Escapes from Alcatraz Prison - Famous Escape
Officials that run Alcatraz prison claimed that they never allowed anyone to escape from this fortified island surrounded by the icy waters of San Francisco Bay. During its 100 yearlong activity, this prison proved to be perfect spot for holding problematic and career criminals that always had an escape on their minds. From its early use as a military prison during American Civil War, to the 30 years of use as a supermax prison of United States Department of Justice, Alcatraz slowly built its reputation as a perfect "escape proof" prison. But that all possibly came to an end in June 1962, when four inmates executed one of the most famous prison attempts in American history.
Members of this brave escape attempt were Clarence and John Anglin, Frank Morris and Allen West. Clarence and John Anglin (born in 1930 and 1931, respectively)were bank robbers that were given s 15-20 year long sentencing in Atlanta Penitentiary, where they met Morris and West. After several failed attempts, brothers were deemed as a security risk and were transported to the most secure prison in America - Alcatraz. They arrived there in October of 1960, and immediately started devising plan to escape. Frank Lee Morris was born in September 1926 and has spent his entire youth as orphan and small criminal. He arrived in Alcatraz as a hardened criminal sentenced for various possessions of narcotics and armed robbery. Allen West was born in 1929 and has entered US prison system after several instances of car theft. He tried to escape several times from several prisons, and was eventually sent to the Alcatraz in 1957.
The plan for their escape had several phases. First, all four inmates started cutting the wall surrounding ventilator grill in their cells, which gave them access to the utility corridors. On the night of the escape (June 11, 1962) only Anglin brothers and Morris managed to cut through their grill and escape their cells, and West decided to stay seeing that he cannot open the hole in his wall. Three prisoners soon climbed to the rooftop, passed the wall, pumped their makeshift rubber raft and jumped into the sea. Next morning, officers securing their cell wing found out that Anglin brothers and Morris put dummy heads created from soap, toilet paper and real hair in their beds to fool night-time inspections. As west did not make out from his cell no charges were pressed against him. He also provided detailed account of their entire plan.
As of 2011, no concrete proof of their successful escape was ever found and officials claim that all three of them drowned in the sea. However, US Marshall office still considers their case open, and will remained open until all three escapees reach 100 years of age. Mystery of this exciting escape from the most secure prison in United States still lives in the popular culture people all across the world.
