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MURDER IN THE FIRST - Fact and Fiction
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Craig Glassner
Jan 19, 1995, 6:28:51 PM1/19/95
to
The following is some background information on the real Henri
Young. Most of it comes from newspaper accounts from his 1941
trial. Some comes from assorted sources available on the history of
Alcatraz and other public records. While I have read Henri's actual
Bureau of Prison (BoP) and FBI files, much of the information there
hasn't actually been released to the public as yet as far as I know.
I'm awaiting a ruling from the BoP on wether or not that information
can be released under the Freedom of Information Act. His
psychological reports are particularly interesting . . .
Born: Kansas City, Missouri
Education: 2yrs. of high school
First offense: Miles City Montana - stole a flashlight
Second offense: attempted to steal a suit
Third offense: bank robbery (this was the crime that sent him to a
federal penitentiary, McNeil Island - the get away vehicle had a flat
tire.)
June 1, 1935 - transferred to USPAZ (United States Penitentiary
Alcatraz), In charge of Alcatraz is Warden James A. Johnston. He is
the first warden of Alcatraz (which opens in 1934 as a penitentiary - it
had been used as a military prison for years - the cellhouse, the third
one on the rock, is built by the U.S. Army in 1909-1914.) The Citadel
DID exist. It was the bottom section of the military structure built in
the 1850's to house military personnel at Fortress Alcatraz - the first
US fort on the west coast. But there is no confirmation that Young
was ever kept in it. According to the BoP it was closed in 1938 by
the director of the BoP. Some mention of it appears in newspaper
accounts of Henri's trial.
January 13 (Friday), 1939 - Arthur "Doc" Barker, William Martin,
Rufus McCain, Dale Stamphill and Henri Young attempt to escape
from Alcatraz. It is the fourth documented escape attempt since the
penitentiary opened in 1934. Barker is killed in the attempt, Stamphill
is wounded. Young and McCain are kept in solitary until Nov. 1940.
December 3, 1940 - Henri kills Rufus McCain in the tailor shop.
McCain was stabbed with a shiv in the abdomen (many rumors
abound that McCain had made it well know that he was going to kill
Young - some think that Young's murder of McCain was, in a sense,
self defense. Young and McCain were well-known homosexuals
according to a number of sources, and according to some they were
also former lovers. Some have said that their feud. had more to do
with that than the botched escape attempt which they both seemed to
blame each other for.)
April 16, 1941 - Henri Young's murder trial begins. He is defended by
James M. MacInnis and Sol Abrams - self defense was not used as
part of the defense. The defense was that Young was in a
"psychological coma" - that he was legally unconscious.
(Note the dates - a far cry from three years mentioned in the movie.
The three years include a lot of separate incidents for a number of
different infractions. In other words, from 1935 to 1941 - six years -
the total time Henri spent in solitary was three years, two months.)
The following is a description of Alcatraz's solitary made by Henri
Young at his trial as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. These
statements refer to a 13-day stint in solitary after he refused to work
(he was assigned to the laundry).
"The cell was all black. It was 9x5x7 feet high. My clothes were
taken off and I was placed in there nude. After my clothes had been
searched for particles of tobacco they were thrown into me...
Because of the stink from the plumbing facilities it was like stepping
into a sewer... Two blankets were thrown into me at 5pm. There was
no bed, no mattress, no furniture. The walls were painted black...
During the thirteen days I was in there I had two full meals. When
you walk in the black cell, you have to keep one hand on the wall so
you won't get dizzy or hurt yourself. Often you get dizzy spells. You
hardly ever sleep, only cat naps. You wake up shivering, hardly able
to move".
According to some sources the old D-block, which was where solitary
was (only B and C-blocks were originally renovated by the Bureau of
Prisons, A and D-block were the older military cells) was renovated
after Henri's trial after a BoP investigation. I suspect that the
renovation was more to prevent the type of escape that Young had
attempted than to change the treatment - the new D-block had the
"Special Treatment Unit" - dark cells with steal walls-floor-cealing.
I'm
told by some that did time in the"STU" that the steal floor was worse
than the cement floor Henri is alleged to have experienced for three
years.
BTW - while still at Alcatraz Henri confessed to an earlier murder he
had committed in 1933. For this he would do time at Walla Walla
State Prison after he was released by the Feds in the mid-1950's. He
would escape from Walla Walla in the late 1960's, and would be
captured a few months later. In the early 1970's Henri is released
from Walla Walla. His paper-trail ends about this time when he skips
out on his parole.
--
Craig Glassner
Alcatraz Island
ran...@hooked.net
Young. Most of it comes from newspaper accounts from his 1941
trial. Some comes from assorted sources available on the history of
Alcatraz and other public records. While I have read Henri's actual
Bureau of Prison (BoP) and FBI files, much of the information there
hasn't actually been released to the public as yet as far as I know.
I'm awaiting a ruling from the BoP on wether or not that information
can be released under the Freedom of Information Act. His
psychological reports are particularly interesting . . .
Born: Kansas City, Missouri
Education: 2yrs. of high school
First offense: Miles City Montana - stole a flashlight
Second offense: attempted to steal a suit
Third offense: bank robbery (this was the crime that sent him to a
federal penitentiary, McNeil Island - the get away vehicle had a flat
tire.)
June 1, 1935 - transferred to USPAZ (United States Penitentiary
Alcatraz), In charge of Alcatraz is Warden James A. Johnston. He is
the first warden of Alcatraz (which opens in 1934 as a penitentiary - it
had been used as a military prison for years - the cellhouse, the third
one on the rock, is built by the U.S. Army in 1909-1914.) The Citadel
DID exist. It was the bottom section of the military structure built in
the 1850's to house military personnel at Fortress Alcatraz - the first
US fort on the west coast. But there is no confirmation that Young
was ever kept in it. According to the BoP it was closed in 1938 by
the director of the BoP. Some mention of it appears in newspaper
accounts of Henri's trial.
January 13 (Friday), 1939 - Arthur "Doc" Barker, William Martin,
Rufus McCain, Dale Stamphill and Henri Young attempt to escape
from Alcatraz. It is the fourth documented escape attempt since the
penitentiary opened in 1934. Barker is killed in the attempt, Stamphill
is wounded. Young and McCain are kept in solitary until Nov. 1940.
December 3, 1940 - Henri kills Rufus McCain in the tailor shop.
McCain was stabbed with a shiv in the abdomen (many rumors
abound that McCain had made it well know that he was going to kill
Young - some think that Young's murder of McCain was, in a sense,
self defense. Young and McCain were well-known homosexuals
according to a number of sources, and according to some they were
also former lovers. Some have said that their feud. had more to do
with that than the botched escape attempt which they both seemed to
blame each other for.)
April 16, 1941 - Henri Young's murder trial begins. He is defended by
James M. MacInnis and Sol Abrams - self defense was not used as
part of the defense. The defense was that Young was in a
"psychological coma" - that he was legally unconscious.
(Note the dates - a far cry from three years mentioned in the movie.
The three years include a lot of separate incidents for a number of
different infractions. In other words, from 1935 to 1941 - six years -
the total time Henri spent in solitary was three years, two months.)
The following is a description of Alcatraz's solitary made by Henri
Young at his trial as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. These
statements refer to a 13-day stint in solitary after he refused to work
(he was assigned to the laundry).
"The cell was all black. It was 9x5x7 feet high. My clothes were
taken off and I was placed in there nude. After my clothes had been
searched for particles of tobacco they were thrown into me...
Because of the stink from the plumbing facilities it was like stepping
into a sewer... Two blankets were thrown into me at 5pm. There was
no bed, no mattress, no furniture. The walls were painted black...
During the thirteen days I was in there I had two full meals. When
you walk in the black cell, you have to keep one hand on the wall so
you won't get dizzy or hurt yourself. Often you get dizzy spells. You
hardly ever sleep, only cat naps. You wake up shivering, hardly able
to move".
According to some sources the old D-block, which was where solitary
was (only B and C-blocks were originally renovated by the Bureau of
Prisons, A and D-block were the older military cells) was renovated
after Henri's trial after a BoP investigation. I suspect that the
renovation was more to prevent the type of escape that Young had
attempted than to change the treatment - the new D-block had the
"Special Treatment Unit" - dark cells with steal walls-floor-cealing.
I'm
told by some that did time in the"STU" that the steal floor was worse
than the cement floor Henri is alleged to have experienced for three
years.
BTW - while still at Alcatraz Henri confessed to an earlier murder he
had committed in 1933. For this he would do time at Walla Walla
State Prison after he was released by the Feds in the mid-1950's. He
would escape from Walla Walla in the late 1960's, and would be
captured a few months later. In the early 1970's Henri is released
from Walla Walla. His paper-trail ends about this time when he skips
out on his parole.
--
Craig Glassner
Alcatraz Island
ran...@hooked.net
Craig Glassner
Jan 19, 1995, 5:17:00 PM1/19/95
to
The following is some background information on the real
Henri
Young. Most of it comes from newspaper accounts from his
1941
trial. Some comes from other sources available on the Henri
Young. Most of it comes from newspaper accounts from his
1941
history of
Alcatraz, and other public records.
Born: Kansas City, Missouri
Education: 2yrs. of high school
First offense: Miles City Montana - stole a flashlight
Second offense: attempted to steal a suit
Third offense: bank robbery (this was the crime that sent him
to a
federal penitentiary, McNeil Island - the get away vehicle
had a flat
tire.)
June 1, 1935 - transferred to USPAZ (United States
Penitentiary
Alcatraz), In charge of Alcatraz is Warden James A. Johnston.
He is
the first warden of Alcatraz (which opens in 1934 as a
penitentiary - it
had been used as a military prison for years - the cellhouse,
the third
one on the rock, is built by the U.S. Army in 1909-1914.)
experienced.
BTW - while still at Alcatraz Henri confessed to a murder he
had committed in 1933. For this he would do time at Walla
Walla
State Prison after he was released by the Feds in the
mid-1950's. He
would escape from Walla Walla in the late 1960's, and would
be
captured a few months later. In the early 1970's Henri is
released
from Walla Walla. His paper-trail ends about this time when
he skips
out on his parole.
Craig Glassner
Jan 22, 1995, 10:57:30 PM1/22/95
to
The following is the actual text of a memo released by
the (then) Director of the Bureau of Prisons in
response to the request by the jury of Henri Young
for an investigation of conditions and practices United
States Penitentiary Alcatraz.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -
MAY 1, 1941
STATEMENT OF
JAMES V. BENNETT
DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS
IN RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR AN
INVESTIGATION OF THE
ALCATRAZ PENITENTIARY
MADE BY THE JURY WHICH TRIED
HENRY YOUNG
FOR MURDERER OF A FELLOW PRISONER.
I am fully 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
public institution performing humanely and intelligently
a most difficult task in 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 of brutality or inhumanity
at Alcatraz.
Corporal punishment is prohibited in all the Federal
penal institutions including Alcatraz. We stand on our
record as the most modern and humane penal
system in the world. I have every confidence in
Warden Johnston. He is a just, humane, and
intelligent prison warden capably performing the most
difficult job any warden was every asked to assume.
The entire institutional staff has consistently displayed
their courage, patience, and devotion to the public
service. They deserve the support of every
fair-minded citizen whose homes and safety they
have helped to protect.
The statements made by the prisoners so far called to
my attention have already been carefully investigated
by the Department and found to be wholly
unfounded. When, however, a transcript of the
testimony has been received, it will be carefully gone
over as in every other case, and if any evidence or
facts are found showing brutal or inhuman treatment,
vigorous corrective measures will be taken.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
the (then) Director of the Bureau of Prisons in
response to the request by the jury of Henri Young
for an investigation of conditions and practices United
States Penitentiary Alcatraz.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -
MAY 1, 1941
STATEMENT OF
JAMES V. BENNETT
DIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS
IN RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR AN
INVESTIGATION OF THE
ALCATRAZ PENITENTIARY
MADE BY THE JURY WHICH TRIED
HENRY YOUNG
FOR MURDERER OF A FELLOW PRISONER.
I am fully 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
public institution performing humanely and intelligently
a most difficult task in 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 of brutality or inhumanity
at Alcatraz.
Corporal punishment is prohibited in all the Federal
penal institutions including Alcatraz. We stand on our
record as the most modern and humane penal
system in the world. I have every confidence in
Warden Johnston. He is a just, humane, and
intelligent prison warden capably performing the most
difficult job any warden was every asked to assume.
The entire institutional staff has consistently displayed
their courage, patience, and devotion to the public
service. They deserve the support of every
fair-minded citizen whose homes and safety they
have helped to protect.
The statements made by the prisoners so far called to
my attention have already been carefully investigated
by the Department and found to be wholly
unfounded. When, however, a transcript of the
testimony has been received, it will be carefully gone
over as in every other case, and if any evidence or
facts are found showing brutal or inhuman treatment,
vigorous corrective measures will be taken.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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