This book comes from the pardon case file of Robert Stroud.
Robert Stroud, known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz,” was serving 12 years in a federal penitentiary for murder when he killed a fellow inmate and was sentenced to death. After his mother wrote to President Wilson asking for clemency, his term was commuted to life in prison. While imprisoned at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, Stroud cared for a family of sparrows, was eventually credited with raising over 300 canaries, and became known as a respected ornithologist.
In 1942, Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz. A book about his life, “Birdman of Alcatraz,” was published in 1955 when he had been in prison for over 40 years. After the release of a movie based on the book, a wave of support emerged for his release. The attempts for his release were unsuccessful, and he died at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, on November 21, 1963.
