Robert Stroud, "Birdman of Alcatraz" ALS Re: An Upcoming Court Appearance and Writing His Book.

2pp, measuring 8" x 10.25", Alcatraz, California, dated July 3, 1950. An autograph letter signed twice by notorious criminal Robert F. Stroud (1890-1963), and 3x signed by him, the first as "Robert Stroud" at the top of the first page above the preprinted recipient's address panel, the second as "Bob" at the conclusion, and "Robert Stroud, 594" below his conclusion. Written from the U.S. Federal Penitentiary at Alcatraz in black ink on blue-lined cream paper. Stamped "R.R.B." at upper right.

Robert Stroud, Federal prisoner #594, wrote this letter to his half-sister Mamie E. Stroud (1881-1969) about seven and a half years after his surprise transfer to Alcatraz Island on December 19, 1942. Stroud had previously been incarcerated at Leavenworth for 30 years, and it was there that he had first studied his beloved birds. At the beginning of his letter, Stroud writes of chastising his younger brother, Marcus and of making a payment for an upcoming court appearance: "I think that those fast arguments we had did him good. I took his ego down several pegs that hurt, but I showed him that I was sincere, and I think that he will try to be a little more thoughtful in the future. I also got a letter from the court acknowledging a check for $96.00 that Marc sent to pay the cost of printing the record in that case I have before the circuit court." Stroud continues on, writing that he had heard from an old friend who he raised birds with: "I also had a letter from my friend in Florida. He is writing a book, too, and from what he says, he plans to have a lot of nice things to say about me. We have been friends since 1924, and I was the one who taught him to raise birds." Near the conclusion of the letter, Stroud speaks of his progress with his own book, writing: "I am going on pretty good with the book. For a week I had worked hard, but had made no progress. My brain just was not functioning. My sentences were poorly constructed. My thoughts seemed to ramble. Then last night I read some of it over, discarded it, and started over, and everything is coming right and I have turned out some beautiful writing today. It has to be good, because I am writing my concluding chapter to the part on sex in prisons, and it is going to step on a lot of toes, sis, because I am about as conventional as a tomcat, but there is no living person who knows this such as well as I do, since I have lived with it under all manner of circumstances for more than forty years. Not only long enough to know what people do, but to know what it does to them…"

Stroud's interest in birds had begun as an inmate at Leavenworth around 1920, after nursing some jail yard sparrows back to health. He later obtained permission to breed, house, and study up to 300 birds in 2 adjacent prison cells. In mid-December 1942, with apparently only 10 minutes' notice to pack, Stroud would be transferred 1,700 miles east of Leavenworth to Alcatraz. At Alcatraz, Stroud was confined to a cell in D Block, where he would spend six years of segregation before eventually being transferred to the prison hospital. This was due to Stroud's track record of aggressive and violent behavior towards other inmates and prison guards. Stroud remained at Alcatraz until 1959, spending a total of 54 years in prison, 42 of which were in solitary confinement. Stroud was frequently in solitary confinement or the hospital due to his aggressive behavior and for sexually assaulting fellow inmates. The book he references was his novel Looking Outward: A History of the U.S. Prison System from Colonial Times to the Formation of the Bureau of Prisons, in which he covered the history of the prison system and his own experience within it. Although forbidden to publish his manuscript from Alcatraz or Springfield prison, the book was eventually published after Stroud's death. The letter is in near fine condition, with expected paper folds.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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