CRIME: Five Men

Alcatraz Penitentiary on a grim, grey rock in San Francisco Bay was considered escape proof till December 1937. Then two convicts got down to the water, vanished into what may or may not have been their grave in the treacherous currents of the bay. Then authority were startled. They were more startled last week.

Early one morning a guard came upon five empty cells, their bars sawed clean. He sounded an alarm. Suddenly searchlights flooded the twelve-acre island. It shone in the darkness of the fogbound bay like an electric bulb wrapped in a mass of wool. This time there was no mystery about the fate of the escapers. Searchlights and guards spotted them at the water’s edge, one picking up driftwood.

Kidnapper Rufus McCain, Robbers Henri Young and William Martin surrendered. It took a bullet through both legs to stop Kidnapper Dale Stamphill. For Arthur (“Doc”) Barker, kidnapping associate of Alcatraz’ notorious inmate Alvin (“Old Creepy”) Karpis, it took a shot in the head and death.