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By Root 805 0

by Alcatraz personnel, the jury proved sympathetic to the defense and delivered a verdict of “involuntary manslaughter.” The ruling enraged Judge Roche, who sternly voiced his displeasure with the jury’s decision. On May 3, 1941, Henri Young was given the maximum sentence of an additional three years. Henri attempted to show his gratitude to Judge Roche by thanking him for appointing the youthful attorneys. Young was sharply cut off by Roche, who hastily remarked to the prisoner and the court: “I have known Warden Johnston for 30-years. I’ve watched him work. He is a man most respected in this community. I’ve visited San Quentin and Folsom unannounced and found everything in order... Warden Johnston’s work is outstanding. He admits that he made a mistake letting you out of isolation, and letting you go to the prison work shop where you had a chance to murder.” Young listened with a coy smile, and then responded by asking, “That’s a rather perverse attempt to rehabilitate - don’t you think Judge?” Roche nearly rose out of his seat, looking sternly down at Young and stating: “Some men deserve sympathy, but you’re not one of those. You planned a cold and deliberate murder of an unfortunate human being.” Henri Young simply continued to smile.

When the jury requested an investigation of the confinement practices at Alcatraz, Bureau of Prisons Director James V. Bennett released a powerful statement to the press. Many historians consider it as the most revealing commentary on the jury decision in the murder trial of Henri Young:

Statement of James V. Bennett

Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons

May 4, 1941

I am firmly convinced that the jury which tried Henri Young for murder of another inmate in the Alcatraz Penitentiary has been misled about conditions at the prison. It has been impressed by tactics which sought to free Young through disparaging and attacking a public institution performing humanely and intelligently a most difficult task of protecting the public from hardened and unregenerate criminals. Young has been described by former United States Attorney Simpson and Federal Judge Stanley Webster of Spokane, Washington, as "the worst and most dangerous criminal with whom they ever dealt" and as "one who would not hesitate to kill anybody who crossed his path." He has been permitted to go virtually unpunished on the basis of inferences and innuendoes made by inmates whose criminal records and life histories show them to be wholly unreliable and who were able to commit deliberate perjury with impunity since they could not be reached by any effective legal process. From such information as I have about the trial, it is apparent that the Jury had before it no first-hand information or reliable evidence as to the policies or methods followed in the management of the most difficult and desperate group of prisoners ever assembled.

Alcatraz is now and always has been open to inspection and investigation by any qualified or properly commissioned person or groups. It has been inspected by Judges, Congressmen, penologists and qualified private citizens and has been approved as a modern and intelligent method of protecting the public from those desperate criminals who have proved themselves to be wholly intractable.

The institution, for instance, was recently inspected by experts of The Osborne Association of New York, a private philanthropic organization devoted primarily to the investigation of prisons, and was pronounced by them as well managed and operated and as using no improper system of discipline. Members of the Appropriations Committee of Congress in the course of their examination of our estimates also recently inspected the institution and made no criticism of its methods or operations.

I have visited Alcatraz frequently as have various members of our staff and know personally most of the inmates, including Young. As a matter of fact, I have on several occasions personally interviewed Young and done everything possible to obtain his cooperation. I have never found or had called to my attention any authentic case