The four men also had adjoining cells while they were locked up in Alcatraz and a long long time to think up their grand plan of escape. This is what he had to say: It depends on whether youre talking to me or youre talking to their mother. This shot taken in 1948 showcases a rare occurrence at Alcatraz a celebration. Their faces would have been national news at the time, flashed up on every TV screen and front page everywhere. Last, a crude raft was fashioned out of rubber raincoats and plastic bags. "I still receive leads . 72 times. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. But before the deal was even considered, the letter itself had to be investigated to see if any other information about its authenticity and origin could be discovered. Did they make it across the Bay, get to Angel Island, and then cross Raccoon Strait into Marin County as planned? Over the years, the salt wore down the cement and eventually caused it to crumble. The San Francisco Bay is characterized by frigid water all year long. San Franciscos local CBS affiliate, KPIX, published the letter and reported on the investigation. Morris successfully evaded the authorities for almost a year before he was captured during another robbery. By May 1962, the holes were complete. Check out the trailer below. The letter supposedly written by John Anglin also revealed the mans current location Living in Southern California now. It is almost impossible to believe that a fugitive from the law and participant in one of the greatest prison breaks of all times, was currently living only a few hours from San Francisco. Alcatraz became a federal prison aimed at housing convicts who were particularly troublesome or prone to escape attempts. This would be difficult enough to do for a short time, but for decades afterwards? The case was transferred over to the United States MarshalsService and, in 1993, it was reopened. Somehow, three prisoners managed to evade all of the prisons advanced security functions and escape. He further claimed to have met his cousin face to face in a San Diego park shortly after the escape. Also available on other Amazon sites. The three inmates who famously broke out of Alcatraz prison in 1962 may not have gone down to their watery graves in shark-infested San Francisco Bay after all, according to a report . You are probably wondering how so much banging and chipping could be going on without anyone being the wiser. The escape of three convicts - John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris - from Alcatraz including a suspected mystery boat seen on the San Francisco Bay the night of their disappearance is . Privacy Policy. Product Information. Unfortunately for West, the vent coveringhis hole was stuck and he was unable to get out, so Morris and theAnglins left him. The US Marshals, however, have kept their investigation ongoing. Morris was born on September 1st, 1926 at Gallinger Hospital in Washington, D.C. (more recently known as D.C. General Hospital near RFK Stadium and closed in 2001). Edit. He was born in 1926 in Washington DC, and had a troubled upbringing. of 133, borderline genius, and wasthe mastermind of the escape plot. Theheads were placed in their beds so the guards would think the inmateswere still asleep. Frank Lee Morris worked from the utility corridor while West worked from the inside. of 133. . They kept it in place temporarily by fashioning a fake bolt out of soap. The band includes four saxophone players, two trumpets, a guitarist, and a trombonist. Morris was born on September 1, 1926 in Washington. The escape mythology survives but anyone can try to educate their guesses on the 1962 mystery by having a go at the swim. Alcatraz closed as a prison in March 1963, less than a year after the infamous escape, but the island facility remains one of the San Francisco Bay area's best-known tourist attractions and . ? Its often a feature of prison break stories, that the escapee is usually undone when he or she goes to commit a petty crime soon afterwards. Not much of his youth is documented, but according to FBI documents, he was orphaned at the age of 11 and sent to live in foster homes. Along with the raftwas discovered a small plastic bag containing the personal effects ofthe Anglins. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison for kidnapping and murder. Does he think they drowned, or did they survive as claimed in the letter? Unfortunately, no one could determine the date of delivery. He offered to go to prison for a year, if it meant he could get medical treatment. Three convicts were not in their cells: John Anglin, his brother Clarence, and Frank Morris. He was set to make his mark on the world in a most unexpected way. John and Clarence Anglin definitely met Frank Lee Morris while they were in Atlanta. By his late teens he was serving his first jail sentence. After a panicked search, they managed to find an unsealed shaft and used their homemade wrench to pry it open. At the end of the film Escape From Alcatraz, Patrick McGoohan, as the Prison Governor, is heard insisting that they had drowned. Records on Ancestry.com show John as well as Clarence and Frank Morris all with a death date of June 11, 1962, the night of the escape. Over the years, speculation has mounted over whether or not the escaped prisoners are still alive. Morris makes some friendships there: Doc, the shy painter that cuts his fingers when he's forbidden to paint; Litmus, an Italian guy who calls himself "Al Capone"; the black English who protects the newcomer; Clarley, the undecided one . Which means either they planned to stop at a different location and West lied, or they landed somewhere else accidentally or Morris and the Anglin brothers never reached the shore. On June 11, 1962, the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris mounted the most infamous prison break of the 20th century. The FBI believed at the time of the escape that all 3 men must have drowned in the icy waters, but the Anglin brothers were seasoned swimmers, who had perfected their skills in Lake Michigan as children. In 2013, a letter was sent to . the cellsthe convicted armed robber Frank Morris and the convicted bank-robbing brothers Clarence and John Anglinwere nowhere to be found. They had no idea how important being a good swimmer would be for them in the future. Early the next morning, blaring sirens rocked the prison of Alcatraz and woke up all the inmates. During his confession, West bragged to the authorities that the whole plan had been his idea and that he orchestrated the great escape. He had three accomplices in theplan: Allen West (#AZ1335) and brothers Clarence (#AZ1485) and JohnAnglin (#AZ1476). . Also available on other Amazon sites. Then they would be ready to move when the right moment arrived. He had an IQ of 133, and as Clint Eastwood would later point out, if he had channelled his energies in a different direction, he could have made a success out of life. Frank Lee Morris was serving 10 years for bank robbery when the unthinkable happened he managed to escape! Within two days, a packet of letters sealed in rubber and related to the men was recovered. The redesign included tougher iron bars, a series of strategically positioned guard towers, and strict rules, including a dozen checks a day of the prisoners. The following year, 137 prisonerswere transported from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Alcatraz beganits service as part of the Federal Bureau of Prisons system. Cooper, which will likely remain unsolved. Within a year, they began to plan an elaborate escape attempt with Frank Morris and Allen West. Along with the raft was discovered a small plastic bag containing the personal effects of the Anglins. Frank was very much the brains of the outfit. They continued, climbing two successive 12-foot, barbed-wire fencesand headed for the islands northeast shore to inflate the raft.By 10 p.m. that evening, they had set off into the dense fog coveringthe bay. As the days went by, the FBI, the Coast Guard, Bureau of Prison authorities, and others began to find more evidence and piece together the ingenious escape plan. This menu from 1956 is typical with one type of meat, sides and dessert offered. Some 23 men were caught alive, six were shot and killed, and two drowned attempting the 1.25-mile swim to shore . They would have to completely keep their heads down, and not draw any attention to themselves at all. If the prisoners opened the holes in their cells wide enough to get through, they could easily use the bars to climb the three stories to the roof. What is the real story? They wondered if any of them would make it to the outside alive. In 1962, inmates Frank Morris, John and Clarence Anglin would take part in one of the most famous and spectacular escape attempts in American history. It remained part of the system until Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered in closed in 1963. It was mentioned on a National Geographic special on the escape. In Alcatraz's 30-year history, there were 14 escape bids. The famous great escape of Alcatraz made new headlines in January 2018 when the FBI shockingly announced that they were reopening the case. Ghosts of DC took a little trip to the Bay Area this weekend and we wanted to sprinkle a little San Francisco flavor into this next post. The sons of poor Georgian farmers, the Anglin brothers were 2 of 14 children. The three remaining escapees were finally ready to start their climb. The legend of this escape lives on today, 50 years later. Allen West finally finished digging an escape hole large enough for him to go through on June 11, 1962. Also available on other Amazon sites. Evidence continues to mount that they actually got away with it. The menu is full of special holiday treats. The escape from Alcatraz, 60 years later: The story & images. It was described as the great garbage can of San Francisco, and nicknamed Hellcatraz. The three others got into the corridor, gathered their gear, climbed up and out through the ventilator, and got on to the prison roof. Alcatraz at that time was not just a prison but also a factory, which was great luck for the group. In its heyday, it was the ultimate maximum security prison. That was when the authorities got the FBI involved. They were shocked to discover that many shafts were sealed off with cement. By the time he was sent to Alcatraz in January 1960 his list of crimes included Burglary, Possession of Narcotics, Breaking & Entering, and Bank Robbery. Of course, nobody has ever successfully escaped from this prison. The men crept through the unused corridor, up a shaft of pipes tothe roof and across the roof, in plain site of the guard tower withtheir makeshift gear in tow. After a number of successful escape attempts from other prisons under his belt, he beings to hatch an escape plan from The Rock. The team was made up of Morris, two brothers named John and Clarence Anglin and another convict named Allen West. A mysterious letter has come to light purportedly from one of three inmates who famously escaped Alcatraz in 1962. . What happened next was nothing short of amazing. Clint Eastwood played Frank Morris in the 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz. Morris was born on September 1, 1926 at href="http://ghostsofdc.org/tag/gallinger-hospital/">GallingerHospital in Washington, D.C. (more recently known as D.C. GeneralHospital near RFKStadium and closed in 2001). But after the letter came to light in January 2018, one of their representatives questioned the letters legitimacy to The Washington Post, claiming he believed it was a fake. The letter continues with This is the real and honest truth. Franklin "Frank" Lee Morris quick facts- Born 9/1/1926 Gallinger Hospital Washington D.C. Orphaned at or about age 11 His vocation was a laborer in shoe repair. View of the interior of the Alcatraz Island prison in 1986, looking south from the third level guard station with cell block B on the left and cell block C on the right. Kindle, price 1.99. Will the truth ever come out? To conceal their absence from their cells, the men constructed papier mache heads, made realistic by snatching hair from the barber-shop floor. This mugshot shows Alcatraz inmate Miran Thompson. After the riot, Thompson was held accountable for his part and was sent to solitary confinement to await punishment. The Anglin family brought to light another key piece of evidence, a picture of the two brothers in Brazil shot in 1975. The men crept through the unused corridor, up a shaft of pipes to the roof and across the roof, in plain site of the guard tower with their makeshift gear in tow. Jim Albright, the very last guard to leave Alcatraz prison, was interviewed by ABC 7, a local TV affiliate in San Francisco to commemorate 55 years to the prisons closing in March 2018. It was home to some famous inmates, such as gangster Al Capone, and Richard Birdman Of Alcatraz Stroud, who was immortalised on film by Burt Lancaster. In 1979, the three were declared legally dead and the FBI closed the case. The gang made their life vests and the raft by stitching and gluing raincoats together. They pooled their knowledge and started working on a plan to achieve the impossible an escape from The Rock. The investigation had been put to bed almost 40 years ago. An illustrated collection of 23 more of my blog entries, Strange Tales 2: more mysterious places and odd people is now available for AmazonsKindle, price 1.15. As part of their plan, each of the men had fashioned dummy heads out of plaster, toilet paper and hair from the prison barber shop. Frank Morris : [when Butts hasn't started climbing up yet] Goddamn it, Butts. In 1962, inmates and bank robbers Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin vanished from Alcatraz, the federal island . Prisoners on their way back to their solitary cells. In the first section of the article, why was Frank Morris's heart pounding? The letter written supposedly by John Anglin goes on to reveal where he has been in the many years since he escaped Alcatraz prison. The prison authorities also kept the water slightly warm to keep prisoners from getting used to the cold temperatures out in the icy waters of the San Francisco Bay. On January 3, 1960, Frank Morris was shipped to Alcatraz and became an inmate #AZ-1441. Our office in San Francisco set leads for offices nationwide to check for any records on the missing prisoners and on their previous escape attempts (all three had made them). John and Clarence Anglin, brothers from Donalsonville, Georgia, had been sent to Alcatraz after robbing a bank in Columbia, Alabama. The water the night of the escape was quite cold, ranging from a temperature of 50 to 54 degrees. After a number of successful escape attempts fromother prisons under his belt, he begins to hatch an escape plan fromThe Rock. Daily life in Alcatraz also had a few bright spots. Frank Morris : [to Litmus' mouse] Yeah. The utility corridor was unguarded and full of bars like a jungle gym. But that was just the beginning for them During their incarceration at the Atlanta Penitentiary, the Anglin brothers were caught trying to escape on numerous occasions. Cold Waters. 1. For months, Morris and three other prisoners, Allen West and brothers Clarence and John Anglin, had been plotting to escape. Here you can see Marine Major Albert Arsenault describing his experiences while quelling the prison riot in Alcatraz. Ghosts of Cities, LLC. The Alcatraz mess hall food was not known for its diversity. After the letter was published the US Marshals made the following statement. This is a tale, much like that of D.B.Cooper, which will likely remain unsolved. Clmence Michallon speaks to the man who investigated the case for 17 years, and the nephew who believes . Thank you. It started out as the sitefor a lighthouse until President Millard Fillmore ordered it to beused as a military base in 1850, following the Mexican-American war.It continued to serve in a military capacity through the href="http://ghostsofdc.org/tag/the-civil-war/">Civil War and, inaddition, began housing Confederate prisoners of war. Less thana year after his release, he was incarcerated in Florida StatePenitentiary for breaking and entering. A warrant still exists for Frank, John and Clarence. Side note: in 1951, Charles Manson was an inmate at the school. Profile of the dummy head found in Morris cell. Alcatraz stood on a rocky island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz is a former federal prison located on an island in San Fransisco Bay. This page works as bolth a good source for historical references and a place were you and me can prove that Frank Morris (My Great Uncle or Cousin). The men had made their escape soon after 10 PM. The legend of this escape lives on today, 50 years later. In 1948, Shockley and Thompson were sent to the gas chamber for their part in the Battle of Alcatraz, while Carnes received leniency and was sentenced to life in prison. After months of meticulous planning - on the night of June 11, 1962 - the trio of bank . Nearly all were caught or didnt survive the attempt. A History Channel documentary aired in 2015 brought to light new evidence that seemed to support the Angling brothers having survived the escape. This past summer, CBS San Francisco got an exclusive tour of some never-before-seen parts of Alcatraz. His criminal life began at the early age of 13. It was reported that Morris began constructing his escape within a year of his arrival. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. He went on write that Frank Morris had died in 2008, and Clarence had passed away in 2011. Watch fullscreen. All Rights Reserved 2012-2023. In June 1962, just one year before the prison shut down, three inmates- Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin-planned and executed an escape attempt. Frank Morris had previously been imprisoned for bank robbery, escaped, and was sent to Alcatraz after being convicted of a burglary. After the fact, the local officials claimed that the three escapees drowned in the cold water, but recently there have been clues that the prisoners (who are now elderly) managed to get away and lived. The three remaining team members used their wits and preparations to evade all the other guards on duty as they made their way to the shore. The guard raised the alarm, and the warden in charge promptly notified state and federal authorities as well as the U.S. military. It was one of the most ingenious prison breaks of all timeif it worked. They were willing to risk everything, including their lives, to get away from The Rock. By the 1950s inmates had been granted various privileges not known to previous residents, such as being able to have musical instruments in their cells, and Frank would use an accordion to cover up any noise made by their work. Mostpeople believe that the men died in their escape, but a number ofpeople believe they made it. The US Marshals handed the letter over to the FBI, who then tested the paper extensively. The team was made up of Morris, two brothers named John and Clarence Anglin and another convict named Allen West. Frank Lee Morris knew that a good prison break cannot be handled alone. [2] Late on the night of June 11 or early morning of June 12, the three men tucked papier-mch heads . During the riot, two guards, Hubbard, Coy and another inmate lost their lives. It is unclear why the letter didnt come to light for five years, but its contents were both intriguing and shocking. They were not only going to escape the virtual fortress of Alcatraz, they were going to make look-alike dummies to leave in their place. (West would get treated leniently by the authorities for co-operating fully with their enquiries). Somehow, they were able to shimmy down a 50-foot kitchen pipe affixed to the wall, while the wall was illuminatedsporadicallywith a search light, yet they remained undetected (someone in the guard house taking a little snoozer?). What would make this attempt any different? The Anglin brothers and Morris managed to break through the walls of their cells by May of 1962. 58% average accuracy. 7th grade. Escape from Alcatraz: Directed by Don Siegel. But did they find anything? The riot was finally quelled by two units of marines led by C.L. On the evening of June 11, they were ready to go. Each team member oversaw a different part of the plan, but they all had to also to find a way to get out of their cells on the night chosen for the escape. Homemade paddle recovered at prison. They were . In those summers, the Anglin brothers would swim in the icy waters of Lake Michigan and were well known for their superior swimming skills. The following year, 137 prisoners were transported from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Alcatraz began its service as part of the Federal Bureau of Prisons system. By May 1962, the holes were complete. The plan they came up with would demand every ounce of their bravery and all the resources they could possibly collect. The papier-mache heads left behind in their cells meant their disappearance wasnt detected until several hours later, the following morning. There was great confusion, and nobody could believe that anyone had actually tried to escape The Rock. Frank Morris, along with brothers John and Clarence Anglin, escaped from Alcatraz prison never to be seen again. Most people believe that the men died in their escape, but a number of people believe they made it. On the night of June 11, 1962, three Alcatraz inmates, Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin, set out in a raft made of raincoats into the treacherous waters of San Francisco Bay. Clearly Frank was ensconced in a life of crime and we dontneed to run through his entire rap sheet. According to their findings, if the gang headed out around midnight, the water currents would actually assist them on their way to shore and they had a good chance of survival. An illustrated collection of 35 more of my blog entries, Strange Tales 3: A new collection of mysterious places and odd people is now available for AmazonsKindle, price 1.99. They all knew such a thing could not be done, but they would soon discover that three inmates had achieved the impossible and gotten away. On June 13th, 1952, he was sentenced to serve 10 years at the Louisiana State Penitentiary for possession of narcotics and armed robbery. They did discover some personal belongings in the bay the day after their escape, but none of the items provided any clues about the men's whereabouts. Most people believe that these men died in their escape, but a number of people believe they made it. The case was transferred over to the United States Marshals Service and in 1993, it was reopened. A couple of years later, on November 13, 1940, he was convictedof theft and sentenced to the href="http://ghostsofdc.org/tag/national-training-school-for-boys/">NationalTraining School for Boys, a reform school in northeast D.C., wherehe was taught to repair shoes. Answer: There is no way of proving that he did, unless we find out by some evidence in the future. By the time he had managed to get out, the others had gone. Ghosts of DC took a little trip to the Bay Area this weekend and wewanted to sprinkle a little San Francisco flavor into this next post.We can think of no better subject than Alcatraz (aka, The Rock).