The men made an inflatable raft out of raincoats, set off into the water sometime at night, and were never seen again. At the time the letter was sent he was reportedly living in southern California. The mystery may never be solved, leaving us to only speculate as to what became of them. As for the US Marshals, they tell KPIX 5 they consider this lead closed with no merit. In reality, the four men went to extreme efforts to create dummies that were very convincing. I have cancer.". (He was, however, suffering from hypothermia and quickly recaptured.). Indeed, in 2015, a History Channel special posited that the inmates had survived, citing three potential leads: Christmas cards that had been sent to the Anglins' mother signed with their names dated several years after their disappearance; a photo taken in 1970 purported to depict the Anglins; and a failure to match the DNA of a set of bones that had washed up on the shores of San Francisco in 1963 with the DNA of another surviving Anglin brother. Someone claiming to be John Anglin wrote to In hindsight, maybe they should have separated these guys when sentencing them. WASHINGTON Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter released Tuesday evening that he was declining Yes we all made it that night but barely! The working theory was that the men, who apparently fled on an improvised raft, drowned in the bay's unforgiving waters. I lived in Seattle for most of my years after the escape. I escape [sic] from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. Yes we all made it that night but barely, said the letter. "When I first found out about it, I was pretty excited about it," said Widner. / CBS San Francisco. They set up a secret workshop on the top of their cells, where they built and hid what they needed to escape. . Their families insist they survived. Investigators doubt it. The Meghan Markle's father says he is 'open to any kind of conversation' to repair his Practising for Charles' big day! Most were caught; some were shot and killed, while others drowned. Hannah Betts' Better Not Younger. WOLF: The Supreme Court sent a letter, signed by all nine justices, to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Personally, as someone who swims in the bay, and we have a triathlon that goes on every year, and there's not a single person that doesn't make that swim," he added. Full article Trump plan to offer citizenship to 1.8m, Full article Casey Affleck pulls out of 2018 Oscars, Full article Las Vegas survivor's amazing recovery, Posted byBiodun Iginlaat4:14 PMEmail This, Labels:Alcatraz escape,bbc news,Clarence Anglin,Frank Morris,Fugitive John Anglin,Kathy DiNuzzo and Biodun Iginla,US Marshals Service. I escape from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. The FBI closed its case on the Alcatraz escape on Dec. 31, 1979. Someone claiming to be John Anglin wrote to San Francisco police in 2013, but it has only now been made public. "Morris is quiet and very intelligent," Fred Wilkinson, assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, told the Associated Press. Yes we all made it that night but The US Marshals Service, which has been responsible for the case since 1978, submitted the letter to the FBI laboratory for forensic handwriting analysis. By Amy B Wang. (Admittedly, the History Channel has been spectacularly wrong before, but, well it's still interesting all the same.). Through its investigation, the FBI discovered that the men had escaped the prison by removing air vent covers in their cells to access a corridor and eventually, the prison roof. The letter, sent to police in 2013 and recently obtained by local CBS affiliate KPIX, was from a man claiming to be John Anglin. Did Alcatraz's most famous escapees survive? Two SFGATE Their bodies were never found. The long hallway was completely unguarded, and the men were free to climb the bars and pipes to the roof at their leisure. This much is known: In the early morning hours of June 12, 1962 John and Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris escaped from Alcatraz prison. Especially considering the brothers had committed together in the past. He asked the men to wait for him, and Morris tried to help him. Inside the Chevy, witnesses claim, were three men. After making it through the vents, the men climbed pipes and plumbing to get to the prison roof and then slid down the smokestack to the ground below, officials said. This is no joke. After chipping away a hole long and big enough to squeeze through, the men were able to come and go as they pleased (albeit not very far). To pull it off, these men were going to need some extreme ingenuity, and the extremes they went to for every little detail is legendary. I escape from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my Brother Clarence and Frank Morris. The 50+ raincoats they had collected during their tenure at The Rock were meticulously stitched together, then vulcanized using the heat from steam pipes circulating in the walls of the prison. I escape (sic) from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. As luck would have it, they all managed to be placed next to each other. Another lead cropped up when a nurse provided a deathbed confession by a man who said he was an accomplice the night of the escape. The writer then said he would turn himself in for no more than a year and to get medical attention.. The author says Clarence Anglin died in 2008 and that Morris died in 2005. Despite the new age-progressed images of the men who would be in their 90s if they are still alive, the marshals have not made any new comments about the case, according to Today.. The air vents that had been displaced were usually covered with items in their cells, like a suitcase or cardboard. "My name is John Anglin," reads the letter. Please enter valid email address to continue. Im 83 years old and in bad shape. The Atlanta Federal Penitentiary served as the staging ground for what would happen at Alcatraz. If you announce on TV that I will be promised to first go to jail for no more than a year and get medical attention, I will write back to let you know exactly where I am, the letter says. The air ventilation screens were 6 x 9 hardly enough room to fit a full grown man. Im 83 years old and in bad shape. Once the saw blades were acquired, it was Morris who put the other men to work. I know of times that they came to America to visit the family. John Anglin's nephew David Widner, who lives outside Atlanta, weighed in on the appearance of the letter Thursday. UPDATE:Relative Of Escaped Alcatraz Inmates Speaks Out About Letter. Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk, 60 years later, three escaped Alcatraz prisoners have still not been found. The men were discovered missing on June 12, 1962, and the hunt was on. The FBI says theyused a homemade drill made from a broken vacuum cleaner motor to widen the vents. "It's interesting, I mean it's obviously a very famous case here in San Francisco," said KPIX 5 Security Analyst Jeff Harp. Her father was acting warden. The story of Gary Tison's fateful final escape from those who were there, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. He reached a San Francisco beach in water colder than what the three men would have experiencedand did it naked, no less. They smashed open the ventilation shaft. The doppelgngers were convincing enough to fool the guards the evening of June 11, 1962. After all, their remains were never recovered, though its fully within the world of possibility that they are somewhere in the Pacific. To have any chance at success in escaping, prisoners would have to have special skills. My name is John Anglin. GP appointments crisis laid bare as figures show family doctors are cramming in up to 60 patients per day. The senselessness of such an act led some to believe Alfred may have been killed by officials badgering him about his brothers escape. So they had to chisel them wider. And if so, why keep this handwritten note hidden from the public for five years? I have cancer. The agency believed that the men had drowned, according to NewsNation. "I can see why the FBI would consider it inconclusive because there's no leads here that you can go further with. Chunks of wood were turned into paddles; a concertina, a musical instrument similar to an accordion, was used to force air into the raft. I have cancer. Now, a handwritten letter is again raising questions about whether the men survived the frigid waters and deadly currents of San Francisco Bay long thought to make any escape impossible. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The air vents they expanded conveniently led into a utility corridor, which would prove to be a critical part of the escape. Of the Anglins, Wilkinson was less complimentary. 2023 Cox Media Group. Their typical robbery took place at banks and establishments that were closed to make sure they didnt have to use a weapon. To learn more about this research and Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, watch Secrets of the Dead: The Alcatraz Escape here: PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. He was also smart enough to recruit others. There were unconfirmed reports that the raft was found on Angel Island. West was stuck. The guy was a prison Houdini. The letter states that Frank Morris died in 2008, while Clarence Anglin died in 2011, according to KPIX 5. And in the last 55 years, theories about their fate have multiplied as new evidence surfaces. As the Anglins and Morris navigated a network of pipes in the utility corridor that led outside (West, who couldnt dislodge his vent grill in time, was left behind), their doubles made it seem as though they were asleep. Frank Lee Morris was one of those prisoners with special skills. And why was there no attempt made to follow up with John Anglin or verify this possible lead? It reopened as a maximum-security facility on July 1, 1934. People were incarcerated on the 22-acre island (which took its name from the Spanish word alcatraces, which is most often translated as "pelican" or strange bird), since the 1850s, but it was only transferred to the Department of Justice in 1933, when it got a makeover with more secure cells, guard towers, and protocols that accounted for prisoners multiple times a day. The distance from Alcatraz to Angel Island is well over a mile, which would make for a difficult trip in the cold current of the San Francisco Bay. Yes we all made it that night but barely! But despite its simple beginnings, the letter is extraordinary because it might shed light on the only successful escape attempt that was ever made from the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. "My name is John Anglin. There is absolutely no reason to believe that any of them would have changed their lifestyle and became completely law-abiding citizens after this escape, the agency said in a statement released to KPIX 5. The investigation had been put to bed almost 40 years ago. After all, it had to be installed somehow, didnt it? In what the Anglin family would later point out as suspicious, Alfred was said to have been electrocuted during an escape attempt that came just days before he was set to be paroled. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Mr Widner expressed dismay that the letter was not delivered in a timely manner to the family. Their story was then adapted into the hit 1979 movie Escape From Alcatraz, starring Clint Eastwood as Morris and Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau as John and Clarence Anglin, respectively. John Anglin's cell, where he escaped through a vent in the wall, is one of the main attractions on the tour. But that was far from the end of the story. January 22, 2018 / 11:49 PM I escaped from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my Marshal Service still keeps the case active and reacts to tips when and where warranted. Both had unusually long arms, he says. The men were able to get out of their cells, but getting out of the cell block was a different story. Not only that, but there was a fourth character in the prison who would also become a player in this real-life crime saga. A homemade life vest was also discovered washed up on a beach, but extensive searches did not turn up any other items in the area. Brizzi, a friend of the Anglins, claimed the men had not only survived their escape attempt but had made it to South America. "For him to say he had cancer and was dying, I feel like they should have at least reached out to the family and let them know it existed," he said. Once a card came signed "Jerry" and another "Jerry and Joe," The family also produced a Christmas card, purportedly received in the family mailbox in 1962, saying, "To Mother, from John. Robbery was their way of life, and this built them up quite a RAP sheet and landed them in and out of federal prison during their late adolescence and early adult lives. A mysterious letter has come to light purportedly from one of three inmates who famously escaped Alcatraz in 1962. The Eventually, John and Clarence ended up at Leavenworth, a penitentiary in Kansas, where Clarence attempted to make a break for it by trying to smuggle himself out in two enormous bread boxes; John likely assisted him. And few if any sharks would have threatened them: That was primarily a scare tactic employed by the prison to dissuade escape attempts. A recently uncovered letter by someone claiming to be one of the men who escaped from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in1962 has brought the infamous case back into the national spotlight and under the FBIs focus, according to reports. Widner remembers a letter they sent home just before the escape. On January 17, 1958, the Anglins, along with their older brother Alfred, stormed into Alabama's Bank of Columbia. It was West who got the ball rolling when he came across some old saw blades that were apparently abandoned. On June 11 (or possibly early in the morning on June 12), 1962, bank robbers John and Clarence Anglin and career criminal Frank Morris escaped through ventilation duct openings in their cells, which they had spent quite some time widening using improvised tools, into an unguarded utility corridor. I could tell you that for seven years I lived in Minot North Dakota - [] in Fargo - 1990 to 2005! San Francisco police did not make the letter public despite obtaining it five years ago,according to CBS. Along with his brother Clarence and fellow inmate Frank Morris, John Anglin broke out of Alcatraz in June of 1962 the second to last escape attempt ever made from the prison, which shut down the following year in 1963. In 2011, a National Geographic special claimed that the FBI had found one suspicious crime following the escape in nearby Marin County: A blue Chevrolet had been stolen, and later had a near-accident on the road. Smuggling them into their cells, and keeping them hidden was not too difficult for the inmates. It goes on to say that Frank Morris died in 2008 and Clarence Anglin three years later. Later, some paddle-like pieces of wood and bits of rubber inner tube were found in the water. A view of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in the 1930s when it was America's premier maximum-security prison. Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin escaped from the prison on June 12, 1962. The US Marshals Service took jurisdiction of the case in 1978 and considers it still open. "My name is John Anglin. I have cancer. The breakout of three inmates from the famous Alcatraz prison in 1962 has been the subject of wild speculation for more than half a century. The Anglin brothers, similar to Morris, were career criminals who stuck together. New York Post This button displays the currently selected search type. KPIX 5 exclusively obtained it from asource. Yes we all made it that night but barely! And his plan didnt just include finding a way out; it was quite a bit more comprehensive than that. Morris was serving 10 years, while the Anglin brothers were serving 1520 years. Either way, though, the letter is a fascinating new chapter in the ongoing mystery. They also fashioned wooden paddles. We know the brothers escaped and lived in South America, Widner told the Herald. "Thirty-sixmen tried 14 separate escapes," the FBI says. In 1963, J. Campbell Bruce published Escape from Alcatraz, a history of the prison and those who had attempted to flee it, including Morris and the Anglins. Chief Justice John Roberts has notified Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin that he won't testify at an upcoming hearing on Supreme Court I have cancer. The letter did undergo handwriting analysis. First published on January 22, 2018 / 11:49 PM. The bureau turned the case over to the U.S. Not bad fellas. The men have become folklore - fueled byHollywood and popular shows. Letter allegedly sent from prisoner John Anglin, "I am 83 years old and in bad shape. Merry Christmas." A letter was received by police in San Francisco in 2013, in which the writer claimed to be John Anglin. All Rights Reserved. He would be willing to turn himself in if authorities promised him only one year in jail and medical care. The letter writer claimed to be John Anglin and said he spent many years after his escape from Alcatraz living in Seattle. For the next 29 years, it housed some of the most violent and ruthless criminals the nation every knew. Between the four of them, they managed to acquire over 50 raincoats that had an unlikely purpose: They were going to build a raft. West wouldve certainly been privy to the prisons dilapidated state, having served a previous stretch at Alcatraz. "Handwriting samples of all three escapees, John Anglin, Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris, were compared to the anonymous letter, and the results were deemed inconclusive," O'Keefe said. " I have cancer. He was so compelling in fact, that he was later portrayed by Clint Eastwood in the Hollywood classic, Escape from Alcatraz. The likes of Al Scarface Capone, Frank The Owl Banghar, and Whitey Bulger are just a few that called the prison home. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. If that wasnt enough, Dutch programmers contradicted the FBI when they released a study that found the tides suitable for escape! The sons of migrant farmers, they had some 11 other brothers and sisters. "My grandmother received roses for several years after the escape.". Marshals Service. Alfred likely knew as much or as little as anyone else, yet when his body was exhumed it showed no signs of physical abuse. Labour leader condemns MPs letter but says decision on whether she will stand for party again must wait Keir Starmer has condemned comments about racism by When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. While that decision is not based on any physical evidence, they believe the man was just looking for medical attention. The FBI said that between 1934 and when the prison closed in 1963, 36 men tried to escape in 14 separate attempts. Another brilliant aspect of their planning was how they masked their absence from their cells. And it makes an offer. Anglin's cell is now a favorite stop for tourists who can see the vent he squeezed through when he and the others made their break, then floated off the island in a homemade raft. The FBI says this is the most recent piece of evidence that forced the agency to reopen the iconic cold case. Letter Allegedly Written By 1962 Alcatraz Island Escapee Alcatraz Was A Success, Recent Evidence "I escape from Alcatraz in June 1962 I escape from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my Brother Clarence and Frank Morris. A photo of them, supposedly snapped by a family member, exists. There was otherwise no sign of the men, dead or alive. Its possible that Brizzi and Widners accounts, sensational as they are, could be accurate. And he had plenty of practice rounds before his stay at Alcatraz. Dismantling the Suprem Court's argument about its own ethics The night guards apparently didnt notice the replacements when they did their rounds. I have cancer. I escape [d] from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. January 25, 2018 / 8:20 AM CBS San Francisco obtained the letter which says that John Anglin was 83 years old and that he was diagnosed with cancer. The idea was to be prepared for the choppy Bay waters en route to freedom in nearby Marin County. I escape [sic] from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. Alcatraz was a decrepit old pile of bricks by the time they arrived. Also sharing a wall with one of the trio was Allen West, who came to Alcatraz in 1957 after he tried to escape from a prison in Florida. John Roberts declines to testify on ethics, Clarence Thomas reports In it, Chief Justice John Roberts says he wont testify And as if that was not enough, they even figured out the perfect tool for inflating the raft: Morriss own accordion. It is. The writer also claimed Morris died in 2008 and Clarence Anglin died in 2011. Not only was there the Christmas card, but theories abound that the Anglins ended up in Brazil. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved, Mickey Cohen and Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson. Escape from Alcatraz: Letter claims three inmates survived 1962 My name is John Anglin. However, CBS News reports that we dont know whether or not the letter is authentic. "I'm 83 years old and in bad shape. Marshal's Service says handwriting samples were "inconclusive" from a letter sent to San Francisco police by a man claiming to be one of three Alcatraz inmates whose daring breakout from The Rock was the subject of lore and the film Escape from Alcatraz. "For him to say he had cancer and was dying, I feel like they should have at least reached out to the family and let them know it existed," Widner said. And as a final touch, they even collected discarded hair clippings from the barber and glued it to the tops of the heads. And no physical evidence exists that counters Anglins statement. Marshals service and the results of that examination were provided to the U.S. It fell under use of the U.S. military beginning in the 1850s, at which point a fortress and a lighthouse were built on it; however, although it was originally meant as a defensive base, by the latter part of the decade, it had become a military prison. I'm an astrology expert and it's obvious why Meghan Markle is skipping King Charles' coronation. Im 83 years old and in bad shape. After returning to his cell for a good nights sleep, he was immediately seized by authorities and questioned. At the time of the escape, Jolene Babyak was 15 years old living on Alcatraz. One of the reasons we know so much about this case is West. This is no joke," the letter says. While you may think this brilliant idea has Morriss name on it, it was actually conceived from aPopular Mechanics magazines later found in one of the prisoners cells. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. I have cancer. "The FBI examined the letter received in 2013 at the request of the U.S. The debate has once again been reignited with the recent discovery of a letter purported to have been written by one of the Anglin brothers. It had only been loosened before, this loud move was necessary to open it. Marshals Service said in a statement to the television station. I escape from Alcatrazin June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. Letter Allegedly Written by Alcatraz Escapee John Anglin Brings Instead of playing along with the instructions in the note, investigators did not make the announcement, and the notes author may already be gone. The authenticity of the correspondence was never proven, and the FBI appeared to keep the letter private until 2018. I have cancer. His grave is in Argentina under another name. I escape (sic)from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. ", The letter makes an offer: "If you announce on TV that I will be promised to just go to jail for no more than a year and get medical attention I will write back to let you know exactly where I am". Once in there, they stalled, because there was a problem. It claims brothers John and Clarence Anglin along with inmate Frank Morris lived into old age after escaping the prison half a century ago. Yes we all More than 55 years and oneClint Eastwood movielater, the escape has earned its place in history as the most infamousprison break of the 20thcentury. From there, the trail grew cold. In it, Anglin claimed that Morris had died in 2008 and his brother in 2011. 10 Im 83 years old and in bad shape. "Nearly all were caught or didnt survive the attempt. The two brothers began a life of crime at an early age and followed a similar pattern to that of Morris. Even though authorities at Alcatraz had been cautioned not to house the brothers near each other, they were placed in adjacent cells. I escape from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. Unfortunately, there arent many known handwriting samples of the Anglin brothers. Chief Justice Roberts Declines to Testify Before Congress Over Letter Police were unable to locate the boat. Legend has it that no one ever successfully escaped the grim, federalisland prison in San Francisco Bay, shuttered in the early 1960s after three decades of service. The daring escape was immortalized in the 1979 film Escape From Alcatraz, which starred Fred Ward as John Anglin, Jack Thibeau as Clarence Anglinand Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris. Alcatraz escape: Fugitive John Anglin's name on letter to police They referred all other inquiries about the letter to the U.S. Accordingly, he tried to strike a deal: Hed turn himself in if he could be guaranteed a lenient sentence and medical attention. Im 83 years old and His grave is in Alexandria under another name. "It's always been talked about through the family," said David Widner, a nephew of John and Clarence Anglin. Once they crawled through, theyclimbed up a network of pipes and plumbing ina commonly unguarded space. As well, their nephew claimed his father, Robert Anglin, told their sisters that they didnt have to worry about their brothers, that he had been in touch with them and they were okay. There have been many supposed sightings of the men, although many have been discounted. The nephew of John and Clarence Anglin told CBS that his grandmother used to receive roses with John and Clarence's signature on the cards several years after the escape. Yet people have done it.