890 in seattle, washington, usa as robert franklin stroud. In 1942, however, stroud was transferred to alcatraz, where he was allowed to continue his. Robert stroud facts, bio, family, life, info sticky facts. He also wrote a book titled strouds digest on the diseases of birds, which was. How the birdman of alcatraz got his name today i found out.
Robert stroud, who was better known to the public as the birdman of alcatraz. 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. 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. Sanborn fire map of 1914 shows female boarding houses on water side of lower front street what is now south franklin. Stroud was housed in an alcatraz hospital room by himself as he was considered an extreme danger to other inmates and officers. In 1909 he brutally murdered a bartender who had allegedly failed to pay a prostitute for whom stroud was pimping in alaska. Click here to start a new topic please sign and date your posts by typing four tildes new to wikipedia. Where did the birdman of alcatraz commit his first murder. Usa california san francisco alcatraz island from the bay jmh0780. Two of the solitary confinement cells on the island the area where stroud spent much on his time in this prison. Still considered a standard reference in the field, the book features numerous drawings by the author. A tour and living memory of robert stroud, the bird man of. He was pulled from school in the third grade to help his father on the family farm.
See here for robert stroud robert franklin stroud the bird man of alcatraz. 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. Stroud admits killing a man there but says it was a justifiable homicide etc. Born robert franklin stroud, the birdman of alcatraz was convicted of a brutal murder committed at age 18 in 1909. Diseases of canaries by robert stroud, paperback barnes. 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. When stroud was years old, he ran away from home due.
Robert stroud american criminal and ornithologist britannica. Gaddis, who strongly advocated rehabilitation in the prisons, portrayed stroud in favorable light. Robert franklin stroud 18901963 find a grave memorial. Stroud collection missouri state university digital. This is without doubt one of the most important and personally influential books i have ever read.
The famous book written by robert stroud, the birdman of alcatraz, while he was in prison. 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. Some of his research writings were smuggled out of prison and published. 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. 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. This is not a forum for general discussion of the articles subject put new text under old text.
Robert stroud, the famous birdman of alcatraz, is released from solitary confinement for the first time since 1916. He checked out every book available on the subject of. 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. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Benjamin stroud and sarah had the following children. Robert franklin stroud january 28, 1890 november 21, 1963, known as the birdman of. This book helps you to recognize the bird disease and what caused it, and to treat the disease without prescription drugs. By the tender age of, he had run away from home to be a hobo. Both of his parents, elizabeth, and benjamin stroud were from a german lineage.