Текст книги "Alcatraz: A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years "

Автор книги: Майкл Эсслингер

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Текущая страница: 30 (всего у книги 42 страниц)

The heavy steel door leading to the recreation yard from the main cellhouse.

By now Cliff Fish was incredibly nervous, and he rang all of the phones located at the main internal posts. The ringing phones could be heard throughout the cellhouse, and this seemed to contribute to the stress of the inmates involved in the plot. Still there was no answer, and at about 2:00 p.m. Officer Fish called the Warden at his residence. Mrs. Johnston answered the phone, and explained that the Warden was taking a nap and had asked not to be disturbed. Fish explained that there was a crisis in the cellhouse and stressed that he needed to speak with the Warden urgently. Fish then briefed Johnston about the situation. Johnston instructed him to contact all of the tower posts as well as the Associate Warden, and added that he would wash up and meet Fish in the Armory within a few minutes. Fish then found himself in a rare predicament – the Warden had left him to decide whether or not to sound the siren. At this point, he had been unable to confirm any serious problem. But once the siren was engaged, it would sound for three minutes with no way to deactivate it – and the siren’s wail would signal to the world that there was a major situation at Alcatraz. At 2:07 p.m., Fish reached over and unlocked the siren cover and pressed the activation key.

When the siren began to sound, it could be heard across the Bay as far as the town of Marin. The conspirators were keen to the obvious. This was it – they now knew that the chances of escape were almost nonexistent. The island would soon be swarming with armed officers, and measures were probably already in place to prevent them from gaining access to the launch. Jim Quillen would recall in a later interview that he left D Block around this time and walked out onto Seedy Street, asking Cretzer if he and fellow inmate Jack Pepper could come along. Cretzer was apparently conscious that their chances of escape where dashed, and he shook hands with Quillen and told him to go back to his cell, because he didn’t think that they were going to make it to the mainland. He asked Quillen to try to get Sam Shockley to return to his cell too, but Shockley motioned them to wait a minute, and then walked away. This was the last he would ever see of them.

Coy had entered the bakery carrying the Springfield rifle, and he lined up a shot to take out the Hill Tower guard, Elmus Besk. Upon hearing the siren, Besk walked out onto the catwalk to check for any unusual activity. Coy carefully punched out one of the windows and then opened fire. Elmus was struck in the legs, and dropped to the deck in severe pain from several fragments of a bullet that had struck the railing and broken apart. Fish would later recount that Besk crawled back into the tower and phoned him, reporting that he had been shot with what had seemed almost like a shotgun. Besk communicated that he would hold out until they could get him help, and dressed his own wounds using rags.

Coy then ran up into the kitchen and punched out a pane from another window, this time targeting the Road Tower guard, Irving Levinson. The first bullet ripped through the window and Levinson quickly dropped to the floor for cover. He scanned the prison windows to see if he could make out where the shot had come from. He noticed the yard wall officer who was lying on the catwalk, looking over at him and motioning toward the kitchen. Levinson pulled his rifle over and remained ready to fire, while attempting to determine where the shot had come from. Coy then walked to the other side of the mess hall and punched out another pane, this time taking aim at the Dock Tower guard, Jim Comerford. Coy squeezed off another round, and the bullet sliced through the Dock Tower window. Comerford dropped onto the narrow perimeter catwalk, taking aim at the cellhouse with his rifle as he heard the bullet whiz past his shoulder. Comerford’s wife heard the shot and ran toward the tower, attempting to see if her husband was injured. Comerford waived that he was not hurt and directed her to go back home and take cover. The powerful rifle shots reverberated all over the island and it was later reported that they had been heard as far away as the shores of Marin and San Francisco.

One interesting detail is that the Armory Officer was usually responsible for calibrating and adjusting the target sights on every Springfield that was returned to the Armory. Fish would later note that his adjustments had been off by nearly six inches and this probably had affected Coy’s aim, thus saving the lives of a few officers. Several of the island’s residents heard the rifle fire and retreated into their homes. They knew that the chance of an inmate acquiring weapons was remote, but that nothing was impossible.

Dock Tower Guard Jim Comerford.

Captain of the Guards Henry Weinhold was an ex-marine and he had the reputation among his peers as very capable but rigid officer. After talking with Fish, Weinhold took a gas billy and demanded that he be admitted to the cellhouse. Fish had been vehemently protesting against anyone entering the embattled building, but his pleas fell upon deaf ears. Weinhold went into the cellhouse by himself. He too was quickly captured by the armed convicts and was led off to join the other hostages. But before Weinhold could be put into the cell, Shockley viciously attacked him. Jim Quillen later stated that he saw Shockley throw a punch at Weinhold, who was able to duck and avoid the blow. Shockley apparently fell into a deep rage, charging Weinhold and attempting to kick him in the groin. Weinhold blocked the force of the kick by lifting his leg, then clenched his fist and struck Shockley straight in the mouth. Shockley then went crazy, just as Carnes appeared with Officer Sundstrom, jamming the billy club sharply into his back and pushing him forward into the cell. Sam struck Sundstrom in the head, knocking him off balance. The other inmates then calmed Sam down, while Cretzer made Sundstrom strip, and confiscated his pants and wallet.

An official affidavit written by Officer Carl Sundstrom, describing the theft of his wallet by Joe Cretzer.

Associate Warden Edward J. Miller, known to his peers as “Ed” but nicknamed “Meathead” by the inmates, was at home when he received the call from Fish. Without wasting any time, Miller hiked up the steep path to the main building and hurriedly reported to the Armory. After receiving a full briefing from Fish he decided to enter the cellhouse on his own, to help ensure the safety of his fellow officers and to straighten out what he believed was a simple cellhouse fight. Once again Fish protested, knowing that something had gone seriously awry. But without further consideration, Miller grabbed a gas billy and entered the east end of the cellhouse. As he cautiously starting walking up Broadway, he observed someone who he thought to be an officer walking towards him. But within seconds he had caught a closer glimpse and he recognized that it was actually Bernie Coy, carrying a rifle. Miller quickly attempted to retreat and armed the gas billy. Coy started to run at Miller and managed to fire off two rounds. One of them struck the gas billy, causing it to explode in Miller’s face and he quickly withdrew into the sallyport, half-blinded and with moderate burns. Gate Officer Al Phillips quickly secured the main door while Miller walked back toward the administrative offices, where the Warden had just arrived.

An official affidavit written by Officer Carl Sundstrom, describing the theft of his wallet by Joe Cretzer.

By now, word was coming in that a sniper taking aim from the cellhouse kitchen might have injured a couple of the tower guards. Ed Miller, still in pain from his facial injuries, started to brief Johnston on what had taken place. Then as the sirens wailed again, resonating off nearly every structure of the island, Johnston gave the directive to assemble all of the off-duty officers immediately, as it was now obvious that the inmates intended to blast out of the prison. Johnston and Miller started to plan their strategy, and using a procedural matrix, they initiated calls to the neighboring police departments in San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland, as well as to the FBI, the Coast Guard, the U.S. Marshal, the Justice Department, and the Bureau of Prisons.

Associate Warden E.J. Miller suffered moderate burns to his face after his gas billy exploded during an altercation with one of the conspirators.

Reinforcements were brought in from a variety of agencies and organizations. They included personnel from the Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement agencies, and the US Military.

A correctional officer firmly warns an approaching vessel to maintain its distance.

Johnston pulled out the cellblock diagrams and charted the areas that appeared to be secure and those that were now controlled by the inmates. Then he and Miller began to post officers at critical observation points, and to follow the prescribed protocol for securing the island. All of the resident off-duty officers were speedily armed and assigned to established posts on an anti-escape perimeter around the prison building. The prison launch was searched and then sent out to patrol on a 200-yard-wide security area around the island, with an armed officer onboard. The Control Room officer had been instructed to try to contact all of the off-duty guards who resided on the mainland. The inmates who were working at the dock and outside the normal security area were quickly marched to the prison industries work area at the northwest end of the island, under armed supervision. Specific measures had been taken to secure the inmates at work in the industries within their respective buildings, until more officers were available to facilitate their safe transfer to the recreation yard.

Meanwhile inmates Coy, Hubbard, Cretzer, Thompson, Shockley and Carnes, desperate and without any alternative plans, found themselves in a stalemate. None of them knew exactly what their next step should be, but Coy, Cretzer, and Hubbard made it clear that they didn’t intend to be taken alive. Carnes would later comment that he was surprised at how casually they had talked about the possibility of dying. The trio made a pact that they would not surrender, and would try to stay alive for as long as possible, hoping to the end that some opportunity would arise for them to complete their escape. Coy headed off to cover the main entrance, as he knew that Miller would return with reinforcements to try to infiltrate the cellhouse.

Hubbard remained at the entrance of D Block, talking with some of the inmates who were still wandering around. It was becoming more evident that the prison escapees would most likely be attacked with heavy gunfire, and so he started instructing the other inmates to return to their cells and take cover. With the sirens blaring and the distantly ringing phones echoing from various points in the cellhouse, Cretzer was starting to get panicky. He conveyed to the others that all of them would get “ thechair” if Coy had killed any of the tower guards. He explained that if the guard staff was able to regain control, which would most likely be achieved by sheer brutal force, the hostages would certainly testify against them. Cretzer started pacing indecisively in front of the cells, and Shockley stood loyally by, awaiting Cretzer’s next directive. It was now becoming painfully clear that their escape had failed, and that the full wrath of the prison administration would soon fall upon them.

It was later reported that Captain Weinhold tried to reason with Cretzer at this point, but this only seemed to agitate him even more. Weinhold tried to reason that every point of the island would soon be swarming with armed guards, and that the conspirators didn’t stand even a remote chance of escaping. There was also a well-known rule that the Prison Bureau would not trade the life of a hostage for the freedom of an inmate. This was a hard and fast policy in the prison system, which still exists today. Thompson had completely given up on opening the yard door, and Cretzer hesitantly floated the idea that they should rid themselves of their hostages. If they killed the captives, then no one could ever identify the ringleaders. Thompson stood in agreement – they simply could not afford to leave any witnesses. At this point Shockley became manic and started yelling in front of the cells, “shoot’em all dead, go ahead and kill’em!”  Shockley couldn’t control his rage, and he repeatedly urged Cretzer to pull the trigger. Weinhold calmly appealed to Cretzer to be sensible, and to stop before anyone was hurt. But Cretzer, with little sign of emotion, walked to the front of cell #404, cocked the hammer on the .45, and pulled the trigger, shooting Captain Weinhold straight in the chest. Shockley’s cheers resonated throughout the cellhouse, screaming wildly: “shoot the fuckers dead!”

A view of the blood-stained wall of cell #403, where four officers were shot in cold blood by Joseph Cretzer.

Weinhold fell to the floor of the crowded cell as Cretzer, in a manic rage, again took aim and opened fire. A bullet struck Miller, ripping through his chest and exiting through his arm. Corwin was hit in the face and crumpled to the ground, bleeding profusely. As Cretzer coldly aimed and pulled the trigger in a series of staccato shots, the other officers fell to the floor in a mass of human carnage. Cretzer then pulled out the ammunition clip and slowly assessed the fallen officers. The captives in the next cell listened in horror as he methodically loaded bullets into the clip and then snapped it back into place. He walked to cell #403 and calmly raised the pistol between the bars, taking aim at the terrified officers and firing off several more rounds. The piercing sounds of gunfire rang through the cellhouse as Simpson took a bullet in the abdomen, and Baker fell to the floor as another shot hit his left leg, shattering his femur. Sundstrom lay cringing on the floor, expecting pain to riddle his body, but surprisingly the bullets had missed him. The officers lay on the floor of the cramped cells, waiting helplessly for the next flurry of bullets.

Thompson and Shockley paced in front of the cells, watching for any signs of movement within. Finally Shockley yelled that he saw a “screw” moving, and begged Cretzer for the gun to finish him off. Cretzer walked to the front of cell #404 where Ernie Lageson bravely emerged from among the wounded officers, trying to calm the irrational inmates. Cretzer made some surprisingly positive comments to the others about how well he got along with Lageson, adding that perhaps he should be spared. But Shockley and Thompson demanded that no witnesses should remain. If Lageson survived, he would make sure that each one of them received the death penalty, so Lageson could not be spared. Cretzer raised the pistol to Lageson’s head, stating simply, “I’m really sorry, Mr. Lageson,” as he firmly pulled the trigger. Stillness spread over the cells and pools of blood started to saturate the cement floors.

As Cretzer peered into the cells he could still see some movement, and he heard a few muffled moans from what appeared to be Baker and Simpson, still alive and in terrible pain. Again he raised the pistol and clipped in a few more rounds, then fired. The cell was still once more, with patches of dense smoke slowly dissipating into a fogged haze. Coy had heard the barrage of gunfire, and he appeared at the front of the cells, observing the aftermath of Cretzer’s mass execution. Weinhold was completely unconscious and unresponsive, due to a large bore bullet wound that had torn straight through his body and left him bleeding profusely on the cell floor. But Lageson had only been slightly grazed with a minor burn to his left ear, and he covertly lifted his head to assess his surroundings. Corwin’s condition appeared critical; he had clearly been struck in the facial area, as his jaw was grimly deformed. Burdette and Bristow had both escaped injury. Miller was unconscious, and his condition was also extremely critical. He lay bleeding from a gaping wound, and his breathing was labored and shallow. In the other cell, Sundstrom was completely uninjured, and was attempting to lie as still as possible on the floor of the cell. Simpson and Baker had both been hit again during Cretzer’s frightening attack. Simpson was unconscious and immobile, and Baker was lying immobile, praying that Cretzer would not fire again.

Carnes was now armed with the butcher knife that Hubbard had taken from the kitchen, and he was directed by Cretzer to stand watch at the cell fronts. Cretzer sharply ordered him to go in and “cut their throats” if he noticed any movement. Carnes peered into the cells, carefully watching over the officers, who were lying amid the murky pools of blood. As he looked intently at each officer, he soon noticed slight breathing movements. But when Coy and Cretzer returned and asked him if the captives were all dead, Carnes risked his safety by assuring his accomplices that Cretzer’s bullets had killed them all. The inmates then walked off, discussing the strategy of their next move. Carnes and Thompson realized that their cause was hopeless, and jointly pleaded with the others that they didn’t stand a chance without weapons, and that they wanted to return to their cells for shelter. Carnes and Thompson then wished the trio luck, and headed back to find open cells in which to take cover. They would both carefully attempt to wash the officers’ blood from their clothes, hopeful that no one would identify them as having played a role in the escape attempt.

Back in the bloody cell, Ernie Lageson carefully looked up, and seeing that no one was watching over them, he slowly reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a pencil. On the cell wall he inscribed the names of Cretzer, Coy, Carnes, Hubbard, Thompson and Shockley. He then circled the names of Cretzer, Coy, and Hubbard, and placed a check next to Cretzer’s. The list was written indistinctly but legibly on the cell wall, and was clear enough to serve as evidence if the guards were all killed. The circled names indicated the ringleaders, and the check mark would leave no question as to who had committed the murders.

Officer Lageson had the foresight to scrawl the names of the conspiring inmates on the cell wall, circling the names of the ringleaders. This would prove to be a key piece of evidence in the trial of the surviving inmates.

(Author’s note: It has also been argued that it was Officer Carl Sundstrom who inscribed the names on the cell wall. Armory Officer Clifford Fish vehemently insisted that Sundstrom had told him immediately after being rescued from the cellhouse that he had performed this act. I have been unable to find any other references that provided proof of this argument, but Fish’s account should also be considered, as he seemed adamant about this fact, and his recollections of events were usually exceptionally precise. For the sake of accuracy, it should also be noted that a feature article in the San Francisco Chronicle [May 5, 1946, p. 8] reported that Sundstrom had first made notations on a blank piece of white paper, and had then inscribed on the cell floor: “Cretzer killed or shot Joe Simpson in the stomach and chest twice and shot Baker also. He missed me so far.” It is possible that these two details have been confused, and that Lageson was actually responsible for the wall inscription.)

Cretzer, Hubbard, and Coy then started toward C Block, entering the utility corridor and cautiously ascending the array of plumbing pipes and electrical conduits. After making the climb and reaching the top, each inmate carefully perched himself so as to have a clear view of the entryway, with the intention of eliminating as many officers as possible. The inmates probably considered this as the most strategic platform from which to monitor all the activities of the assault teams that were sure to come. The cellhouse had descended into an eerie quiet. The sirens had stopped wailing, and the ringing phones had finally gone still. Most of the inmates had returned to their cells, and the noise level had flattened into a dead silence, broken occasionally by the screech of a passing seagull.

It was approximately 2:45 p.m., and Lieutenant Phil Bergen was enjoying a quiet day off with his wife on the mainland, while his two daughters were still in school. By now, news of the Alcatraz “blast out” was spreading around San Francisco, with most of the facts terribly exaggerated by the newscasters. When Bergen heard the news, he immediately found a phone and contacted Cliff Fish in the Armory. Fish stated that there was little information that had been confirmed, but that they could identify one of the attempted escapees as Bernie Coy. They also knew that Bernie was armed with a .30-06 Springfield, which he had somehow managed to seize from Bert Burch in the gun gallery. Fish further explained that he and his colleagues had been unable to contact any of the officers within the cellhouse, with the exception of Stucker in the basement and the hospital officer, who hadn’t been aware that there were problems downstairs. Bergen immediately reported to Pier #4 at Fort Mason, where Coast Guard cutters were standing by to carry off-duty officers who were reporting back to the island.

As the reserve officers reported for duty, they were immediately readied and posted at various points around the prison. Prior to Bergen’s arrival, two officers had been sent to take up positions in the East Gun Gallery, and Officers Harold P. Stitesand Joe Maxell had been posted to the west side. But as soon as the two officers attempted to enter the west end of the gallery, they were immediately faced with a barrage of gunfire and were forced back out. They did however manage to fire off a few rounds, and to throw two tear gas grenades through the gallery bars and onto the cellhouse floor. It was evident that they would be unable to enter without sending in an assault team to do battle with the inmates, and to take the gallery by force.

Correctional Officer Harold P. Stites who was tragically killed by friendly fire in the West Gun Gallery in D-Block.

By the time the 3:45 p.m. launch arrived at the island, the boat had transported enough officers to begin the slow process of moving the inmates who were still secured in the Industries up to the recreation yard. Prison officers organized supply details that helped to bring up several bales of blankets from the prison laundry. The recreation yard was set up to give as much shelter to the inmates as was possible under the circumstances. The San Francisco Chapter of the Red Cross, headed by Robert S. Elliot, was contacted for support. They started to put together supplies of sandwiches, coffee, water and cigarettes to serve to the inmates and the riot support personnel alike, since it was unclear when the guards would be able to regain control of the cellhouse and restore order. There were even some delicacies provided to the inmates, such as potato chips and filtered cigarettes. Federal agents were now beginning to arrive, and several men were assigned to positions on the yard wall catwalk. They were instructed to keep a close eye on the recreation yard inmate population, and sharpshooters stood ready to suppress any gunfire that might originate from the kitchen areas.

The American Red Cross was enlisted to assist the families as they were slowly evacuated from the island.

Johnston quickly put together a planning conference with Associate Warden Miller and a few of the lieutenants. The group started a painstaking review of all the available officer counts, and all of the status updates from Officers Virgil Cochenour and John Mullen, who had been monitoring the activities in the cellhouse from their positions in the East End Gallery. Isaak Faulk, who was normally in charge of the tower officers, had set up headquarters with Officer Fish in the Armory. Lieutenant George Boatman offered his assistance in rescuing the captive officers, and started designating support assignments to those just arriving. Ike Faulk was already aware that at least one of his tower officers had been injured, and with Boatman’s assistance, he devised a plan for the Federal agents to provide cover while the prison officers climbed the towers to rescue their comrades. Hill Tower Officer Besk was found lying on the floor, and was quickly given first aid, having lost a large amount of blood.

Lieutenant Isaak Faulk

Lieutenant George Boatman

Warden Johnston’s Secretary, Walter Bertrand

With several vessels from the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the San Francisco Police now patrolling the waters, word was spreading that something very bad was unfolding on Alcatraz, so Johnston broke the twelve-year silence and decided to make a formal public announcement about the current events. Johnston and his Secretary, Walter Bertrand, stood in the Armory and started delivering the solemn news to the world. The first Teletype messages were sent to BOP Director James Bennett, the... B.I., and finally to Western Union, which would communicate the grave news to all of the press associations in the following telegram:

Serious Trouble... Convict has machine gun in cellhouse... Have issued riot call... Placed armed guards at strategic locations... Many of our officers are imprisoned in the cellhouse... Cannot tell extent of injuries suffered by our officers or amount of damage done... Will give you more information later in the day when we can control... J.A. Johnston, Warden, Alcatraz.

Formal planning was then initiated to discuss the rescue of the captive officers. Warden Johnston assigned Lieutenants Phil Bergen and Frank Johnson to organize and lead the assault team. There were few updates coming from the officers now posted in the East Gallery, who reported only that there was virtually no activity on the cellhouse floor. The island’s residents had started to take cover, and most had barricaded themselves inside their apartments. There were several others who secured themselves in the air-raid shelter, which had been established during World War II following the Japanese bombing raid on Pearl Harbor. Mutual aid plans had been initiated, and eleven correctional officers from McNeil and five from Leavenworth were boarding planes to San Francisco. Johnston had arranged to have them flown to Hamilton Field, and from there they were quickly driven to Sausalito and then transferred to Alcatraz by what the Warden termed as “crash boats. ”  Many of those who volunteered to come to San Francisco had worked on the island, and were familiar with the landscape and the posts.

As the Warden and the other men carefully worked through the formal anti-escape procedure manual, Bergen and Johnson chose their men and started plotting their entry into the West Gun Gallery. The situation quickly grew tense, as the East Gallery officers started firing shots at the silhouette of an inmate who was running across the floor with a rifle. As the sun started to set on the prison, Bergen and fellow officer Harry Cochrane met with Associate Warden Miller, pleading to be allowed to enter the cellhouse and begin the rescue of their fellow officers. Miller had been instructed by Johnston to refrain from entering the cellhouse until more reinforcements arrived. But Bergen was ready, and he firmly stated that if the hostages were still alive; they would be waiting for them to make a move. Bergen and Cochrane were assigned the dangerous task of securing a ladder to the side of the cellhouse, so that they could report on any activity that was not visible to the officers in the East End Gallery.  As Bergen ascended the ladder he carefully peered into the building, but could see only a dense haze of tear gas. No inmates were visible, and the cellhouse seemed abandoned. Bergen and Cochrane reported to Associate Warden Miller with this update.

Officers are seen here peering through the main cellblock portholes, attempting to observe the activities of the rioters.

At approximately 3:30 p.m. the first detachment of marines arrived from Treasure Island. They were equipped with a full arsenal of weaponry and they started manning the yard wall and assisting Alcatraz officers at various other posts. Bergen and Cochrane were summoned to the Associate Warden’s office and informed that once all of the marines had received assignments and reported to their posts, they would enter the cellhouse to rescue their fellow officers. There was, however, one change in plan. Johnston felt that it would be a better strategy to gain control of the West End Gallery first, and to have armed officers cover the team that entered the main floor of the prison. It was agreed that once Bergen and his armed assault team had taken control of the West Gallery they would be relieved by reserves, and then they would immediately enter the main cellhouse to perform the rescue.

Bergen, however, strongly voiced his opposition to this plan. He reasoned that his team could easily enter the main cellhouse using armed force, and quickly bring out the hostages. Bergen was adamant about not wasting time and following Johnston’s orders, he decided to assemble his team and have them briefed on the West Gallery entry plan. Bergen and his men made a quick stopover at the Armory, and then made their way to the catwalk outside of D Block. The men advanced along the catwalk in strict formation, crouching down as they quickly moved into position at the gallery entrance. There were eight officers lined up along the catwalk. Phil Bergen, Harry Cochrane, and Harold P. Stites would be the first to enter the gallery. Stites carried a solid reputation among his peers, and he had bravely put an end to the 1938 escape attempt by inmates Thomas E. Limerick, Rufus “Whitey” Franklin, and James Lucas.