Alcatraz_ A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years - Michael Esslinger [232]
by the doctors.
Of course both you and Mr. Aldredge came to the institution and are very familiar with the incident and all of the findings. However, I might review some of the more outstanding points for the benefit of others who might read this report.
During the investigation it became obvious that the two sets of bars that were removed had been worked on over a long period of time and obviously by more people than just SCOTT. A check of the records indicates that ex-inmate BURBANK, No. 1369, now in custody by the Missouri State Penitentiary, was assigned to the kitchen basement for a long period of time and could have well have started the removal of the bars. Following his assignment, inmate Leonard WILLIAMS, No. 1045, was assigned to the basement area and he too could have contributed to these cuts. It is noted by the record that WILLIAMS was involved in several escape attempts, including an attempt to escape while being transported to Alcatraz.
Investigative reports suggest that inmates Charles Burbank (left) and Leonard Williams (right) may have begun cutting through the steel window bars several months before the escape, when they were assigned to the kitchen detail.
We are not quite sure of all instruments used to sever these bars; however, we are rather positive that a spatula, with serrated edges; a grease scraper, used by fry-cooks in scraping down grills, that had serrated edges, and string, which had been impregnated with floor wax; and institution scouring powder were at least three items that were used to sever these bars. One set of these bars, incidentally, is commonly referred to as "tool-proof-steel."
As we see the picture, and as admitted now by SCOTT and PARKER, SCOTT almost completed severing the bars, alerted PARKER that he expected to try to escape, and invited him then to go along. On the evening of the sixteenth, immediately after the 5:30 count, under the guise of taking the garbage to the basement, SCOTT got on the elevator, took the elevator half-way down, jumped off and completed severing the bars, which he states took approximately five minutes. He then dashed to the elevator shaft and signaled for PARKER, who jumped down the shaft, landing on the elevator halfway down, then jumped off to the floor and they both went out through the window.
This window is the last window on the south side of the kitchen basement and is partially hidden by two butane tanks that service burner units in the hospital. They eluded the officer who was patrolling back of the Kitchen by seeing that he had checked that side of the building and started in the other direction. They then hurriedly climbed two pipes at the corner of the building, gaining access to the roof. They crossed the roof and lowered themselves to the ground directly behind the Library on a length of extension cord that they had tied knots in, approximately three feet apart. This cord was removed from the buffing machine that is used to polish the basement floor. They then slid and fell down the steep hill directly behind Apartment Building "A." During this fall PARKER apparently broke his foot and received several cuts and bruises. They then went down the rather high bluff to the water's edge by sliding down a sewer pipe. At this point they inflated rubber gloves that they had inserted in shirtsleeves, and pieces of shirt that had been crudely stitched together, making a set of so called "water-wings" to be used as flotation equipment.
The cutaway bar section of the south-end window at the east end of the kitchen basement, through which inmates Parker and Scott made their escape.
An exterior view of the window that was used by inmates in their attempted escape.
An extension cord used in the escape, removed from a floor buffer that was used to polish the basement floor.
It was dark and rainy. Visibility was extremely poor. PARKER stated