Birdman of Alcatraz Page #3

- Mrs Stroud, please.

There's only one man left in the world

who can lend a helping hand to my son,

and that's the president.

Take the petition to him.

I assure you, I give you my solemn oath,

my son is a person of worth.

Save him.

Stroud! Listen!

Hey, do you hear that, you cons?

President Wilson commuted Stroud to life!

Well, I'll be damned. She pulled it off.

Been expecting you, Harvey.

I have a telegram here from Washington.

You probably know about it.

I've heard.

I think you will live to regret

that this wire ever came.

How come?

Because you're going to spend

the rest of your life in deep-lock.

- Who says so?

- The attorney general.

Remember the judge's sentence?

"And kept in solitary confinement

until you are hanged by the neck."

But that ain't what the judge meant.

That's what the attorney general

says he meant.

Look around you, Stroud.

This is going to be your home

for as long as you live.

Ain't much more

you can do to me, is there?

A few things.

Consider this. You will not be permitted

to associate with the other prisoners,

not even to exercise with them.

You'll eat all your meals alone

for the rest of your life.

Visiting and corresponding privileges

will be limited to your immediate family.

And there'll be no work. Nothing to do

but count the hours and days and years.

They're tearin' down my gallows.

- To my great regret.

- Yeah.

It must have galled you

to give that order, Harv.

I think I got you figured out, Shoemaker.

First day here you as much as asked me

to get down on my knees and whimper.

I wouldn't do it then and I won't do it now.

I won't lick your hand

and that's what eats you, keeper.

You keep this in mind.

A man ain't whipped until he quits.

And I'll never give you that pleasure.

Now get outta here.

I'll never forget you as long as I live.

No matter what happens to me,

no matter where I am,

if I ever get a chance

to punish you further, I'll do it.

Drop in from time to time.

See how long I stick around.

I don't have to drop in on you.

I'll always know where you are.

Being in solitary

is like being on rails.

A man pushes your food

through the door.

You eat alone.

Once a week you get a shower.

You walk in the bullpen.

Once a month an inmate comes

and cuts your hair.

You read.

You pace your cell.

Once a week you get clean laundry.

You pace your cell.

The routine's always the same.

The only way you can break it

is to go on sick call.

You sit and listen to your heartbeat,

and you hear your life ticking away.

The thing that swells in your head

until you lose your mind

is you know absolutely for sure

what's coming next.

Here's that Argosy magazine

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