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By Root 823 0

worked themselves through a chimney, and using a large section of lumber boarding as a float, they attempted to swim to the mainland. However, they got caught in a whirlpool and remained clinging to the log until they were rescued. In one example of remarkable ingenuity, four prisoners attempted to use a large butter vat as a boat and struggled to paddle the unstable vessel to the San Francisco shore. They were promptly captured when the currents proved too fierce. Other escape attempts involved forgeries of orders, disguises and cutting of bars. Several shooting deaths also resulted from attempted prison breaks. Each of these attempts displayed a certain amount of courage and desperation, coupled with the ingenuity born of constant contemplation under long years in confinement. The obsession of escaping Alcatraz was continuously evident throughout the prison’s history.

One of the more interesting escape-related incidents occurred in the fall of 1926, when a crowd of inmates allegedly plotted a mass prison break. Colonel G. Maury Crallé had recently taken over as Commandant of the Disciplinary Barracks, when rumors began to circulate among the military guards about the mammoth plot. The alleged plan was for all of the inmates who were at work outside of the cellhouse perimeter to rush on signal toward the water’s edge, and swim for San Francisco. From the prisoners’ viewpoint, the scheme had considerable merit, but Colonel Crallé made the decision to address the inmates before they could attempt any such action. He called all of the inmates working on the labor details into the parade ground area and stood with his back to San Francisco. None of the officers were armed, and Crallé spoke to the men in a soft tone. He explained that he had been made aware of a mass escape plot and he expressed his opinion of such a foolish strategy. “GO AHEAD, SWIM!” he challenged, giving no indication that he would attempt to stop those who tried. He dared the men to make a run for the water and assured them that there would be no pursuit. However, he did calmly mention the hungry sharks that would surely attack the large groups of swimmers... and without a single incident; the inmates went back to work.

Colonel G. Maury Crallé.

Perhaps one of the best descriptions of the Military Prison was written in a presentation entitled: Definition and Operation by Major W.R. Stewart in 1930. Stewart wrote in part:

The mission of the United States Disciplinary Barracks is two-fold. First, rehabilitative, and second, punitive. Punishment by confinement at hard labor is not the paramount aim of such institutions. The reclamation of the convicted soldier for the Army and society is of equal importance... The Pacific Branch of the United States Disciplinary Barracks is located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. Here, on this little island, some 600 soldiers are expiating their crimes. Their sentences range from six months to life imprisonment. Approximately 10 percent of them are serving sentences of ten years or more. Over one-third have been sentenced for military offenses, the remainder for misdemeanors and felonies.

The prisoners at this institution are subjected to a firm, impartial discipline. Misconduct and misbehavior result in punishment, good conduct is rewarded. The punishments are not cruel but consist of forfeiture of good conduct time, loss of privileges, and solitary confinement for a limited period. The punishment is made to fit the offense and for minor infractions of rules may be only a reprimand or the loss of one or more entertainments. Every infraction is recorded for each prisoner and this record is considered in making work assignments and in taking action on requests for parole, clemency, or restoration.

All men in good standing – over 90% of the inmates of the institution - are granted all of the privileges allowed by law. Such men are permitted to attend all entertainments, including motion pictures, boxing bouts and shows provided by theatrical organizations of San Francisco and vicinity. They are permitted to