ALCATRAZ EXPOSURE QUESTIONED

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1938, Page 9 (Supplement)

ALCATRAZ EXPOSURE QUESTIONED

On publication of three articles by Robert Moxon, an ex-inmate of America's notorious Alcatraz Island gaol in San Francisco Bay—the same three as were concluded in Week-end Pictorial last week—in which allegations ; of ill-treatment were freely 1 made, a Washington journalist was enterprising enough to get the following story , from officials there. WASHINGTON. JAMES V. BENNETT, Federal Director of Prisons, refused to get excited over charges by Robert B. Moxon, former inmate of Alcatraz penitentiary, that a "bloody riot" is imminent at the Government's island prison for "incorrigibles.** Although he declined to comment formally on Moxon's articles, the first of which he said he had "skimmed over," Bennett declared that he had noted several allegations that were "obviously absurd." "I remember Moxon," the director said in an interview. "He wanted me> to restore his 'good time' privileges, which he had lost by violating his parole. I refused to grant his request, and I expect he is nourishing a grudge." Trouble-makers Were Sent There As for riots and other disturbances, he said, they are likely to happen at any penal institution at any time. That Alcatraz has not had more disturbances is remarkable, he contends, in view of the fact that many of the prisoners are habitual "trouble-makers" —sent Alcatraz for that reason. He has no cause for alarm over the present situation there. Bennett denied that prisoners at Alcatraz have difficulty in obtaining writs of habeas corpus. On the contrary, he said, the number of writs filed by occupants of the island is higher proportionately than at other Federal prisons. The policy is to permit prisoners to file petitions for such writs at any time, providing they are not obscene. Prison bureau records do not agree with Moxon's versions of the shooting of Joe Bowers, the death in the hospital of Jack Allen, or the case of "Arky" Persful, who mutilated his hand. Bennett pointed out. The official reports show that Bowers was making a spectacular and desperate effort to escape over a tall fence when

-By REX COLLIER

discovered by a guard, who shouted for him to come down or be shot. Bowers, according to these reports, ignored the warnings and continued to pull himself over the fence and was dropping down the other side when the guard fired three shots, fatally wounding him. Officials denied that Bowers was trying to retrieve a can caught on top of the fence. Bowers was a notorious bandit, serving 25 years for robbing the mails and for assault. Allen, according to the records, was transferred to Alcatraz because of his bad record, which included burglary, robbery, rape, hi-jacking with arms,

grand larceny, counterfeiting and for-, gery. Th© warden's report ehows that Allen was given medical attention when he complained of stomach pains and that, when his condition grew worse, he was removed to the hospital and operated on for gastric ulcer. The report says the operation was successful and Allen was almost recovered from it when he developed lobar pneumonia, from which he died. Persful, according to the records, cut off two fingers of his left hand, not his whole hand —and he has not been removed to Springfield, where mental cases are sent. Officials said Persful refused to explain why he mutilated himself. He has a long record as & "killer." Bennett takes fesue with the notion that all who enter Alcatraz muet "abandon hope." He says that men who show unmistakable evidences of a changed attitude are transferred to other prisons.